By Journal Staff
The Revere Commission on Disabilities (COD) held its regular monthly meeting last Tuesday evening, December 10, via Zoom. Chair Ralph DeCicco, Mario Grimanis, Annemarie Fiore, Ellie Vargas, and Jason Barone-Cichocki were on hand for the session.
The members held a discussion regarding a proposal from the Community Music Center (CMC) of Boston to introduce a music program in Revere for disabled children, possibly to be administered in conjunction with the city’s Parks and Rec. Dept. The commission had met at its meeting in October with a person from the CMC who outlined the programs that the center offers.
Fiore subsequently spoke to a representative from the center, who suggested that the CMC initially conduct workshops for parents and caregivers in order to provide information about the benefits of music therapy, such as improving fine and gross motor skills, working on social and emotional behaviors, and improving pro-social behaviors.
Fiore said the training/information sessions could be conducted either in-person, via Zoom, or through a hybrid combination and could be held at whatever intervals are convenient (monthly, quarterly, etc.). The times and frequencies of the classes for children also could be held at the convenience of local residents.
DeCicco noted that input from Parks and Rec. would be necessary to determine the availability of space at the George Colella Community Center at the Garfield School. After the discussion, Fiore agreed to write-up a detailed plan that could be presented to the Parks and Rec. Dept.
“As a commission, we always are seeking new programs we can implement in Revere to benefit children and young adults with disabilities, and the more we can do, the better, because there is a need,” said DeCicco.
DeCicco presented a summary of the December 4 meeting of the Commissions on Disabilities Alliance (CODA) that he attended. Among the items discussed at the meeting were:
— The Disability Policy Consortium (DPC) will be hiring for a few positions, including a Community Organizer, an Executive Assistant, and a Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ombudsman. For more information and to apply, visit their website at https://www.dpcma.org/;
— DPC also mentioned that the next legislative session begins again in January and soon thereafter will start to conduct advocacy updates for the new session;
— The Newburyport COD representative spoke about a new program that community will be implementing called Project Lifesaver in which the Newburyport COD will be partnering with the Newburyport Police Department and Council on Aging. This technology has a success rate of being able to locate a lost individual within 30 minutes, which is much faster than other programs.
The initial cost to implement this program is approximately $9800 for the first year. This includes wrist or ankle transponders for 14 individuals (additional users could be added for an additional cost), along with equipment for three police cars and other equipment needed to be installed throughout the community. The training necessary for the police officers is included. More information on this technology can be found at https://projectlifesaver.org/; and
— Representatives from various CODs discussed roadway construction-related issues that cause accessibility difficulties for pedestrians with disabilities. They noted that the problems principally arise when state agencies perform construction projects, but do not take appropriate measures to help persons with disabilities navigate the construction areas.
In a separate matter, the commission discussed sending a letter to Revere’s representatives at the State House to urge them to ask that the Mass. Dept. of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), which has jurisdiction over Revere Beach, provide additional street lighting, including flashing pedestrian crossing signals, at the beach.
Last month, COD vice-chair Pauline Perno warned residents and her fellow commissioners that crossing the streets in the area of Revere Beach is “treacherous” because of the lack of lighting on Revere Beach Blvd. She suggested that the COD send a letter to the city’s elected State House officials about the need for the DCR to install flashing pedestrian-crossing lights.
Perno agreed to draft a letter for approval by the full COD at this month’s meeting. The members reviewed the letter submitted by Perno (who was unable to attend last week’s meeting), but unanimously voted to table moving forward on it until Perno is in attendance to discuss it with the members.
DeCicco concluded the meeting by reading the COD’s monthly reminder:
“The Commission on Disabilities office number is 781-286-8267. Residents can also call Revere 311 directly and speak to their staff Monday through Friday. They will answer most questions, but if they cannot or if you want to talk to our department directly, ask to be transferred to the Disability office. Please leave a detailed message, and someone will get back to you soon.
“As always, don’t hesitate to contact us if you want something discussed or added to our monthly meeting agenda. You can also let us know if you want to speak about any issue or concern. The Commission is here to help and assist all the disabled residents and families of Revere.”
The COD’s next meeting (via Zoom) is scheduled for Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at 6:00 PM.
