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From YouTube: Americans with Disabilities Act Day 2017
Description
Persons with disabilities brought the party to City Hall Plaza when they gathered together to celebrate ADA Day 2017. The annual event highlights the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prevents discrimination and ensures equal opportunities for this community.
A
So
I'd
like
to
thank
everybody
for
coming
out
to
Boston
City
High
Plaza
today
to
celebrate
the
27th
anniversary
of
the
signing
of
the
Americans
with
Disabilities
Act,
I'm,
Kristen
Mecosta
disability,
commissioner,
in
AD,
a
title
ii
coordinator
for
the
city
of
boston.
I'm
really
happy
to
see
such
a
great
turnout
today
when
it
would
have
been
really
easy
to
skip
an
outdoor
event.
A
As
most
of
you
know,
the
ADA
is
a
civil
rights
law
for
people
with
disabilities.
It
protects
them
from
discrimination
in
many
aspects
of
life,
including
housing,
employment
and
transportation.
In
Boston,
we've
always
been
a
leader
in
anti-discrimination
there.
We
are
also
very
proactive
as
a
city
in
embracing
new
policies
that
promote
equity
for
all
of
our
residents.
This
is
especially
true
when
it
comes
to
housing.
A
First,
the
Boston
planning
and
development
agency
or
BPD
a
the
BBVA,
has
done
a
lot
of
work
with
my
Commission,
including
adopting
policies
that
require
developments
developers
to
go
beyond
the
minimum
accessibility
requirements
in
new
projects.
To
talk
about
this
work,
I'd
like
to
introduce
Tim
Davis
from
the
BPD
a
BPD
a
to
talk
about
all
our
Jim.
Thank.
B
You
I'm
chip,
Davis
I'm,
the
housing
policy
manager
at
the
Boston
Planning
and
Development
Agency
up
it's
a
little
bit
less
than
a
year
ago,
we
were
known
as
the
Boston
Redevelopment
Authority,
so
our
new
name
is
a
reflection
of
the
work
that
we're
doing
around
plan
as
a
priority
and
development.
As
the
other
feature
of
our
organization,
I,
first
like
to
apologize
that
director
Brian
golden
cannot
be
with
us
today.
B
He
is
an
active
officer
in
the
military
reserves,
and
this
is
the
time
of
year
that
he
is
performing
this
service
to
our
country
instead
of
just
to
the
city
of
Boston.
So
on
behalf
of
director
golden
executive
secretary
to
resupply
mass
at
the
BPD,
a
board,
then
all
the
BPD,
a
staff.
We
are
honored
to
receive
recognition
for
our
efforts
to
improve
the
lives
of
those
with
disabilities.
There
are
a
number
of
places
where
the
Boston
plane
development
agency
plays
an
important
role
in
improving
accessibility
to
also
city
of
Boston.
B
In
our
planning
efforts,
we
work
with
the
Boston
Transportation
Department
to
implement
the
Complete
Streets
program,
which
creates
a
streetscape
that
is
more
accessible
and
friendly.
For
many
kinds
of
users
and
forms
of
mobility
in
our
development
review
efforts,
the
BPD,
a
in
2014,
adopted
accessibility
guidelines
and
an
accessibility
checklist
which
would
revise
again
the
march
of
issues.
B
The
guidelines
and
checklist
have
allowed
the
Boston
plan
development
agency
to
examine
the
accessibility
of
an
ultimate
rapini
project
under
during
review,
encourage
ideal
design
for
accessibility
that
at
a
minimum
means
for
ideally
exceeds
the
American
with
Disabilities
Act
and
the
Massachusetts
architectural
access
compliancy
requirements
so
support
the
inclusion
of
persons
with
disabilities.
The
guidelines
and
check
waves
require
preliminary
project
details
that
are
intended
to
ensure
all
individuals
have
a
people
experience
that
includes
the
fullest
participation
in
the
built
environment
throughout
the
proposed
buildings
and
ensures
access
planning
for.
B
For
people
aging
complete
a
trapezoid,
these
review
applies
to
all
projects
that
come
before
us,
whether
they're,
small
or
large
projects,
but
also
for
our
city's
large
institutions,
including
hospital
and
university.
They
must
also
complete
this
checklist
and
provide
necessary
responses.
Through
this
process,
we
are
able
to
increase
accessibility.
The
residents.
C
B
Users,
the
Boston
buildings,
but
also
to
increase
accessibility
around
these
buildings
for
all
my
agency's
efforts
to
not
suffer
review
process.
However,
through
the
inclusionary
development
policy
to
my
major
focus,
private
developers
have
completed
almost
2,000
units
of
income,
restrictive
housing
for
moderate
to
medium
kind
of
little
accompaniments
throughout
the
city,
without
the
support
for
public
subsidies.
In
addition,
in
private
developers
have
made
contributions
to
analogy
fund
that
has
supported
the
completion
of
over
1,000
additional
income
restriction
units
affordable
to
low
and
moderate
income
families.
B
We
all
know
that
new
construction
provides
the
best
opportunity
for
people
is
its
ability
to
get
the
units
that
they
reach
their
needs
and
the
challenges
that
you
have
combining
such
as
unit
in
left,
our
city,
full
of
triple
Decker's
and
row
houses.
