Winchester Disability Access Commission Preps For Busy Winter

WINCHESTER— The Winchester Disability Action Commission (DAC) meets the first Thursday of every month. But what does this municipal group do? The Commission's works to facilitate the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in all aspects of community life within Winchester, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) from 1990. This civil rights law prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in many aspects, be it employment, access to public buildings, and local services. Winchester's Disability group is in charge of implementing the ADA Transition Plan that was accepted by the Board of Selectmen in 2011.

Projects in the transition plan include creating or improving ramps, wheelchair lifts, modifying bathrooms to accommodate wheelchairs, and receiving funds from any handicapped parking fines. The DAC recently used this money to purchase assistive listening devices for the Board of Selectmen meeting room, the Council on Aging, the Library and the Public Housing Authority as well as a beach wheelchair for the Recreation Department.

Anne Graglia-Kostos has been the ADA Coordinator for Winchester since 2011. She has been involved in setting up an Emergency Preparedness Training for Individuals with Disabilities, planned on Mar. 15.

This is training offered by the Massachusetts Office on Disability through a grant from the Department of Homeland Security. Kostos told Patch, "Participants will be taught what to do in an emergency and will receive a backpack filled with items to help them in the event of a shelter in place emergency."

The DAC also coordinates an annual autism event, which is in its fourth year. The event which will take place on Thursday, Apr. 6 at 7:00pm in the Town Hall Auditorium.

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