Coordinator will advise city staff on policies and procedures, work with Disabilities Commission,City  Engineer to devise 10-year strategic plan to address accessibility and transparency

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone announced today that the City of Somerville is currently seeking candidates to fill the position of Disability Coordinator within the Executive Office.  The Coordinator is responsible, in conjunction with the Disability Commission, for advising the city on policies and procedures relating to disabilities and access issues, while providing technical assistance to the city regarding compliance with state and federal disabilities laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  As the city works to upgrade and implement a 10-year Transition Plan which will advise city staff on necessary alternations and improvements to municipal buildings in order to continue to adhere to ADA regulations, the Coordinator will also work with the City Engineer to refine the plan and manage community outreach on disabilities policy. Candidates are being sought for a proposed January 2013 start.

“We remain committed to ensuring that Somerville is a great – and safe – place to live, work, play and raise a family for all residents, and that includes our continued commitment to ADA issues, from compliance within municipal facilities to pedestrian safety standards –  and to everything in between,” said Mayor Curtatone.  “This ADA Coordinator will help to implement and upgrade several important programs and policies, including an Evaluation and Transition Plan for city programs and services, and renewed recruitment for the city’s Disabilities Commission as part of a larger recruitment process for all boards and commissions.  We anticipate filling the position by the beginning of the new year, which will help lay the groundwork for initial action steps in Spring 2013.”

The ADA Coordinator will work to create and implement a Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan that complies with the requirements of the original 1990 (ADA including modifications made by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008.  The Plan will also incorporate project goals including an evaluation of city programs and services to determine ADA compliance, and an evaluation of city facilities, including right-of-ways, buildings, playgrounds and pedestrian facilities.