This year's DPC Annual Reception and Award Ceremony will be held on Thursday, October 17th, from 6-8 PM, at the Microsoft NERD Center at 1 Memorial Dr, Cambridge, MA 02142.

Our lead sponsor this year will be Commonwealth Care Alliance  and we thank them for their longtime support of our work.

We have two fantastic awardees this year, and one very special honor to bestow. 

In recognition of his years championing disability rights issues in the legislature, Senator Jamie Eldridge will be receiving the Menino Award.

In recognition of her ongoing and impactful efforts to bring consumer voices into health policy, and her longtime service as a DPC board member, Ellen Breslin will be receiving the Mary Lou Maloney Award.

Finally, in celebration of his fearless leadership of the DPC for over five years, and all his accomplishments in a career of advancing disability rights in Massachusetts, the night's "main event" will be a roast of John Winske. Trust us, you won't want to miss it.

Thanks to the contributions of our generous sponsors and donors, we have already raised more than $35,000 for DPC through this event. Our goal is $50,000, and with your help, we know we can get there. To contribute, or to purchase a ticket, please click here.  See you on the 17th!

Colin Killick

Over the weekend, Marca Bristo one of the most influential leaders of our movement for disability civil rights passed away this weekend, after battling cancer.  Marca was a founder of Access Living in Chicago.  She was extremely influential with the Obama administration.  Marca also played a leading role in passage of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA).  You can read more about her life here.

DPC is collaborating with researchers at Brandeis University on research on problems with opioids use (addiction/ misuse) in the disability community. We are currently recruiting for a focus group to be held in Boston MA and one-on-one interviews. We are looking for people with lived experience with a disability who have had problems with using (addiction/misuse) opioid medications including painkillers such as oxycodone, and other opioids such as heroin, and fentanyl.

Participants will receive a $25 gift card, and lunch/ refreshments will be served at the focus group. Anyone interested in participating in the focus group or one-on-one telephone interviews can call DPC at 617-307-7775 or email Pili at [email protected] for more information.

Please help us spread the word

Flyer in MS Word

Flyer in Adobe PDF

Dear Friends of SWA,

A few months ago, we put out a call for customers who would be interested in working with our team to provide ongoing feedback on projects affecting our blind and low vision ridership.

Now we are pleased to form a new advisory committee, with a mission to weigh in on issues and initiatives directly affecting the blind and low vision community. If you're a customer who is blind or has low vision, and/or if you're a professional in the field, your voice is critical in helping us build a better, safer, more accessible system.

Are you interested in participating? Then we invite you to attend the advisory committee's kickoff event: a series of focus groups about our use of the latest technology to provide a more independent travel experience for blind and low vision customers. From station wayfinding to information access, the success of these technologies depends on input from the customers that use them. We hope you can join us!

Date: Thursday September 12, 2019

Location: The State Transportation Building, 10 Park Plaza, 2nd floor - Conference Room 4

Time: 5:30PM to 6:30PM

Light refreshments will be served.

We look forward to your feedback on these important initiatives to provide more independent travel for our customers who are blind or have low vision.

Please RSVP to Jennifer Ross 
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 617-222-1898

We are looking forward to collaborating with you.

Kindest Regards,

Jennifer Ross, MBA
Customer Engagement Coordinator
System-Wide Accessibility
(Phone: 617-222-1898
Email: [email protected]

Kaiser Health News has a very good article about an 18 year old young woman who uses a wheelchair.  She was accepted for a full scholarship to Stanford University.  However, her struggle to afford PCA services may block her plans.  You can read more here.

According to DisabilityScoop, "The Commission on Dental Accreditation approved new standards this summer requiring all U.S. dental schools to train students in the assessment and management of patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities, among other special needs populations.

The change means that by mid-2020, schools that offer degrees in dentistry, orthodontics, dental hygiene and dental assistant programs must include clinical training with a "special needs" population of patients in their graduation requirements or risk losing their accreditation."

