Your Summer Update from MOD

Dear Friends,

With summer underway, things are abuzz here at the Massachusetts Office on Disability. We're looking forward to gathering with friends and colleagues in the disability community at our Disability Summit on October 27th. This year, our Summit will focus on digital accessibility and the many ways people with disabilities and our allies have made the digital space accessible. We hope to see you there, whether in-person or virtually.

At MOD, we know our disability community intersects with many other communities of people in Massachusetts. We are proud to serve all residents of Massachusetts and celebrate the diversity of those we serve. This month, we celebrate Pride month and Juneteenth, recognizing two communities - LGBTQ people and Black people - and honoring their contributions to realizing our vision of a more inclusive world.

At the same time, we are in mourning. Black and brown people - especially those with disabilities - continue to be disproportionately affected by violence and the pandemic. The recent shooting in Buffalo was a sobering reminder of how far we have to go before all are safe, welcome, and included in society.

On their website, the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health has Mental Health Resource Guides, including a ”directory [that] contains information about organizations in Massachusetts that offer linguistically and culturally appropriate mental health and related services for communities of color, the LGBTQ community, immigrants, and refugees.”

Thank you, as always, for being a friend of MOD.

Mary Mahon McCauley

Executive Director

P.S. - Help us help you! Fill out our 2 minute constituent survey to help us target our content to you and your interests.

You're invited! Join MOD and our friends in the Massachusetts disability community for our Disability Summit, an event celebrating the important work our community does to promote accessibility.

This year, we're celebrating "Accessibility in a Digital World". After a networking breakfast, learn how our partners across the Commonwealth are making the digital world an inclusive space for people with disabilities. Food will be provided.

Thursday, October 27

10 AM - 1 PM

Mass General Brigham at Assembly Row

399 Revolution Drive | Somerville, MA 02145

Please note: This is a hybrid event. Please indicate your preference (virtual or in-person) on the registration form. If you select "virtual", you will be sent a link to the livestream on the day of the event.

At its most basic, website accessibility requires that all functions be usable with only a keyboard. For many people with disabilities, a computer mouse may be inaccessible. They may need to navigate the web and other computer applications with only a keyboard or other assistive technologies (AT). Our latest blog post provides some tips for making sure your web content is accessible.

MOD's Client Assistance Program: Advocating for your independent living and employment goals

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and Independent Living (IL) programs support Massachusetts residents with disabilities with their employment and independent living-related goals. VR and IL services can help people with disabilities find jobs, move out of an institution and into the community, and much more. The Massachusetts Office on Disability’s (MOD’s) Client Assistance Program (CAP) provides support and advocacy for people who are interested in or are currently accessing these services.

Best practices for hosting accessible web-based meetings

In-person and virtual meetings/presentations must be conducted in a way that provides equivalent access unless to do so presents a fundamental alteration. Providing reasonable accommodations and effective communication are critical components to achieving equal access. Our new resource for the Executive Branch of the Commonwealth provides guidance for its ongoing efforts to provide accessible virtual meetings and presentations.

Guidance on elevator outages in housing

Elevator outages happen, and maintenance is necessary. MOD's new guidance aims to help housing providers and residents with disabilities navigate elevator outages. Specifically, it addresses housing provider obligations, best practices, emergency preparedness and planning, and disability-related civil rights.

Certify your business as disability-owned

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office (SDO) and Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD) are dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in state contracting for many types of small and diverse businesses, including those owned by individuals with disabilities. Under the guidance of the SDO, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts spent more than $12 million last year with Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (DOBE).

One of the SDO’s most effective tools in promoting equity is certification, where eligible businesses register with the State to enhance their marketability and ensure that all companies are treated equally when bidding for State contracts.

Is your business eligible for certification? If it is already registered through Disability:IN, your business may be qualified to be included in the SDO’s directory of certified businesses. Visit the SDO at www.mass.gov/SDO and click on the “Certification Self-Assessment” link to fill out a brief questionnaire. Certification is free and can help grow your business. 

Mary Mahon McCauley on Magic 106.7: Lizzo and ableist language

Musical artist Lizzo recently issued an apology and released a new version of her song, "Grrrls", after disability activists criticized her use of an ableist slur in the song. Lizzo was widely praised by the disability community for her quick action and for listening to and learning from the disability community. MOD Executive Director Mary Mahon McCauley spoke with Magic 106.7 to speak about the incident and what we can all learn from it:

Internship: Event planning and communications

Support MOD’s Disability Summit (October 27 from 10 AM – 1 PM at Mass General Brigham in Assembly Row) through guest list maintenance, design assistance of event materials, day-of support, and post-event follow-up.

This internship is an ideal opportunity for an undergraduate student studying communications or hospitality. It can be completed either virtually or as a hybrid. Please note: This is an unpaid opportunity.

Evan George, Grant Compliance Coordinator

Please join us in congratulating Evan George on his new role as Grant Compliance Coordinator at MOD! In his new role, Evan will be overseeing MOD's Municipal ADA Grant Program, which supports capital improvements specifically dedicated to improving access for persons with disabilities.

Previously, Evan worked for the MOD team as the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, training people with disabilities on individual preparedness during natural disasters. 

Ben Elwy, CAP Intern

Welcome to Ben Elwy, the new intern for MOD's CAP program. Ben is a rising senior at Harvard College, where he started the Disability Justice Club with his fellow students. He interned last summer at the Disability Policy Consortium and has a longtime interest in disability rights. As CAP intern, Ben will be developing and updating an electronic desk guide for CAP Advocates with links to main resources for Vocational Rehabilitation and Independent Living (VR-IL) advocacy, including but not limited to, federal and state regulations, VR-IL policy directives, and similar technical guidance documents.