HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-01-16-COD-min 1
Commission on Disability
January 16, 2024 Meeting Minutes
Members: Victoria Buckley (Chair), John Rossi, Janet Perry, Leonard Morse‐Fortier, Sue Cusack, Francine
Stieglitz, John Rossi, Nancy Wong, Julie Miller
Town Liaisons: Hemali Shah, Chief Equity Officer; Jim Kelly, Building Commissioner; Mark Sandeen,
Select Board
Committee Liaisons: Pam Lyons, Center Committee; Rod Cole, CEC
Guests: Ross Morrow, Assistant Town Engineer; Dana Bickelman, Director of Human Services; Jona
Miller; Director of Communications; Taylor Singh; Nicole Locher
A meeting of the Commission on Disability was held on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, 5:45 PM – 7:25 PM
via zoom.
Pursuant to Governor Baker’s March 12, 2020 Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting
Law, G.L. c. 30A, §18, and the Governor’s March 15, 2020 and subsequent Orders imposing strict
limitation on the number of people that may gather in one place, this meeting of the Lexington
Commission on Disability will be conducted via remote participation to the greatest extent possible.
On July 16, 2022, Governor Baker signed into Law an Act Relative to Extending Certain State of
Emergency Accommodations, which, among other things, extends the expiration of the provisions
pertaining to the Open Meeting Law to March 31, 2023.
On March 29, 2023, Governor Healey signed a bill that continues remote and hybrid meeting provisions
that were enacted during the pandemic. The new law extends pandemic‐related authorizations that
were set to expire on March 31 as follows:
Allowing remote and hybrid meeting options for public bodies through March 31, 2025
Announcements
Welcome to Dana Bickelman, Director of Human Services, and to Jonas Miller, Director of
Communications.
Review of Minutes
Minutes for December will be reviewed next month.
Presentation by Jonas Miller, Director of Communication
Jonas is a web and digital equipment specialist. He said his goals are to get an audit done and to
improve accessibility. Monsido is a web governance program to look at web accessibility.
The Commission wants to increase their online visibility and complaint process. Concerns were
brought up how to protect anonymity, what are the barriers to anonymity; what are technical
barriers of phone complaints (cannot hear and/or speak). Maybe the complaint form could
have optional fields.
The Commission email has not been working and a test email was sent to see how long it takes
to be read.
2
Discussion led by Taylor Singh and Nicole Locher
Statistics from the Globe revealed the MCAS results, which found large literacy inequities for
children of color, those from low‐income families and those with a disability. These disparate
percentages are 33% for those with disabilities, 40% for low socioeconomic levels and 30% for
blacks – as compared with 72% of white students.
Nicole said that the core general education curriculum for reading is not evidence‐based.
Schools try to focus on screening for dyslexia K‐2 with new phonics but those children not
identified by grades 4‐7 are caught too late.
Taylor and Nicole want the School Committee: to add more certified reading specialists when
they are proposing cutting 3.5 FTEs; to adopt core curriculum studies; to use the term dyslexia.
They would like the Commission’s support.
There is disagreement as to what literacy program is the best.
The Commission is more concerned with the systemic discriminatory statistics and wants to see
this addressed.
The Departments of Justice and Education issued an updated set of guidance documents to all
public‐school districts reminding them of their obligation under federal law to provide equal
educational opportunities to all children residing in their districts, and to offer assistance to
ensure they are complying with the law. The discrepancies in Lexington data go against the law.
Furthermore, the Town voted to make equity and inclusion a priority in all of its policies yet this
is still happening.
The Commission decided Victoria should write a letter to the School Committee saying that a
remediation plan is needed.
New Business
John Rossi brought up the request from the Semiquincentennial Commission (Lex250) that the
Commission on Disability be part of the Countdown Display. Victoria will contact Doug Lucente.
Meeting Adjourned at 7:15 pm
Minutes submitted by Victoria Buckley