The Revere Commission on Disabilities held its regular monthly meeting last Tuesday evening, June 13, via Zoom. On hand for the meeting were chair Ralph DeCicco, vice-chair Pauline Perno, Jason Barone-Cichocki, Ellie Pagan-Vargas, and Robert Brown.
Michael Hinojosa, the Director of the city’s Parks & Recreation Department, was the guest speaker for the evening. Hinojosa briefly described the duties of his office and the many ways in which the Rec. Dept. provides recreational opportunities for Revere residents of all ages.
“The department has grown from two staff members from when I began to nine full-time staffers today,” said Hinojosa, who has been the head of the department for almost 11 years. He said that the department soon will be opening a Health and Wellness Center at 321 Charger St. behind Northgate Shopping Center in the former (and long-defunct) Wheels Plus location.
“What we are doing will be a health and wellness center for everybody of every age and every ability with equipment that is user-friendly,” said Hinojosa. “The pneumatic equipment will be operable with push buttons on the handles that change the amount of resistance.”
“This sounds very exciting and I can’t wait to see it happen,” said Perno.
Hinojosa said that the department now operates aquatics programs at the Garfield School pool and also noted that the department will be soon expanding to 20 staff members.
DeCicco praised the recent Sensory Adventures Day, who said the event “was great for children with disabilities” and praised the staff members who conduited it.
“It was a great turnout that featured Charlie the new Revere Dept. K-9 dog,” said DeCicco, who queried whether the department will be hiring a person who can operate programs for children with social and physical disabilities. “There is a tremendous need for these programs in our city,” said DeCicco.
“Adaptive programming is important to us and we do as much of it as we can,” said Hinojosa, who made note of the Life-Skills program at the Rec. Center that is geared to persons with disabilities, but who added that the lack of appropriate space is the greatest limitation to his department expanding its programs.
Brown provided an update regarding the upcoming election for leadership positions on the Special Education Parents Advisory Council (SEPAC), of which Brown is the current president. He said that the elections will take place in August to be closer to the start of the new school year.
DeCicco made note of the recent news reports that Delta Air Lines is the first airline that will have seating that lifts up so that passengers in wheelchairs will be able to roll into their assigned seat without having to get out of their wheelchair.
Barone-Cichocki, who works at the Registry of Motor Vehicles, made those listening aware that the RMV will be inundated with new applications for driver’s licenses starting July 1 because of the new state law that allows the state’s 250,000 undocumented foreign residents to become eligible to obtain a Mass. Driver’s License.
The meeting concluded with the commission’s regular announcement:
“The Commission on Disabilities’ number is 781-286-8267. Residents can speak to staff from our 311 Constituent Service Center Monday through Friday when you call our office number. They will be able to answer most questions, but if they are unable to or if you would like a call back from our department, please ask to be transferred to the Disability Office’s voicemail and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.
“As always, please let us know if you would like something discussed or brought up and added to our monthly meeting agenda. You can let us know if you would like to speak on any issue or concern. The commission is here to help and assist all the disabled residents and families of Revere.”
The commission adjourned until its next meeting via Zoom) on Tuesday, August 8, at 6:00 p.m. (There will be no meeting in July).
