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Heather Hartshorn Sweeney Director of Social Services Tel. (781) 861-0194
Fax. (781) 863-2271
Enablement Committee Minutes
November 30,2001
Present Bob Harris, Chair,Jennifer Alber,Barbara Barrows; Chuck Cole, Sue Cusack, Co-Chair, Special
Needs Parents Advisory Committee;Pam Varrin,Liaison,Recreation Committee, Steve Baran,
ADA Coordinator and Recorder
New members. Jennifer Alber worked 15 years in Shipley and Bullfinch as an architect with an emphasis on health
care architecture, believes in the values and implementation of ADA, Sue Cusack has worked in assistive
technology and is comfortable with systems—human,cultural and policy is co-chair of the Special Needs Parents
Advisory Committee, is interested in forwarding the idea of a commission for the Enablement Committee; Chuck
Cole has experience in developing Independent Living Centers,city planning and has worked for Abt Associates. is
on the board for the Center for Independent Living,has managed retrofitting projects;Barbara Barrows is a retired
geriatric registered nurse, angry that Lexington is not in compliance.
Commission:It was noted that Michael Muehe, Chairman, Cambridge ADA Commission,had informed the
Enablement Committee about the merits of commission status.This will be put on the agenda for the next meeting
with papers he made available. Sue Cusack said that she had discussed her own and the Enablement Committee s
frustrations in a conversation with Rick White, Town Manager. He had asked her to develop a proposal for finding
a full time ADA Coordinator to be presented to the Selectmen. She outlined some of the job duties in a draft(see
attached),noted that the Coordinator had to have the time to visit a number of other town bodies to trade ideas and
educate them about the values of responding to needs of the physically challenged.
Chuck Cole noted the importance of an ADA Coordinator fitting into the power ecology of the town. Barbara
thought a coordinator needed at times to be adversarial in order to effect compliance Steve Baran suggested a
concept paper outlining needs in relation to developing job description.It was agreed that the salaries of ADA
Coordinators in other towns needed to he ascertained.
Priorities. Sue asked members to note its current priorities. These included: I. curb cuts;2. revamping the Visitors
Center(an Enablement Committee report has been generated), 3.making Depot Square accessible;4 making the
Munroe School accessible(lease and occupancy permit?); S ensuring accessibility of the Hayden Center. 6. access
to playing fields, 7 access to Ole Res. In relation to the latter, Pam Varrin explained some of the aspects that had
been studied, agreed to relay committee s concerns,particularly need to have architectural plans detailing handicap
access to the playing fields.
Sue Cusack drafted a petition for making the Visitors Center accessible to be signed by various town committees
'fgreements•Tt was agreed that there needed to be long tern and emergency planning,a focus on curb cuts,Visitor s
Center accessibility getting an ADA Coordinator, studying Conunission status and creating clear procedures for
processing complaints.
Next meeting: 12/14/01 —3.30 p.m.
147s MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE LEXINGTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02420