The Revere Commission on Disabilities (COD) held its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 9, via Zoom. On hand for the session were chair Ralph DeCicco, vice-chair Pauline Perno, Jason Barone-Cichocki, and Mario Grimanis.
Perno reported that a number of informational vendors and agencies have been contacted regarding their participation in the upcoming Third Annual All Ability Beach Day at Revere Beach, which is scheduled for Saturday, August 15, from 10 AM-2 PM. The Oak Island Bath House (entryway #36) at 462 Revere Beach Blvd., will serve as the gathering spot for participants.
DeCicco screen-shared the flyer that will be distributed to advertise the event for which accessible water and sand chairs will be provided by DCR. Those who wish to participate must register in advance, with the first 100 persons who register receiving a free lunch.
The All Ability Beach Day once again was made possible by a grant from Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. DeCicco also noted the assistance of State Rep. Jessica Giannino, the office of Mayor Patrick Keefe, DCR, and the Revere Parks and Rec. Dept.
DeCicco discussed the most recent meeting of the Commissions on Disabilities Alliance (CODA) that took place on June 3, which included the following items:
— The Brookline COD representative mentioned that the Brookline COD has completed a municipal accessible parking study, which marked accessible parking spots as either fully-accessible or having barriers such as trees, poles, bike racks, etc., causing an issue with non-compliance;
— The Melrose COD person mentioned that they are looking to partner with the Melrose schools’ Special Education Department to create a mentorship program with area businesses that may want to be a part of this initiative;
— The representative from the Cambridge COD mentioned that they sponsored a program that was run by an outside company on water safety and swimming for children with intellectual disabilities and their families; and
— The Boston Commission on Disabilities Advisory Board will be sending a letter to Secretary of State Galvin’s office regarding the accessible voting machines (Automark) being inadequate and the need for them to be updated with new technology.
DeCicco noted that DCR’s Universal Access Program’s (UAP) summer 2026 Adaptive Program schedule has been released. For general questions, contact UAP by email [email protected] or phone at (413) 461-7126 or visit their website for a list of all of the activities that will be available this summer throughout the state.
Perno 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 are unable to assist you or if you prefer to talk with the Commission directly, please ask to be transferred to the Commission on Disability’s direct number. Please leave a detailed message, and we will respond to you shortly.
“As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like to discuss or add something to our monthly meeting agenda. You can also let us know if you want to discuss any concerns. The commission is here to help and assist all residents with disabilities and their families in Revere.
The next meeting of the COD (via Zoom) will be held on Tuesday, August 11, at 6:00 PM.