[Frances Nwajei]: Hello everyone, and welcome to our 2023 into 2024 season for the Commission for persons with disabilities. I'm Frances and I'm the director of diversity, equity and inclusion. and the commission sits under this office's purview. I'm going to hand over now to the chair of the commission, Tom Hammel.
[Tom Hamel]: Thank you, Frances. Welcome back, everyone, from our summer hiatus. We have a busy agenda for today. I'm gonna start with a welcome and introduction. So, Tom Hamill, I've been on the commission, I think this is my fourth year. This is my fourth year. Who knows? It's been longer than three. And yeah, I've lived in Medford for, I don't know what, 15 years. You don't have to share anything if you don't want. Who would like to introduce themselves next?
[SPEAKER_11]: I'll go.
[SPEAKER_03]: Go ahead.
[SPEAKER_11]: So I am a commissioner on the board. I started, I believe, maybe last December. And I actually lived in Medford for 20 years. I still can't believe it. I've never lived there anywhere that long in my life.
[Tom Hamel]: Joe, would you like to go next?
[MCM00001818_SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, hi, I'm Joe. I've been on the committee for about eight months, and I'm learning a lot. And I've lived in Medford my whole life. But I still get around to other towns. I know there's other cities besides Medford, but I always ended up coming back to Medford. I've been in the same house for the last 35 years.
[Tom Hamel]: Thank you, Joe. Susan.
[Susan Bibbins]: Hi, I'm Susan Bivens. I am been on the commission I don't know how long, how many years, but I think it's a good long number of years since Diane, at least. I have lived in Medford since 96 and I am a former chair of the commission. And my pronouns are she and her.
[Tom Hamel]: Thank you. Gabby.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Hi, I'm Gabby. I'm a commissioner. And I'm currently serving as secretary. I've been on the commission for One year before Tom so however many years Tom has been here TV plus one. My pronouns are she her hers, and I'm happy to be here.
[Tom Hamel]: You're on mute, Yvette. You're on mute again.
[Frances Nwajei]: Yvette, you're back on mute. Perfect. It looks like you're not muted. Say something.
[MCM00001615_SPEAKER_06]: Hello. My name is Yvette.
[Frances Nwajei]: It's not clear it's you're off mute testing out. Okay, in the chat. Okay, that we can hear you wherever you want to stay assume that position.
[SPEAKER_05]: Okay, my name is. Yeah, we couldn't hear you very well, but I don't know it might help to turn the camera off if the, if it's the Internet is the issue.
[Tom Hamel]: We can we can you can type your information in the chat. And then we can work on. Alterations. Alright, Francis, my computer has frozen so I can't access the. Agenda, I think the 1st, 1 was about the meetings for November and December, right?
[Frances Nwajei]: So the things inside currents. The 1st thing is that. November's meeting is on November 22nd. December's meeting is on December 27th. So I figured, let's look at the calendars now and decide if we're going to keep or if we're going to change like we did before. Because I know that there are some holidays mixed in with other observances and family responsibilities. So if we look at November, November 22nd is the day before Thanksgiving. Do the week after? Say that again, Susie. Can we do the week after that? I believe that's what we did last year, was we did the week after, which brings us to November 29th.
[Susan Bibbins]: That should be good for me.
[Frances Nwajei]: The only thing I see during that week of November 29th is a full moon on November 27th. That week seems clear of any other typical observances.
[Tom Hamel]: 29th works for me.
[Frances Nwajei]: Tom is a yes. What about you, Joe? I'm flexible. I'm good. Joe is a yes. Susie is a yes. Susie, Gabby, does that work for you? Yep. Does that work for you as well, Yvette? Yes. OK. All right. So November's meeting will be November 29. December falls on the week for those who celebrate Christmas. So Christmas is on the 25th, which is a Monday. And then the meeting falls on the 27th. There are no other holidays or typical observances during that week. Sorry, I'm just double-checking. Great. There's nothing during that week. Would you want to keep that meeting or do you think that there's a need to move that meeting?
[Susan Bibbins]: I might be away.
[SPEAKER_11]: You may have family and nothing has been decided yet. Okay.
[Tom Hamel]: Yeah, I think I will be around, but it's like you said, it's two days after Christmas, so.
[Frances Nwajei]: It's after Christmas. It doesn't fall into that just before, which I know can be problematic for people. It's after, and I think last year, if I'm not mistaken, I do think that we kept the meeting And it was after it was around this time as well. I know Thanksgiving meeting. We definitely moved the day.
[MCM00001366_SPEAKER_06]: I actually feel like we canceled December meeting. I have to go back and look.
[Susan Bibbins]: I think we canceled the meeting.
[Frances Nwajei]: Okay. Okay. All right, why don't we think about it some more and then maybe at the next meeting, we can make a final decision. But I'm happy that we, November I was concerned with because it's just at the Thanksgiving time. So I'll make sure I make that change that the meeting will be on November 29th. Tom, is your computer still doing its thing?