You can read more here.

I must admit I had to read this piece three times to absorb it all.  The author, Andrew Solomon, does a good job of articulating how society devalues the lives of people with disabilities.  His final conclusion is one I firmly believe, that we, as people with disabilities, must become fully comfortable with who we are, and not who we wish we were.  Fundamentally, we need to reject the negative messages we are continually fed.  You can read the editorial here.

When:   Wednesday, September 18, 2019, 1:00 - 3:00 PM

Where: The Cathedral Church of St. Paul, 138 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02111

Disability Advocates Advancing our Healthcare Rights (DAAHR) wants to hear from enrollees in MassHealth/ACO/One Care about:

• Challenges around durable medical equipment: wheelchair repairs, denial of bed mattresses, etc.
• Trouble getting medical supplies (leg bags, diapers, Chux etc.)
• Medical transportation concerns
• PT-1?
• Though One Care?
• Problems getting needed prescription medications (plan will not authorize a medication or will not pay for the medication)
• Any difficulties with behavioral health services
• Challenges to getting care and services you need from your plan's network - are you having trouble seeing specialists?
• And if things are going good for you, we want to hear that, too!

For more information, contact Shaya French, BCIL Community Organizer at [email protected] or 617-338-6665 x 209 or Harry Weissman at DPC, [email protected].

To request reasonable accommodations please contact [email protected] or 617-338-6665 x 209. 

Celebrate with us as we debut our short documentary film

Wheels of Justice

A film that shines a light on how people with disabilities are fighting for their legal rights in a society that has yet to fully realize that these rights exist.

When:  Saturday September 28, 2019, 8 A.M. -10 P.M.

Where:  The Learning Center for the Deaf (TLC) & Early Education Center Building (EEC)

848 Central Street

Framingham, MA 01701

FREE for day-time activities

*Keynote Speaker: Steve Florio, MCDHH Commissioner
*Guest Speaker: De'Lasha Singleton, Social Justice     Activist/Inspirational Speaker
*Registration Awards
*Community Forum & Round-table discussion
*Lunch (on your own / catered options will be available)
*MSAD General Meeting and Elections

$10 for Evening Entertainment

Evening Entertainment: Organizational Feud Game

Please submit request(s) for accommodations by September 15th to [email protected]

When:  Sunday, October 6, 2019, 11:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.

Where:  Worcester Senior Center, 128 Providence Street, Worcester, MA

More information is available here.

When:  Wednesday, October 16, 2019, 10:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M.

Where:  Massachusetts State House, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA

Please come and join us for a unified celebration of Disability Mentoring and Employment opportunities for individuals with varied abilities and strengths. The day will include many opportunities for support leading to the employment and vocational resources of the various partnerships throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This unique collaboration of Provider and State Agencies will offer three distinct areas of potential growth for individuals seeking meaningful work. These areas will include:

1. In the Great Hall-Massachusetts Employers looking for potential job applicants or companies offering internship possibilities.

2. In the Nurses Hall-There will be a vocational specialist to assist with resume and cover letter critique. For individuals wondering how employment will affect their benefit and entitlements there will be Certified Work Incentive Counselors available to answer basic questions in both English and Spanish!

3. Outside the Grand Staircase will be technology professionals who will discuss and provide guidance regarding tools for accommodation to work needs and make returning to employment. 

Collaborators/Sponsors for this event include but aren't limited to:

MAAPSE-Massachusetts Association of Supporting Employment
MAPRC-Massachusetts Psychiatric Recovery Collaborative
Eastern MA Peer Network
Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Department of Developmental Service and Bureau of State Office
U MASS Medical School-BenePlan
Starbucks Coffee Company

If you want to participate or have questions, contact Jenn Hinde at 617-484-0193 or [email protected].

For more information, here is a flyer in MS Word and here is a flyer in Adobe Format.