Our
sister
agency,
the
Department
of
Development,
also,
is
increasing
their
requirement.
They
currently
required
at
five
percent
of
units
that
they
find
in
their
affordable
housing
programs
are
accessible,
their
increased
they're,
doubling
that
commitment
to
10%.
B
Finally,
also
in
our
agency,
our
housing
compliance
unit
also
recommends
recognizing
the
specific
needs
of
those
with
disabilities.
As
a
result,
our
staff
are
working
more
closely
with
the
disability
Commission's
that
to
identify
places
where
more
flexibility
needed
on
our
access
to
income
homes,
for
example
our
staff
and
helpers
differently
with
other
forms
of
assets.
In
addition,
the
disability
Commission
is
agreeing
to
work
with
our
staff
to
work
together
for
to
review
disability
preference
documentation
so
as
to
make
sure
that
it
is,
we
monitor
preparing
people
who
need
that
specific
building.
B
A
Thank
you
very
much
Jim
and,
in
addition
to
the
VP
PA,
there
are
a
number
of
other
groups
that
we
worked
with
very
closely
for
many
years.
Long.
Investment
in
the
city
and
I
just
like
to
make
sure
that,
as
I
can
pass
down
the
Fair
Housing
and
equity
Commission
inspectional
services,
public
works
departments,
Howard
improving
conditions,
Boston
Transportation,
Department,
the
elderly
Commission's
election
is
certainly
helping.
Human
Services
Department,
which
I'm
part
of
has
the
Health
and
Human
Services
cabinet.
A
We
all
work
together,
along
with
many
other
departments
in
the
city,
in
the
state
to
improve
accessibility
policies
for
the
entire
city,
so
the
other
groups
that
we're
recognizing
today
for
all
of
their
hard
work
and
commitment,
is
the
disability
housing
task
force.
This
task
force
was
put
together
by
chief
Gillen
in
myself
to
look
at
the
policies
laid
out
in
housing,
Boston
2030.
We
specifically
wanted
look
at
the
population
of
people
with
disabilities
were
not
held
over.
A
These
are
young
people,
individual
families
who
being
on
stated
to
be
categorical
requirements
of
elderly
housing,
but
still
we
accept
class.
So
in
that
being,
I
would
like
to
introduce
one
of
the
members
of
the
disability,
housing
task
force,
Olivia
Richards,
to
talk
about
her
work
and
her
commitment
to
gaining
more
accessible
housing
for
people
with
disabilities.
Let's
welcome
Olivia.
D
D
My
name
is
Olivia
Richard
and
I
live
in
the
Brighton
neighborhood
of
Boston
I'm,
a
member
of
the
Boston
Center
for
Independent
Living
and
a
disability
rights
activist
who
has
a
special
focus
on
housing
and
healthcare.
I
was
lucky
enough.
We,
apart
of
the
Boston
disability
household
haskers,
the
number
one
factor
in
what
we
call
the
social
determinants
of
health,
which
is
just
a
fancy
term
for
what
parts
and
people's
lives
affect
their
health
is
having
faith,
stable,
affordable,
accessible,
integrated
housing.
D
D
We
are
wiping
the
institutionalized
in
nursing
homes
and
other
facilities
that
are
darn
near
impossible
to
transition
out
of
without
health,
the
rising
rents,
gentrification
and
cuts.
The
housing
and
community
based
support
programs
at
the
state
and
federal
level
mean
this
problem
for
Bostonians
with
disabilities
is
getting
more
difficult.
Not
better.
D
Boston
is
a
city
that
has
an
exceptionally
strong
moral
compass
and
a
drive
to
help
improve
the
lives
of
its
residents,
whomever
they
may
be.
We
have.
Let's.
Attack
on
standing
with
immigrants,
have
a
positive
relationship
between
our
Police
Department
in
the
communities
and
even
have
non-gendered
accessible
bathrooms
that
are
City
Hall.
It's
the
size
of
our
integrity
as
a
city
that,
when
the
housing
situation
nationwide
is
getting
harder,
we're
rolling
out
new
policies
and
regulations
at
all
levels
of
housing,
development
that
improve
access
to
affordable,
integrated
housing,
that's
accessible
to
Bostonians,
with
disabilities.
D
Things
such
as
making
sure
that
a
good
percentage
of
the
accessible
housing
is
also
affordable
when
a
new
building
goes
up,
making
the
information
about
what
accessible
housing
is
actually
out
there,
up-to-date
and
easy
to
search
for
when
people
are
looking
for
a
place
to
live
and
setting
up
written
guides
for
Bostonians
with
disabilities
on
what's
available
for
community
resources
to
support
them
to
ensure
they
can
keep
living
where
they
are,
if
their
needs
change,
our
progressive
steps
to
improve
the
lives
of
everyone
in
this
city.
For
me,
the
fight
is
personal.
D
I've
experienced
homelessness,
I've
experienced
living
in
a
nursing,
home
and
I've
experienced
living
in
an
apartment
that
wasn't
accessible
to
my
needs,
I
fight
to
make
sure
the
mistakes,
absurdities
and
negative
situations
I
was
in
won't
happen
to
another
person.