[Tom Hamel]: I think I'm all right, so the next next agenda item is the big agenda item, our event update. We have a few questions on here. We can start with those. Francis has been doing a lot of work behind the scenes, again, in moving us forward and setting things up for October 7th Disability Fair. Francis, do you want to jump in with with your updates and information that you have?
[Frances Nwajei]: So, for the, who is exhibiting on. So, this is the final list. We have Arc of Massachusetts, Armstrong Ambulance, Best Buddies. Chapters Coffee Cart is going to be on site, but they'll be vending. I don't know if some of you might be familiar with Chapters Coffee Cart. You can usually find them located in the library and stuff. So, I invited them to come and vend. DPPC, also known as the Disabled Persons Protection Committee, will be exhibiting Easterseals. EPIC, which is a branch of Triangle, they're part of Triangle but they're not Triangle, they're EPIC themselves, they have their own identity, they confirmed. then the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council, I challenge you all to say that 10 times really fast. Because I couldn't even say it once. So they are not coming. They are participating because they gifted through their partnership with DPH, the Mobile COVID Vaccine Clinic. So in that partnership is administered through Cataldo. So there'll be a separate area for them, you know, the link and the QR code is on the flyer, I've already been responding to questions. It will be You know, you have to pre-register. So when you go on and you put your information, it's going to determine the appropriate vaccine for you based on what you've done before. So there'll be children's vaccines available if that is, you know, those who are being pre-registered. Proof of insurance is required, you know, on site. However, if you don't have insurance, you just have to attest that you don't have insurance. So it's not like, oh, you know, Frances doesn't have insurance and she's going to be turned away. Who else? Medford Board of Health, Medford Family Network, through their Through what commit through the department that Commissioner McKinnon, sometimes speaks on through the autism department they're doing a partnership together so there'll be their Medford fire method public schools, planning for life after high school. will be there. Medford Police, Medford Rec, Melrose Wakefield slash Tufts Medical. Thank you so much for that. Former Commissioner Kirsten was the one that put us in contact. Playful Pelican, Triangle Inc. Tufts University, Waypoint Adventure, and Walnut Street Center. Those are all the exhibitors that will magically fit and create enough space in the Brooks. So there's that.
[Tom Hamel]: The Federation for Children with Special Needs will also be there.
[Frances Nwajei]: Who will be there?
[Tom Hamel]: The Federation for Children with Special Needs.
[Frances Nwajei]: Oh, I'm so sorry. Yeah, Federation for Children with Special Needs. Yes, I need to update. Okay. Thank you. Right, who is speaking? So we have Henry and Evelyn Malorin speaking. We also have Lieutenant Charles Hartnett and his wife Emily speaking. And we also have Lot Diomede speaking. I'm going to have to get the proper pronunciation. I don't know if she goes by Lot or she goes by Lottie. So that's who's speaking. We have ASL interpreters that are assigned to the event. So we have two interpreters assigned to the event, but we also have a third interpreter as a floater. Okay, so that's why I'm sort of, you know, going to need to know ahead of time who our volunteers are, who is actually, who from the commission is actually going to be at the event. So, what else is there, Tom? What am I missing? I think this is when I now turn it over, because I need to find out which commissioners are going to be at the event on the 7th. So, Joe.
[MCM00001366_SPEAKER_06]: I'm there from noon on as long as you need me.
[Frances Nwajei]: and Susie, okay. So Susie, you're noon on, right? And I did promise that I will send you the tasks. Joe, you're all day?
[MCM00001818_SPEAKER_06]: I'm available till about 3.30. Okay, perfect.
[Frances Nwajei]: Or four. Okay, Tom, how about you? I lost Tom. Oh, you're on mute.
[Tom Hamel]: I am on mute. Here we go. My computer is very slow right now. I will be there. I mean, I'll be there the whole, the whole day. I know that we start at 10, so there'll be set up beforehand and, you know, clean up.
[Frances Nwajei]: Okay. And Gabby?
[Adam Hurtubise]: Same here. I can do all day.
