Executive Director, Marlene Sallo, joins Walter Noons to discuss the upcoming 2020 U.S. Census amd how important it is for persons with disabilities to be counted.

Kristen McCosh, City of Boston Disability Commissioner & ADA Title II Coordinator, and host, Walter Noons, discuss Boston’s ten-year plan to make the city and its services accessible for residents and visitors with disabilities.

Host, Walter Noons, discusses Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD) with Enid Watson, FASD State Coordinator from the Institute for Heath and Recovery,  Elaine “Laine” Elias, a parent of an young adult with FASD, and her son, Sasha Paterson, a young adult with FASD.

DLC Attorney Hillary Dunn Stanisz discusses the importance of clients being served at Day Habilitation programs having access to the community as a way to achieve greater independence  with host, Walter Noons.

Evan George, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at the MA Office on Disability joined DLC attorney Svetlana Uimenkova to talk about Emergency Preparedness as it applied to Persons with Disabilities or Individuals Requiring Additional Assistance.  Discussion centered around the available resources to overcome the most common barriers faced by persons with disabilities in emergency situations.  Evan described how to organize a “Go to Bag”  - an emergency preparedness tool that may be prepared by individuals and their families.

Patrick Gleason and Nathanial Trull of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center at UMASS Medical School discuss Emergency Preparedness for persons with disabilities with host, Walter Noons.

Maura K. Sullivan, Director of Government Affairs at the Arc of Massachusetts, joins Walter Noons to discuss House Bill H. 4026, also known as “Nicky’s Law”. The bill is currently before the Massachusetts House of Representatives and if signed into law would establish a registry of caretakers found to have substantiated claims of abuse against a person with an intellectual or developmental disability.

David Correia, Advocacy Director and Ashley Starr, Community Transition Coordinator of the MetroWest Center for Independent Living discuss barriers to employment for persons with disabilities.

Discussion of the Disabled Persons Protection Commission’s (DPPC) Sexual Assault Response Unit (SARU) with Attorney Susan Vickers, Director, and Peer Support Leaders, Patricia Quatieri, and, Leigh-Ann Barry.

DLC Staff Attorney Caitlin Parton talks about the challenges facing persons who are deaf or hard of hearing in accessing services from medical providers, in public accommodations and in housing.