Boston Disability Board Deadlocks on End-of-Life Letter, Tables Vote to September

BOSTON — July 19, 2023 — Boston's Disability Commission Advisory Board deadlocked four-to-four on a letter opposing the state's end-of-life options bill, forcing a tabling to September. Chair Wesley Ireland announced he would abstain, and three other board members followed, leaving the motion without a majority despite no formal opposition. Before the tie vote, the board unanimously approved two advocacy letters — one backing S.1153 and H.2291, An Act Building a More Accessible Massachusetts, and one supporting S.446 and H.4769, An Act Expanding Access to Trails for People with Disabilities. Save the Harbor Save the Bay Executive Director Chris Mancini and policy coordinator Jason presented findings from their Breaking Barriers report, covering accessibility gaps across 14 public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket, including sand-blocked ramps and inconsistent beach wheelchair availability; the board agreed in concept to draft a letter urging DCR to invest more in its Universal Access Program. Disability Commissioner Kristen McCosh announced a ribbon-cutting for a new vertical lift at City Hall Plaza set for July 26 and flagged an October 10 State House hearing on a statewide television captioning bill as the board's next advocacy target.