[Frances Nwajei]: Okay, fabulous. All right. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to check in with the volunteers, because we do have a couple of volunteers. But I also have to do the event form for the custodians and DPW so that they know what they're bringing over, how things are being set up. you know, those really boring logistics. But it was really nice because Chief Buckley and I went by yesterday and Robert Maloney connected me with two of the custodians and I was able to like chat verbally and get a visual of, okay, Chacter's coffee cart can go here. This is the room where the COVID, you know, the vaccine clinic can take place. So and also look at the accessibility, which was a big thing. So the chief knows like we're going to have more accessible parking spots than is typical for that location. So that's something we're going to work on behind the scenes. And I spoke with Highway today and they've got some signs that they can, you know, plonk for the event. So that piece is done. I just, I'm just looking at my cheat sheet back there. So the only, the the event forms. The big outstanding thing is just the creation of the program and I've been running, you know, I've been running the program in my head primarily as a draft. I'd asked both the chair and co-chair if they wanted an opportunity to speak at the event. Co-chair unfortunately is not going to be here but Tom is going to speak and Tom sent me something this morning to review, which I did. It was short, it was sweet, simple, it was just, you know, straight to the point. So, there will be that. So, out of Gabby? I know Frances, what's wrong with you? You must be out of your mind. Would you be interested in emceeing the event? You'll have the programme as you're teaching. Gabby is like, what?
[SPEAKER_12]: No.
[Frances Nwajei]: Either that or you and I will have to trade places and I will have to emcee the event and you will have to be a runner or thoughts around, oh my gosh, I can't get the projector to work. Up to you. Or we can both co-emcee.
[Adam Hurtubise]: I'm happy to do it. You have done enough. You have so much going on. If it takes one thing off of your plate, I'm happy to do it.
[Frances Nwajei]: Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. That is that no, that's absolutely brilliant. And, you know, Emma in comms has really been partnering. I don't know if you guys know, but Commissioner Brayden did the foundation for the flyer. And we basically just lifted that foundation and ran with it. From like the save the date transitioned it into our actual flyer so we were just chatting earlier on about you know designing the program and trying to make it. you know, a nice, seamless, seamless flow. All the speakers have already received an email from me with like their assigned time slots. Don't hold me to it. I think it's 10.30, 11 and 11.30, five to seven minutes speech. And just like housekeeping around working with interpreters and slowing your cadence down. Because, you know, sign language is not the same as spoken language. So it's really important for folks to remember that. Awesome. This is wonderful, Gabby. Melanie McLaughlin is gonna help introduce the movie, which is slated for, I told her noon, that when you're doing events, you always make things a little bit earlier so that you have some like wiggle room, right? If people seem to really be enjoying milling around, I'm not, you know, gonna rush people to. Hurry up and take the resources and sit down and watch the movie. We're not going to do that. If people are really connecting and it's meaningful, then we'll continue. But she'll say a few words about the movie. I don't know if you're aware, but Melanie was a consulting producer Consulting producer, consulting director, I get the two mixed up for the movie Intelligent Lives. And many thanks to our support partners. Yikes, I forgot the Medford Public Library on this list. Many thanks to our support partners. the Method Public Library, who also, not only are they exhibiting, but they also purchased the Intelligent Lives movie kit, like the $350 one that gives us the license to be able to show that. So, you know, we can start to build our repertoire of things that we want to share. with the world. So, so very excited about that. I'm really sorry somebody's. Hello. Okay, I'm going to go off camera for a minute. The next thing is, do you want to talk. Oh, thank you. Oh, come and say hello then. This is the commission meeting. Just come and say hello. This is a. Captain van Nooyt just dropped off a clicker for us so that we can, you know, whoever's stationed at our welcome table can click away. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. I'll try not to lose this one. I lost the one that they gave me for National Night Out, I don't know what I did with it. So as you can see it's really an all hands on deck and different, you know, different people that work for the city just like coming out and really embracing this so. I'm excited and I hope that, you know, you're all excited and, you know, even the, you know, one of the interpreters, Rachel, sent me some resources for some deaf and hard of hearing groups so that we could like post our flyers, so I've emailed them. So, I don't know, who's excited?
[MCM00001366_SPEAKER_06]: I have to sign off. I have to go to work, but I'll wait for you're going to send me something and I'll see you. We'll break up the tasks and I'll make sure that you are okay. And I'm strong. I can lift whatever. So if it's a lifting thing too, that's fine. Okay. Everybody heard that. Okay. Take care, everybody. All right. Thank you, Susie. Bye. Bye.
[Tom Hamel]: So, thank you, Francis. You've been doing a lot and I'm excited about the event. I know there's going to be a lot of folks, a lot of folks there. And I'm starting to see advertising. I know I saw it in the superintendent's memo last week that went out to all parents at the, I don't know if it's just the high school or if it's broader than that. I'm hoping there'll be lots of people there. I think there will be lots of people there. Should we talk about what we need to do as volunteers during the fair when we're there?
