Boston Disability Commission Advisory Board Meeting – April 22, 2026
Boston Disability Commission Advisory Board Meeting – April 22, 2026
The Boston Disability Commission Advisory Board met on April 22, 2026, to discuss autonomous vehicle operations in other cities, the city's office-to-residential conversion program, updates on ADA compliance and community engagement, and to vote on several advocacy letters. Chair Zari presided, and Commissioner Crystal McCosh provided department updates.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes Approval: The board voted unanimously to approve the minutes from the February and March meetings.
Discussion Items
- Autonomous Vehicles Presentation: Rachel Castignoli (Senior Consultant, former CEO of Austin Transportation and Public Works) presented on Austin, Texas's experience with autonomous vehicles (AVs). She noted that five companies operate in Austin (Waymo, Zoox, Tesla, Volkswagen, AV Ride) and that Waymo, Zoox, and Tesla are currently carrying paying passengers. Key issues include AVs struggling with hand signals, temporary traffic control, emergency scenes, and objects close to the ground. Austin uses a public dashboard to track incidents (mostly related to hand signals and temporary traffic control). AVs cannot receive moving violations directly because there is no driver to sign a ticket, but violations are pursued through a roundabout legal process. Positive outcomes include pothole data collection, consistent speed limit compliance, and service animal accommodation. The presenter noted that AV companies have not yet deployed wheelchair-accessible vehicles in Austin.
- Office to Residential Conversion Program: John Weill (Head of Office to Residential Conversion, Boston Planning Department) presented a program launched in October 2023 that provides a 75% tax abatement for 29 years to developers converting older office buildings into residential housing. To date, 24 applications have been received for 29 buildings, creating 1,730 new housing units (326 affordable units, including 30 for Section 8 voucher holders). A key requirement is bringing buildings into full ADA compliance. The program involves early collaboration with the Disabilities Commission to address accessibility challenges such as step entrances, interior elevation changes, and historic preservation constraints. Developers are encouraged to exceed the minimum 5% group 2 (wheelchair accessible) units and to add group 1 (adaptable) features and sensory units. Elevator preservation is also prioritized.
- Chair Zari's Report: April is recognized as Autism Acceptance Month in Boston. The city adopted a resolution focusing on inclusion and removing barriers. The Massachusetts House restored funding for the Personal Care Attendant (PCA) program after proposed cuts, establishing a working group with disability advocates. Amendment 803 (wheelchair repair protection) has been filed as an outside section to the state budget; residents are urged to contact their representatives.
- Disability Commissioner's Report: Commissioner Crystal McCosh provided updates on several initiatives:
- Boston 250th anniversary celebrations will include disability history markers, with Perkins School for the Blind under consideration.
- Taxi coupon program for seniors and people with disabilities: $5 per book ($10 value), doubled monthly limit for a limited time.
- ADA Title II training is being delivered to the Boston Public Library, Boston Centers for Youth & Families, and the Elections Department. A new learning management system for asynchronous training will be piloted with the Office of Neighborhood Services and the Parking Clerk.
- Elections access improvements include a dedicated situation room for real-time issue resolution and updated poll worker training.
- Restaurant accessibility efforts: a focus on accessible tables (building code requires only 5%) and renewed outreach on the 2022 captions ordinance requiring TVs in public accommodations to display captions.
- Upcoming events: AMO Lab (six-week civic engagement program for underserved disabled residents, starting May 12), annual Disability Community Forum (May 5), ADA Day (July 15 at Copley Square Park).
- The federal WCAG digital accessibility deadline was extended by one year for municipalities, but Boston is continuing its audit and remediation work.
- Board Member Spotlights: Numerous board members highlighted advocacy opportunities and concerns, including the state's equipment reuse program (Amendment 548), Boston Marathon fencing obstructing curb cuts, and the need for continued PCA funding.
Key Outcomes
- Voting Machine Letter: The board voted unanimously to approve a letter to the Secretary of the Commonwealth asking for alternative voting machines and requesting a meeting to discuss experiences with current machines.
- Service Animal Discrimination Study (S2714): The board voted unanimously to support S2714, which would establish a commission to study discrimination in public accommodations for individuals with service animals.
- Fines for Rideshare Refusals (H2066): The board voted unanimously to support H2066, which would fine rideshare drivers for refusing to pick up individuals with service animals.
- Wheelchair Repair Letter: The board voted unanimously to draft a letter of support for Amendment 803 (wheelchair repair protection) in the state budget.
- Minutes Approved: Minutes from February and March meetings were approved.
Meeting Transcript
Everyone, hello. Welcome to the recording in progress. Oh, and I gotta let people in from the waiting room. Apologies. Welcome. Uh the open meeting law requires that I notify the public that this meeting is being recorded. Therefore, please be aware that an audio and visual recording of this meeting is being made by Boston City TV, a part of the City of Boston Office of Cable Communications, and is being broadcast on Axfinity Channel Twenty Six, RCN Channel 13, and FIOS Channel Nine Six Two, as well as live streamed on YouTube, where recording will remain um on the cable channel. With that, I will turn it over to our board chair. Sorry, take it away. Good evening, everybody. Happy that you can all join this evening. Um, I want to start by uh introductions. Um, and as a rule from uh this point forward, I'm gonna ask if we can might introduce ourselves. If you can just give a little self-description of what you look like. You don't have to be very detailed, just a general description. So hi, my name is Larry. I'm Eva Saini. I'm the new chair of this group advisory board. I have been a part of this group for over ten years now. And I live in City of South Boston. I'm a female, white, short brown hair. And uh that's it. And uh Olivia, do you want to go next? Um, my name is Olivia Richard. I am a resident of Brighton. And I am a middle-aged white female with glasses, short hair, and uh wearing a hat. Um, next call, do you want to go next? My name is Paul Care. I live in the West End of Boston. I'm an advisory board member, proud to serve. I'm a white male, currently wearing a white laborers union, local 151 pullover. I worked as a supervisor in the City of Boston Planning Department and serve as a mental health advocate. I'm proud to serve. Thank you. Hi everyone, I'm Tara Lynn Suther. I am a female. I am a little person using an electrical wheelchair remobility. I am Caucasian, long blonde hair, um with glasses, and I am from the JP Rox Bay area. Thank you, Tara. Um Paul. Yeah, hi. My name is Carl Richardson. I am a middle-aged white guy with fountain pepper uh hair. Um, kind of look like Nathan Lang for those who are into theater. Uh I'm wearing a light blue button down. Uh and I identify as death blind and that I have a dual sensory law. And if I remember the um note from Andrea, I also ask us to tell a little bit about what we do to introduce ourselves to the new members that are coming on board tonight, give us a little more background than we normally would get. So I am the Massachusetts Day Health ADA coordinator. Work my role to work with the executive and legislative branch to make sure that all the program services and activities that they stay up to accessible to people of all abilities. I'm the president of the guide dog user group of Massachusetts and the co-chair of the audio description project for the American Council of Blind.
openpublica.com