Disabilty Expo Set for Saturday, May 4.

Above, members of the Disability Commission.

The Franklin Disabilities Commission is planning a free Disabilities Expo for Saturday, May 4, 2024, from 11 am to 2 pm at the Franklin Senior Center.

The event was well attended when it was held last year  members of the Commission have again been working on the details and recruiting organizations to participate.

According to Chair, Mary O’Neil, the goal of the event is to gather together those who work with and advocate for persons with disabilities; ideally to circulate information of services available to those in the community and their families. “We as a commission feel that there are many valuable services that often can be and are overlooked.”

This expo will have numerous exhibits at tables so that visitors can learn about the wide variety of disability-related resources, activities, and support.  The event is free and there are also free door prizes.

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The Franklin Disabilities Commission meets regularly throughout the year. Anyone interested can come to a meeting. The meetings are  usually held on the first Thursday of Each month in the recreation center of Central Park Terrace.

About two-thirds of the state’s cities and towns have some form of disability commission, but some do not. For example, according to the Massachusetts Commission on Disabilities, Medway does not have such a commission.

According to the Mass. Office on Disabilities (MOD), local commission can fill roles such as:

• Advise and assist local officials with compliance to federal and state disability laws
• Assist local disability advocates with Technical Assistance, advocacy and Disability related matters
• Review Projects that may come before Planning Board, Town Meeting, City Council, etc.
• Assist municipality with ensuring the Self-Evaluation meets the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Assist municipality with implementation and upkeep of their Transition Plan Research & Information
• Be a voice to let developers know that they have obligations to comply with Disability Laws and regulations
• Represent the interest of Persons with Disabilities, at certain times some PWD’s may need assistance to express their views
• On behalf of Taxpayers who expect and deserve equal protection under the law
• Coordinate with the MOD to keep abreast of applicable laws & regulations and with advocates and elected officials