[Frances Nwajei]: I think that that's really important to create the task list. So one thing is that the commission will have two tables. I just thought, you know, the fitted tablecloth that just goes over, because even though Mass Commission for the Blind and Mass Office on Disability are not able to attend in person, they sent resources and Mass Commission for the Blind also sent some swag items which are really huge, I mean cups that have braille and the braille is so light on it, very very different from when I was growing up, like I literally have to just really close my eyes and like, shut off all my other senses, just to recognize that, yes, there's a slight difference. And for me, it blows my mind. It's like, my gosh, we have come from so far. So I would love to make sure that those resources, items and swag are displayed. And we'll have things like, you know, masks that people can take, We'll have tons of free COVID kits that people can take. We'll have materials. I can't remember who, but I told somebody, don't worry about the materials that speak to the LGBTQ plus population, because we already have those from the Pride events. So I didn't want people to get all stressed about, oh my gosh, I've got to go find this. I have lots of them, so we'll have all those things at our table. I think, Tom, you're doing a sign-in sheet and a sign-up if you're interested in finding out more or joining the commission. So definitely one or two people or maybe one person and a volunteer to man the commission table. Let's say somebody does you know, 10 to 12, and then the next group takes the shift from 12 to 2. That's really, that's, I think that that's the primary.
[Tom Hamel]: I mean, I'm happy to do that. I don't know, I don't want, if other people are interested in doing it, then I don't want to stand in your way.
[Frances Nwajei]: So Tom, maybe you take the first half with a volunteer, except for when you have to, you know, you have to come up and speak and stuff. And then maybe Susie, since Susie's coming at noon, Susie could take the second half. Okay. I was going to request that the volunteers assist with, and then maybe, Jo, maybe you can be, I don't want to say greet her. I think usher is more appropriate word.
[MCM00001818_SPEAKER_06]: Fine, fine, that's good.
[Frances Nwajei]: Right? So wing it, just wing it, that's all. Yeah, so be the usher as people come in. Oh, I'm here for the COVID, you go, yeah, you go this way into this room for the COVID and, you know, welcome and then, you know, maybe give people a program. Sure. Tom and I'll tell Susie, I have lots of little bags like this. I don't know, I don't know if you can see them, right? So there are a multitude of colors, all similar to what's on the disability pride flag. And as much as I played around with, Emma and I played around with the don't judge a disability by its visibility, the font was really awkward. It didn't show up so well on something that I ordered. So I'm so glad that we didn't go for the banner because you would all disown me without a doubt. You'd be like, what's this? So we found something else. I found the exact same language in a much brighter font. And I figured you will all see it and you can either decide you like it or you don't like it. But it turned out to be much better. then I could have asked for. It's big enough that if somebody wanted to lean on it to take a picture, there's no issue. If somebody was in a wheelchair next to it to take a picture, there's no issue. It's sturdy, and I really like it. So that will be displayed, unveiled, displayed at the event. But what I did was I got us like little swag items. And that was why I was struggling with the name. Commission for Persons with Disabilities. Every time I did it, it's in the bleed area. It's in the bleed area. It's in the bleed area. And I had to make a decision. We have to give something away. We can't, you know. And so we came up with ordering the bags. bags are cheap $20 for 60 you know and ordering stickers and then that way as people go through okay are we good now All right, perfect. That way, as people go through the event, right, and they take things, they can put them in their bag, not just from our table, but from other tables. I ask that we encourage people to take one bag and one bag only. You pick a bag of choice. You don't get to trade your bag in. Because this is all purchased through lovely coupons, you know, and sometimes you can only get X amount. And I figured, let's put them in the bags ahead of time versus laying them on the table, then somebody's gone with like five cups. Those will be on our commission table as well. Yeah, and then flat, you know, people to direct for accessible parking. I think that I'm going to use the volunteers. I know that Sergeant Josh Dugan from the Army National Reserve and his boss are going to come and help us volunteer that day as well, along with, I think, two members of the Human Rights Commission and a couple of other people. So let's see. Balloons. Anybody know anything about balloons?
[MCM00001818_SPEAKER_06]: I do. I'll donate them. How many you want?
[Frances Nwajei]: You don't have to donate them, but I was going to raise it here, but I don't want to be the carrier of the balloons. Too many balloons in a small space actually makes me nervous.
[MCM00001818_SPEAKER_06]: The dollar store, they're only like a dollar a piece.
[Frances Nwajei]: So if we could get the balloons that tie in with the colours of the disability pride flag and of course the navy slash royal blue slash blueberry Medford colours. That would be, that would be wonderful. Joe, if you want I can email you. And I think that the balloons would be nice to put at the front door, because the exit
[MCM00001818_SPEAKER_06]: You know, I was just thinking the same thing, you know, like when they sell a house, so they know that's probably the entrance or whatever. Right, right. So what do you want?
[Frances Nwajei]: Okay, I'll have to look up the colors of the flag just to make sure that I'm not, I'm not making a mistake. Okay. I'll let you know. Okay. Yep. All right. Fantastic.
[Tom Hamel]: Frances, are we going to have refreshments or any food handing out?
[Frances Nwajei]: No, we're not handing out food.
[Tom Hamel]: OK.
[Frances Nwajei]: Yeah. If people want to eat, they can support Chakta's coffee cart. Yeah. Yeah. It's also very dangerous to hand out food at an event such as this. Yeah. So if they want something to eat, they can support chapters and buy whatever snack they would like.
