By Cassidy Beek

The Somerville Commission for Persons With Disabilities (SCPD) had six items to review at their monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 13. They voted to abide by the city’s Code of Conduct, discussed a variance request from Tufts University and proposed a community-wide trip to the annual Red Sox disability pride celebration game.

The group’s mission is to preserve the protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by ensuring that all Somerville residents are provided with equal access to all services and programs within the city.

Also on the agenda was a change to the by-laws, increasing the number of members on the commission. A motion was passed to amend the by-laws to have 13 seats on the commission, as opposed to its original nine. This will strengthen the group’s mission by bringing in a diverse array of experiences and interests.

Holly Simione, the Commission Chair, motioned to adopt the city’s Code of Conduct for the Commission. The Code of Conduct is a part of the city’s ordinances, requiring the Commission to include it in their by-laws.

Additionally, the Commission reviewed a variance request sent from Tufts University regarding the accessibility of one of its dorm halls. A new residence hall design includes a type of elevator called The LULA Lift, which will only provide access to the lower levels excluding the third floor, as it is 25ft and unable to cover the height of the building. The third floor itself is being designed as accessible however will not be provided with an accessible route. The LULA Lift has a lower cost of maintenance and installation compared to a conventional elevator which would also require additional overrun space above the roof.

In the variance, Tufts University said, “As there are accessible sleeping rooms, bathing rooms, and an accessible common space at the lower three floors, the cost of providing an elevator and extending its reach to the upper floor does not provide substantial benefit to occupants beyond the proposed conditions.”

Deborah Haber, a commissioner, outlined a form of social segregation within the plan that limits disabled residents on the lower floors from engaging with residents on the third floor.

Agreeing with Haber, another commissioner, Harriotte Ranvig, said, “Every student who lives in that dorm needs to have access to all three floors, otherwise, it’s discriminatory in my view.”

The Commission voted against supporting the variance as the alternative lift excludes access to the top floor of the residence hall.

Simione proposed an organized trip to the Red Sox’s annual disability pride celebration game on July 26 in honor of the ADA anniversary to support the disabled community within Somerville. The commission motioned to allocate $5,000 of their funds toward tickets and transportation to the game for anyone interested within Somerville.

The Commission also discussed the need to form sub-committees focused on educational concerns within the city, training with police and fire and accessibility concerns regarding the community garden. The sub-committees will work outside of the monthly meetings on specific tasks, later reporting back to the commission.

Adrienne Pomeroy, the ADA Coordinator, discussed the ADA Community Survey, which aims to gain a comprehensive understanding of Somerville’s experiences with accessibility. Improvements are being made to the city’s ADA Transition Plan through this survey, which closes on Friday, June 30.

Two representatives from the Department of Racial and Social Justice (RSJ) will be at the West Branch Library on Wednesday, June 21, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. to talk to the community and encourage engagement with the survey.  Representatives will also be at Diesel Cafe in Davis Sq. on Friday, June 23, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

Responses can be submitted by email at rsj@somervillema.gov, online on the RSJ website at https://www.somervillema.gov/rsj and via city and RSJ social media feeds.