Boston Disability Advisory Board Elects New Officers, Authorizes Two Advocacy Letters

BOSTON -- February 18, 2026, Boston's Disability Commission Advisory Board unanimously elected a new executive committee and authorized letters pushing for accessible voting technology and rideshare service-animal protections at its February 18 meeting. Zari Rassani, a wheelchair user from South Boston, was elected chair, succeeding Jerry Boyd, who moves to vice chair; Olivia Richard was elected secretary and Tara Southerd treasurer. The board also heard a report from Dolores Carabona, senior ADA manager with the Streets Cabinet, showing the city completed 1,723 fully compliant curb ramps in 2025, the first year it surpassed its consent-decree target of 1,630, and secured a new per-ramp budget of $15,000, up from $5,000, funding construction of 2,450 ramps annually. Board member Carl Richardson, citing personal experience being denied rideshare service multiple times, moved to write letters both to the Secretary of State's office urging exploration of new accessible voting technology to replace 15-year-old AutoMark machines, and to the House Labor and Workforce Committee in support of H 826, which would fine drivers who deny access to service animal users. Both motions passed unanimously.