[Tom Hamel]: And do we need a volunteer to help set up or run the movie?
[Frances Nwajei]: So do we have to talk about the movie, Paul? I mean, Tom. Okay, so here's the thing. Here's the big secret. I found out that the projector screen at the Brooks is broken. Found that out too late. But there are other things that are happening behind the scenes to make sure we have a projector. And worst case scenario, I have one in my shopping cart from Amazon because we are showing our movie. And I think that DBW will be able to help us set up that screen. It doesn't look very complicated, right? And all I have to do is download the link that the library sent me for the Intelligent Lives movie. And Medford Rec brought a projector over too. So at least we'll, you know, it'll be different parts and different pieces, but we'll be ourselves.
[Tom Hamel]: So we were looking for, we know we're not looking for a projector, but we're looking for a screen.
[Frances Nwajei]: We're looking for a screen, but at this point, I just, I think I'm going to just order one. If Event Them, if Event Them cannot donate the full contraption, I'm just going to order a screen.
[Tom Hamel]: Okay, I have not heard back from my contacts, so I will follow up.
[Frances Nwajei]: So that's where we were. It was supposed to be a secret that I wasn't gonna share, but I shared, so don't tell me any secrets.
[Tom Hamel]: My question was more about who is going to be the person actually hitting play, setting it up. You are, you are. I'm happy to do that.
[SPEAKER_12]: So did you love the, you love the way I do that? You asked the question, you understood.
[Frances Nwajei]: Yeah, I, to be honest with you, Tom, I hadn't thought that far yet because I wanted to make sure that we got the projector and then make sure all the contraptions work so that I could, you know, stop, you know, I could know that, okay, we're out of like this, oh my gosh, what's happening zone. But if you would like to do it, you're, you know, you're more than welcome. I met the custodians yesterday, and they even offered that if we wanted to start setting up some stuff, you know, the light stuff, like bringing some things over, because I've got a couple of cases of water to put on the vendor tables and stuff, like on Friday. so that we don't have so much to do on Saturday morning, they'd be open to that as well. So that would be a great time if we wanted to test the screen, test the movie, that kind of stuff.
[Tom Hamel]: I think that's a great idea, just having been a part of too many times when IT didn't work as planned. Yeah. So, OK. But I'll try to mark that off my schedule for Friday afternoon. OK, lovely. Thank you so much.
[Frances Nwajei]: Does anybody have any other questions, any other thoughts of what we could be forgetting, what we haven't discussed that specifically has to do with this event?
[MCM00001818_SPEAKER_06]: We... I just got one question. How many people would you expect in the advertising end of it? Right.
[Frances Nwajei]: So how many people do we expect I don't know, because method hasn't done this before. Um, I was told that there was one and when I asked well where was it right because we're looking for a blueprint. I was told that it was done in the chambers at City Hall. That's not it's not big enough to pull numerous exhibitors and where's the blueprint. So how many people do we expect, Joe? That's why we got the clicker, right? So that we can have a guestimate for the future. But I do know that this has been advertised, not just through our own channels, the City Disability Commission in Medford or disability page in Medford Mass on Facebook, but also through the sites of the attendees, the exhibitors. okay so this is not you know i know that we're doing it as medford but i you know we have to keep an open mind and remember that we we will get people from outside of medford because that's what happens i mean this is a great opportunity for people with disabilities to be celebrated right and for friends and caregivers to get some get some more resources if that
[MCM00001615_SPEAKER_06]: Yes, I have a question in regards to drop-off for maybe like individuals taking the ride. We have like a is there I'm sure that I just wanted to mention it like you know making sure that there's a space for when they pull up they have a space for drop-off.
[Frances Nwajei]: That was why I took the walk with Chief Buckley to ensure that there's additional accessible parking beyond what the school has. The school has accessible parking, but because this is an event celebrating people with disabilities, I'm taking over more. than what is already there. So those areas and those locations will be marked. They will be marked for no parking. DP Highway told me that sometimes folks use the lodge over the weekend. They're gonna be marked that they're specifically for an event and they're gonna be marked that they're specifically for accessible vehicles only.
[MCM00001615_SPEAKER_06]: Thank you.
[Frances Nwajei]: You're welcome. Anyone else.
[Tom Hamel]: How early will you be there or should we be there on Saturday? You thinking 9 o'clock.
[Frances Nwajei]: So I think that nine o'clock will be fine. I'll probably be there around between 8.30 and 8.45. It's sort of difficult for me to tell right now because I sort of, I need to see like everything that's here. So projector and stuff. If we get a lot of stuff in on Friday, right? Then I think we could all be there at nine. And with, you know, because setting up is not a big, it's not a big deal. We don't have much to set up. The vendors though have been told that they need to arrive at 8.45 if they've got like a complicated setup and no later than 9.30, right? Because it's not right to have, you know, people coming into an event and you've got a vendor like trying to carry all their stuff in. So they should be, you know, set up and placed.
