Boston Disability Commission Advisory Board Meeting – May 13, 2026

The Boston Disability Commission Advisory Board met on May 13, 2026, at 10:30 AM. The meeting featured a presentation from the Boston Transportation Department on traffic signal accessibility, recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month and Global Accessibility Awareness Day, updates on the city’s ADA transition plan and community events, and a discussion on autonomous vehicle regulations. The board approved the previous meeting minutes and a letter supporting the military repair bill, and agreed to form a working group to draft recommendations on autonomous vehicle accessibility.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Meeting Minutes: A motion to approve the minutes was made and seconded, with no abstentions or nays. The minutes were approved unanimously.

Discussion Items

Traffic Signal Accessibility Presentation

Isaac Presant, Senior Traffic Engineer for the Boston Transportation Department, presented on accessible features of traffic signals. Key points included:

• The city has nearly 900 traffic signals; 471 are fully equipped with Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS). A $750,000 contract over three years is funding new APS installations and retrofits.
• Signal retiming efforts prioritize pedestrian, bicycle, and transit movement, with policies to reduce cycle lengths and pedestrian delay.
• Current pedestrian phasing distribution: 63% exclusive, 32% concurrent, 5% concurrent with Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI). The city is working to capture hybrid phasing.
• Board members raised concerns: Carl (deaf-blind, wheelchair user) emphasized the importance of vibrating APS buttons and questioned the safety of concurrent signals for those who cannot see or hear traffic. Sam (wheelchair user) suggested testing crossings with people using wheelchairs. Wes (deaf) asked about emergency vehicle preemption and visual warnings for deaf pedestrians. Jerry asked about public engagement opportunities for feedback on dangerous crossings. Isaac noted that the city is open to site visits and collaboration with the board.

Mental Health Awareness Month and Global Accessibility Awareness Day

• Paul (mental health advocate) and Zari (board chair) highlighted Mental Health Awareness Month, with events such as the NAMI Walk on May 16 and art sessions at libraries. The theme is "More Good Days Together."
• Zari noted Global Accessibility Awareness Day on May 21, emphasizing digital accessibility and intersectionality with mental health.
• Zari also reported on the extension of HHS compliance deadlines for website/app accessibility (now May 11, 2027, for larger organizations), but stressed that ADA obligations remain.

PCA Budget Cuts Advocacy

• Board members discussed the Massachusetts Senate's proposed $68 million cut to Personal Care Attendant (PCA) services, affecting about 50,000 people. Carl and Jerry urged members to contact state senators by the end of the week (May 15) as the Senate debate begins the following week. A QR code was shared for advocacy.

Commissioner’s Report

Commissioner Kristen McCosh provided updates:

• Community Forum: Held May 5 with Mayor Wu in attendance. A Q&A document will be released by end of May. The annual report is available online.
• ABLE Program: A new six-week civic engagement training for 15–18 year old Boston residents with disabilities, launched May 12.
• ADA Day: Scheduled for July 15, 12–2 PM at Captain Square Park (relocated due to FIFA events). Theme: "Disabled Boston Revolutionaries: Past, Present, and Future." The July advisory board meeting is canceled.
• ADA Transition Plan: A dynamic web interface with maps of accessible features (buildings, curb ramps, parking) is being developed, to be unveiled by ADA Day.
• Other: The board member Patricia reported on a U.S. Access Board town hall in Rhode Island.

Architectural Access Report – ADU Model

Patricia Mendez reported on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). A model ADU is on display at City Hall Plaza from May 12–17, with tours and resource fairs. The model includes a ramp, kitchen, bathroom with reinforced shower walls for future grab bars. Board members asked about rental restrictions and grab bars; Patricia will follow up on program parameters.

Shout-outs

• Carl attended the "Final Rhythm" dance event for people with disabilities, which featured haptic vests, ASL, tactile interpretation, and audio description.
• Jerry praised the community forum for the mayor's presence and engagement.
• Zari noted that the board’s input has led to systemic changes like quiet spaces at events.
• Wes raised a news article about low compliance with Boston’s captioning ordinance; Commissioner McCosh committed to a renewed outreach campaign, and Andrea noted "did you know" business cards are available.

Old Business

• Military Repair Bill Support Letter: The board approved a letter of support for the military repair bill (H. 3202 / S. 2101). Jerry mentioned the "unstuck" group advocating for the bill.
• Autonomous Vehicles (AVs): The board discussed the need to develop a document of recommendations for AV regulations in Boston, including requirements for wheelchair-accessible vehicles, communication access for deaf/hard of hearing, digital accessibility for blind/low vision, and cognitive accessibility. Carl and Jerry volunteered to draft the document, with input from other board members. The board agreed to form a working group.

Key Outcomes

• Approved: Meeting minutes and the military repair bill support letter.
• Formed: A working group (Carl, Jerry, and others) to draft a recommendation document on autonomous vehicle accessibility and regulation.
• Next Steps: BTD will coordinate with the board on site visits for traffic signal accessibility feedback. The commission will relaunch a captioning ordinance outreach campaign. The ADA transition plan interface will be unveiled by July 15.