This
came
to
mind
when
I
was
recently
hospitalized
for
serious
infection
and
hit
me
about
what
was
getting
me
through.
D
Dignified
change
until
everyone
can
know
the
speed
and
security
of
having
a
place
to
call
home,
that's
dignified,
safe,
affordable,
accessible
and
integrated
in
community
of
their
choosing.
The
fact
that
my
business
is
a
shared
vision
is
what
makes
my
City
of
Austin
a
wicked
awesome
place
to
call
home.
Thank
you.
A
And
I
know
if
I
could
talk
about,
but
olivia
is
one
of
our
strongest
advocates
and
she
worked
for
almost
two
years
on
the
task
force
along
with
many
other
people
who
are
here
today.
So
I'd
like
to
ask
anyone
who
is
member
of
the
task
force
to
get
to
make
their
way
up
to
the
stage
we're
going
to
do
a
group
picture,
and
sometimes
we
thank
you
too,
before
we
get
to
that.
A
E
E
Literally,
did
it
take
seconds
for
us
to
know
that
we
wanted
persons
to
state
and
continue
serving
that
role
and
which
is
very
grateful,
actually
decided
to
do
so
River
for
the
work
that
she
does
in
person
I
just
wanna.
Thank
you
for
her.
Not
only
continue
in
the
role
for
doing
it,
the
way
to
do
in
making
sure
the
voices
of
those
with
disabilities
are
heard
and
Beyond
heard,
but
their
needs
are
acted
upon
and
I.
Think.
E
C
E
E
E
And
then
I,
forgive
me
affecting
anyone,
but
but
I
certainly
see
some
other
departments
from
HHS
person
here
today
and
speak
to
Nina's.
Philosophy
must
Office
of
Fair,
Housing
and
equity
is
with
us.
Catalina
is
here
from
the
office
of
food
access
and
I,
see.
Robert
was
here
from
the
veterans
veteran
services.
Our
appreciate
you
being
here
today,
I
have
the
honor
of
during
approximation
to
the
awesome
planning
and
department
which
is
falling
known
as
the
VRA.
E
E
There's
a
rule
that
I
have
with
my
team
that
Tom
all
the
time
I
don't
really
want
credit
for
the
work.
I
don't
do
but
I
thought
I,
don't
mind
it
for
the
work
and
when
it
comes
to
these
issues,
the
PDA
has
really
led
the
way
and
has
been
part
without
a
place
for
those
with
disabilities.
And
so
allow
me
now
to
read
this
population
out.
E
The
BPD
a
has
demonstrated
strong,
effective
leadership
in
the
changing
building
environment
by
approving
article
80
accessibility
checklist
to
ensure
that
all
developers
and
bosses
go
beyond
listen
carefully
that
all
the
develops
impossible
beyond
the
minimum
accessibility
requirements,
the
BPD
a
is
committed
to
shaping
a
future
for
possible
future
foster,
together
with
the
disability
community,
creating
opportunities
for
people
of
all
abilities
to
live,
work
and
thrive
in
the
real
of
therefore
Martin
J
Walsh
medicine
II
was
between
July
25th,
be
PTA
and
disability,
housing
task
force,
accessibility
and
a
here's.
The
involved.
Thank
you.
A
So
we
have
a
few
members:
outfit
tells
how
the
task
force
at
one
stage,
stuff
I,
see
Barbara
JAMA
for
enemy,
HP
and
gimmick
toward
the
weightlifting,
your
passages,
so
we're
going
to
take
a
few
pictures
with
them.
After
we
closed
our
remarks,
but
in
closing
I
do
just
want
to
again
give
the
most
active
a
a
watch,
because
it's
really
his
visions
that
guide
us
and
his
support.
There
lets
us
do
the
work
and
he
hired
us
to
do
and
without
that
vision
and
support,
none
of
this
would
be
possible.
A
So
it's
low
thing.
I
would
like
to
thank
everybody
for
coming
out
today.
I,
don't
feel
like
to
thank
solving
and
Rogers
hospitals
who
gave
us
funding
to
produce
the
housing
resources
guide,
that
we
are
distributing
mound
to
help
people
navigate
the
different
resources
available
to
find
housing.
Anyone
else
who
I
missed
and
banking
I
apologize,
but,
like
I,
said,
the
the
name.
People
who
always
work
with
us
in
support
of
I
think
that
we
we've
got
everybody,
but
also
a
give.
A
I
would
like
to
determine
thank
to
my
staff,
my
advisory
board
and
my
volunteers,
who
could
not
do
this
work,
Thank,
You,
alderman
and
painting
for
the
community
who
continue
to
advocate
for
the
rights
of
people,
disabilities.
The
ATA
is
27
years
old
now,
but
was
going
to
keep
fighting
to
make
sure
that
the
provinces
of
being
near
fulfilled,
especially
in
the
political
climate
that
we
have
today
so
keep
on,
advocating
and
keep
in
touch
and
speak
to
Joe
quite
really
guides.