[SPEAKER_03]: Have we asked the vendors?
[Frances Nwajei]: I think nine o'clock, Tom, will be fine.
[Tom Hamel]: Okay. Have we asked the vendors to stay to a certain time?
[Frances Nwajei]: If vendors are going to leave, then the 12 and 12.15 mark will be the time for them to leave. But I think many people are planning on staying for the whole day. I actually thought that Cataldo was just going to do from like 10 to 12. No, they're doing the whole day. Right. The one thing I did forget to do, which will go on the program, is that the lighting, it may be a little bit darker at 12.15 when we start showing the movie than is typical. And I think that people should expect that because you can't show a movie in full light. But we'll also make that announcement ahead of time.
[SPEAKER_03]: I think those are all the questions that I had. Anybody else have any questions?
[Frances Nwajei]: Anybody have any friendly reminders?
[MCM00001818_SPEAKER_06]: I might just bring a couple of flashlights with me for the heck of it. if somebody needs assistance during the movie.
[Frances Nwajei]: Yeah, that would be great. I'm not going to... Yeah. No, the lights aren't going to be all shut off, because that could be really frightening to some people. You know, they're not going to be all completely shut off, but certain areas.
[Unidentified]: Mm-hmm.
[Frances Nwajei]: All right, so that's the event stuff. And if anybody thinks of anything, we can always come back to it.
[Tom Hamel]: All right, my, let me see, hold on, my computer, oh no, here we go. All right, so I know that we have a couple items of new business. I'm gonna move there.
[Frances Nwajei]: Oh, yes, I'm such the bringer of great news. You know, here I am, the Harbinger of sad news. But I received a couple of complaints in regards to lack of accessible parking, one at the Tufts GLX station and the other at the Strip in Medford. There's COVID in May. and then there's the other street, making sure that there's an accessible parking spot in that strip. The real concern is the tough GLX one. I was out there with the chief yesterday and I walked it. I'm not a designer, but from what I could see, accessible parking was nowhere I would not even be comfortable designating one of the spots as an accessible parking spot because no matter which direction the person faces there's traffic coming. It becomes a safety risk. So I think that this is going to involve a much larger, not so delicate conversation because I'm told that the marked off spot in front is so that the ride vehicles can pull in. And that's the only safe spot. So I might have to take two of those two spots that are there for accessible parking. I mean, we'll see. I just, it's, it's just, it's deeply concerning. Like, you know, public transportation is a public space, public means and yeah.
[Tom Hamel]: Yeah. It's very surprising given that they just built that.
[Frances Nwajei]: they don't comply with federal laws, they might have to unbuild it. I mean, if I had to park my car there, I would have to be very, very careful. You have two lanes, you have bike lanes next to those two lanes, right? One going this way, a lane going this way, then you have bike lanes, right? So that makes the things even narrower. No accessible spots. And remember, you can't just plunk a sign down and say this is an accessible spot. It has to be close to an egress, close to an entrance or an exit, as well as it's got to be a curb cut. There's no point you getting out in Somerville and then going, coming down with whatever device you have to get to the tea. Do you see what I'm saying? So it's all a bit, it didn't look quite right to me. And I do hope it's not the complete finished product.
[MCM00001615_SPEAKER_06]: In regards to what Francis was talking about, I was wondering if we have access to the blueprints for those particular projects? And, you know, was this something that could have possibly have been negotiated out for some unknown reason? And then that brings me to, you know, future projects within the city, because I've heard of these complaints before. Are we in any position to request that we review parking prior to, you know, final reviews as a courtesy? through the ADA community within Medford?
[Frances Nwajei]: So if you recall, Yvette, I think was it earlier on this year, I used to let you guys know that I signed up on some site plans, whatever they are called. So I do review those. Unfortunately, this was all done, designed, built before all of our time. Right? I don't know. I, to be honest with you, like, I don't know how there could be this great oversight. Like, this is a major oversight. This is not, this is major.
[Susan Bibbins]: Well, it's major. The community didn't even have a say in it. Yeah. I live in the community and we didn't even have a say in it.
[MCM00001615_SPEAKER_06]: The only reason I brought it up is because I know in, you know, Somerville when they were doing the station in Union Square, people found out that they didn't even put an elevator in there. You know, so it's like these things that happen, but, you know, how do we help the city by giving them another leg to stand on to say that our commission would like to review, to be of assistance, our commission would like to provide support by reviewing those plans just to make sure that the money doesn't get wasted by having to go back and forth.
