The NCOD is a commission of 5-9 volunteers serving three-year terms, appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council to advocate on disability-related issues. The majority (7) of the commission members must be disabled or directly related to a person with disabilities.

We meet at least once each month (the 2nd Monday) at 6 P.M. in the Rupert A. Nock Middle School Library located on Low Street. Meetings are normally held on the third Tuesday of each month.

Our Mission:

• Address Newburyport's disability needs for the city and its residents, visitors and families with disabilities.

Our Goals:

• to advocate for the full integration and participation of people with disabilities in the City of Newburyport.
• to research the needs and problems of people with disabilities in the City of Newburyport.
• to advise and assist town officials and employees in addressing the needs of people with disabilities.
• to provide information, referral, guidance, and technical assistance to individuals, public agencies, business and organizations in matters pertaining to disability.
• to help builders at the beginning of projects to design accessible structures and not to come in at the end when things are a "mess" of violations.
• to participate increasingly in disability-related programs of a local, regional, state, and federal nature.
• to support training related to disability to people who reside or work in the City of Newburyport.

Our Strengths:

• Experience: many years of being disabled and/or working with a disability.
• Market: Increasing by Aging, Injuries, Family, Friends, Acceptance.
• Network: Work in industry, support services.
• Information: Access to resources - literature etc...

What Have We Done

1. Developed a new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan for all public facilities

2. Creating, with representative Costello's office the linkage between a disabled person's home directly to MVRTA EZ TRANS and teh MBTA The Ride to gain one stop transportation from a disabled person's home in Newburyport, Amesbury, and Salisbury to all the 64 cities and towns in the MBTA area for employment, doctor's offices, or to visit.

3. Working in advance with the parent volunteers to raise funds and design the Courtyard at the Nock School; working with the PITA volunteers to make Plum Island's public restrooms accessible; and working with representatives of the Universalist-Unitarian and the Old South Presebytarian churches accessible.

4. Working with the Park Lunch, after the fire, to be fure the renovation would be accessible - not waiting until trouble arose. Working with the Hope Church after the building was completed to overcome architectural errors that were designed and built into the finished building - oh, so painful.

5. Funding reconstruction to make the City Clerk's office and the Treasurer's Office accessible.

6. Raising matching funds to build curb cuts on Water Street.

7. A work in progress: cooperative work with property owners, tenants, and the Commission on Disabilities - 50%, 25%, and 25% respectively - to fund and design portable ramps to make public accomodations accessible.

8. The Disabilities Commission wrote to the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board (MAAB) to support the building committee on seven variance requests with successful results, continues to work with the School Department to see that 45 modifications are made to have the school come into compliance with the MAAB, and successfully led an effort to make the stadium accessible for physically disabled persons

Who else benefits?

• Senior Citizens - Mobility Devices: Scooters, Walkers, Canes
• New parents - Carriages
• Children - Low phones, Water Fountains
• Delivery Personnel - Vendors, Movers
• People with Temporary Physical Disabilities.

Links:

• Massachusetts Office on Disability Web Site
• Resource Lists: National and Massachusetts
• Massachusetts Architectural Board
• Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) Checklist for Buildings and Facilities

ADA Web Sites:

• ADA Home Page - List by Federal Agency ADA Responsibilities
• ADA Documents - Easy access to documentation
• ADA Business Connection - Info specifically for businesses
• ADA Distance Learning Program - ADA Transcripts on various specifics of ADA

Other Towns in Massachusetts that have Commissions on Disability Web Sites:

• Andover Commission on Disability
• Cambridge Commission on Disability
• Haverhill Commission on Disability Issues
• Needham Commission on Disabilities

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: How do I register with the City that I am disabled to get Emergency Services?

A: Anyone who needs to get emergency services can do so by dialing 911. 911 does provide a flagging for specific information for a particular address (on a ventilator, for example). This information can be flagged on a specific phone number by contacting the 911 operator in the city of town in which the person lives and give this information to the dispatcher supervisor and they in turn provide 911 with the information that is then flagged for that phone number. This information will appear on the screen of the 911 operator when a call is received from that address. The Dispatcher Supervisor for the Newburyport Public Safety Center can be reached by dialing 978-462-4411, at the beginning of the recorded message, dial 1052.

Q: Who is the ADA Coordinator in the city?

A: Dianne Eppa (978) 465-4400.

Q: Does the Commission have any resource materials available?

A: Not yet, but we are building such a resource center. In the meantime, please refer to the other links on this page for a warehouse full of information.

Q: What are the Massachusetts State Agencies and Web Sites dealing with various disabilities that you can contact for help?

• Department of Mental Retardation
• Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission
• Massachusetts Commission for the Blind
• Massachusetts Commission on Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination
• Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Commission
• Massachusetts Office on Disabilities
• Governor’s Commission on Mental Retardation
• Department of Mental Health
• Mental Health Legal Advisory Committee
• Statewide Head Injury Program

Q: Where do we announce and advertise?

• Newburyport Daily News
• The Current
• Channel 9 (we hope to soon)