[Frances Nwajei]: That's what happens is that we do our due diligence when those plans come in or when I'm being asked to write a variance, that's when they come to you. But with this situation, none of us were here. They need to unbuild it as far as I'm concerned. It's like what I saw yesterday. I'll tell you straight up what I saw yesterday. Every single vehicle, let's just do five and five, all people that work for the T. Even if those spots were considered accessible, why does every single vehicle have a person that works for the T? According to the plan, according to what I'm told, Tufts and the MBTA negotiated parking, and it was not at that location, it is at the site. So I spoke with parking department today and I said, ticket them because Medford people are not getting the benefit of this. And I just want to know, like I asked, I said, did nobody, I don't want to hear that we have accessible parking in the garage. That is not how the ADA, that is not how the federal law works. Didn't you really want to tell me that this was built? And then I was told that it was built, you know, because of the ride. Well, guess what? Not everybody with a disability takes the ride.
[MCM00001615_SPEAKER_06]: Exactly. Well, thank you, Frances, because that is very important. And they, you know, they have those oversights until organizations or groups like ours speak up.
[Frances Nwajei]: And we might get to the stage where you, whoever is available might have to, you know, come with me to go to the council floor because the situation was referred from the council to me. I don't know. I'm really hoping that there's something that I completely misunderstood about what I saw yesterday. And I don't think there is. I'm going out again on Thursday, which is tomorrow. I have a lovely fluorescent orange jackets, not quite my style of orange, but it's okay. I look like a walking popsicle stick, but that's fine. Um, but I am going out again tomorrow with the traffic engineer and, um, yeah. Yeah. I'm very confused. I'm confused about a lot of things. I'm confused about how the bike lane works. Like there's a bike lane and then poof, the bike lane disappears. It's a lot to see and it's disappointing. No, it's disappointing.
[MCM00001615_SPEAKER_06]: Very, but once again, they may not make change unless somebody like our group and you leading it makes those complaints and brings those those items to their attention. So I'm all in support of what you need as far as going and speaking on this behalf. Because like you said, not everybody takes a ride. And the ride's not always that reliable. And people are getting half vehicles, you know what I'm saying? And it's only right that the space is available. Thank you. Great. You're welcome.
[Frances Nwajei]: All right, so those were my two harbinger of bad news sections. But on another note, I sent it out today, Commissioner Bibbins did share some information about some upgrades that the MBTA is doing. So I do hope and I do encourage some of you commissioners to go on, click the link, take a look around, challenge them if, you know, if they need to be challenged because as Yvette said, you know, it's really important for people to be held accountable, right? If we don't make any noise.
[Susan Bibbins]: I think I was at the last RTAG meeting where they went over this visibility program, accessibility at the T. And they were doing this new campaign is what it's about at the T and they're improving accessibility. And what it seems to me that the campaign is about is mostly visuals. They're having these photographs. This is big photo campaign of about showing disabled people, persons with disabilities using the T. So it's about photographs of people with and without disabilities using the T. Great. You know, that's visuals, but what we really want is to be able to use the T. we really want the T to be accessible rather than to look at pictures of people with and without disabilities on the T. in the very few stations or bus stations that may be T-accessible. We want all the T-access, the stations to be T-accessible. So, I mean, to be accessible to us people with disabilities, including the parking spaces. including the gates, the elevators, the myriad openings and closings of accessibilities and the myriad barriers to accessibility that we fight daily. So I more see it as a visual kind of see what we're doing than a look these are the results of what we're doing. So if you see it as a as a, see, this is the results of what we're doing. Please, I'm not, please be more optimistic than me. But I see it that way, so.
[Frances Nwajei]: Thank you, Susan. Yvette?
[MCM00001615_SPEAKER_06]: Yes, just one thing, just to follow up with what she was saying. Another thing to think about is the ramp, making sure those are safe. Because sometimes it seems like they'll forego an elevator and install a ramp to compensate for that. there's something that I heard about that the MBTA was offering jobs to individuals with disabilities to ride the train so that they could actually report back to their findings. So I'll look for that and I'll send it to, you know, Frances and and Tom, wherever I saw that description. But it may be to what she was saying about how do they actually try to find out what is working at these stops, what's not working. Is the equipment readily available for them to use to get on the train or off the train? Or is it broken? How long is it normally broken? So I think these are the things that they're trying to find out with those type of positions. But I'll share more. I'll share the link or the flyer, okay?
[Susan Bibbins]: They were actually through RTAG, through the RTAG units, the RTAG group. And that's over now. They got the results. Um, and they're using that data to supposedly make improvements or they, they're going to start using that data. They said to, uh, make improvements. They say it in the sorry, uh, article started.
[MCM00001615_SPEAKER_06]: Okay. Then thank you for that update.
[Frances Nwajei]: So interesting, but can they just start with giving some accessible parking so that people with disabilities can actually take the, with intent, not for photo op, not because, but with intent, just like anybody else, you know, I want to go to this event, it's in a congested area, I don't want to drive, right? I'll stop, I'll stop, I'm going off on a tangent.
[Susan Bibbins]: I hear what you're saying, you're preaching to the choir.
[Frances Nwajei]: Maybe tomorrow will be better when I go out, maybe I'll see something differently.
[Susan Bibbins]: Yeah, it's a useful article considering what we're trying to do.
[Frances Nwajei]: But I think, oh, sorry, sorry, Susan, go.
[Susan Bibbins]: I think they're starting to do it, but I want them to delve a little deeper. And I'm afraid that this article might mean the end for this campaign.
[Frances Nwajei]: that you want like slow but steady lasting impact. Because it's going to uncover some hard truths, right? And those hard truths need to be addressed with dollars, with money, you know, and, you know, upgrades and things of that nature. haven't been done. I mean, they become more impacted. I won't, you know, every time I, you know, do a site plan review, I enclose the newest, it's written on there. The imaging needs to be the newest universal accessible imaging use. Can't just use your stationary ones. Because if somebody doesn't help with that push, no matter how minimal that push may appear to be, then we're not, we can't really improve. You know, I talk about the doors, I talk about switches, you know, if you tell me like, oh, this is the accessible apartment in the building, you know, then you're going to have to implement those.
[Susan Bibbins]: With a two inch sill in the doorway.
[Frances Nwajei]: So, yeah. Thank you. Anybody else have any announcements to make? Oh, looks like we lost Joe somehow.
[Tom Hamel]: We did lose Joe.
[Frances Nwajei]: Anybody else have any? Yeah, we lost Marsha. Anybody else have any announcements to make? And so on October, oh, what's the date now? I just forgot the date. October 1st, Sunday, October 1st. Please join us at the Andrews School if you're able to from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. where we'll be celebrating Latin culture and Hispanic heritage. For those of you who can dance, who'd like to dance, bring your dancing shoes. There'll be music, various artisanal vendors, food. And if you joined us at the Brazilian Independence Day celebration event, you know that this is going to be another exciting time. So that's at the Andrews Middle School from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, October 1st. free to everyone and accessible.
[Tom Hamel]: Well, there are no announcements. Should we wrap up?
[Frances Nwajei]: I'm sorry, can you give me one minute, please? Sure.
[Tom Hamel]: Does anybody else have announcements? I don't think so, right? No. I don't think there are any other announcements, Frances.
[Frances Nwajei]: OK. So this is where we would typically open it up for public participation. But I know Marsha wants to be kept involved, but she seemed to have dropped off. No members of the public joining us at this time. I just want to remind us that for our next meeting, we should really think about the December date. And I would like to propose also that we think about our name. I did the name change in a pinch, but I would love to have more full conversation by all the commissioners in regards to the name for the next meeting. Because you don't want to go to branding. and you're not happy with the name.
[Susan Bibbins]: That name is in our bylaws. Yeah. So we have to go before the council. Yeah.
[Frances Nwajei]: But in order to go before the council, we would have to meet.
[Susan Bibbins]: We have to.
[Frances Nwajei]: Yeah. In agreement.
[Susan Bibbins]: Yeah.
[Frances Nwajei]: So what else? There was something else I wanted to share with you. Oh, I'm going to be sending you a PowerPoint. that Leo Sarkazian of the ARC shared with me, and it's a PowerPoint that the Melrose Disability Commission put together. I didn't want to share it with all the email inbox assault that I had done. I figured I'd wait till, you know, wait till after the first week of October and start assaulting your inboxes again. But, you know, to take a look at that and to see if there's anything in that that would, you know, will help us with like our branding and stuff.
[Tom Hamel]: Frances, can you send us a list of the vendors that will be at the, or I guess maybe send it to Gabby so it can be included in the notes that will be at the resource fair or the disability fair?
[Frances Nwajei]: Yes, I will. And I'm glad that we went through it because I realized that I forgot two people. So I don't know where we're all going to fit, but we're all going to fit. So I'll definitely, I'll update it quickly and get it out to you this evening, Gabby. I don't know where, but we're all going to fit. All right.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Thank you.
[Tom Hamel]: Well, thank you. I know we don't have a quorum, so I think we just, we're not going to vote to end the meeting.
[Frances Nwajei]: Oh, no, you don't have a quorum.
[Susan Bibbins]: I guess we just sort of agree to end. and slowly sneak out.
[Frances Nwajei]: Oh, I think we need to stay. I think we need to stay until October's meeting when we have a quorum. We can't leave.
[Susan Bibbins]: Oh, no. It's the meeting that never ended.
[Tom Hamel]: Yeah. Can you imagine? Well, thank you, everyone. I hope you all have a good night. For those of you all seeing it on October 7th, look forward to it.
[Frances Nwajei]: Thank you so much, everyone. Take care, everyone. Be well.