LAWRENCE RECEIVES A $247,000 GRANT FOR

MUNICIPAL RENOVATIONS TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY FROM

THE MASSACHUSETTS OFFICE ON DISABILITY

 

In a packed room at City Hall on March 1, 2024, Mayor Brian A. DePeña and ADA Coordinator Richard Rodriguez, alongside elected officials, community residents, and community stakeholders came together to celebrate Lawrence has been awarded the amount of $247,000 from the Massachusetts Office of Disability to make City Hall more accessible for people with disabilities.

ADA Coordinator Rodriguez began the celebration by thanking all those who made it possible for Lawrence to receive this grant, the full amount requested. He commented “As the ADA Coordinator, I extend my sincere gratitude to Mayor Brian A. DePeña and the Department of Public Works for their invaluable support in securing this grant. I would also like to express my appreciation to the Lawrence State Delegates and the Lawrence City Council for their unwavering advocacy efforts toward securing this grant for our community.

Special thanks are due to the Lawrence Commission on Disability and the Massachusetts Office on Disability for their valuable input throughout this process. These dedicated individuals have shown remarkable commitment to enhancing accessibility in Lawrence, and for that, I am profoundly grateful.”

In expressing his appreciation to Mayor DePeña, ADA Rodriguez described Mayor DePeña as a friend for people with disabilities.  Mayor DePeña always said “Yes” when it came to implementing services and programs for this population.  He said yes to hiring a full-time ADA Coordinator, reactivating the Lawrence Commission on Disability, celebrating disability month, forming partnerships with organizations to bring more resources for people with disabilities, and supporting this grant application.

Mayor DePeña spoke next, expressing his appreciation for this grant. “I’m very happy and honored to be able to make this announcement from my office to let our community with special needs know that they are not alone. With this grant and others that we are managing for our residents with special needs we will be able to bring more resources to our city and therefore have a more inclusive society with better opportunities, said Mayor DePeña.”

“I am thrilled that Attorney Richard Rodriguez, along with the entire leadership team within the City of Lawrence, is dedicated to the goals of equity, access, and inclusion for all of their residents and visitors with disabilities, said the Massachusetts Office on Disability Executive Director Mary Mahon McCauley.”

Representative Frank A. Moran (D – Lawrence) commented “I am incredibly grateful to the Massachusetts Office on Disability for awarding the City of Lawrence with $247,000 in grant funding to make critical improvements to city hall so that our local government is more accessible for all residents and city employees.” He continued to state, “I would like to recognize the tremendous work that Richard Rodriguez, the city’s ADA coordinator, put into securing this funding, and I am thankful that we have someone like Richard working within our community to provide our residents with every opportunity to succeed in life.”

Daniel R. Rajczyk, vice-chair of the Lawrence Commission on Disability recognized the members who were present at this celebration. He commented, “I would like to thank City of Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña for all of his support for the Disability community.” He also stated, “I would like to thank ADA Coordinator Richard Rodriguez for all of his hard work which made the awareness of this grant possible.”

The celebration ended on a positive note when Massachusetts Office on Disability Executive Director Mary Mahone McCauley shared she was in a meeting with Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll who described Lawrence City Hall as a beautiful place to visit.  She continued to state she has worked for the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission for thirty years and was pleased Lawrence was a recipient of this grant.

Each year the Massachusetts Office on Disability awards municipalities funds from the Americans with Disabilities ACT Improvement Grant. This grant supports capital improvements specifically dedicated to improving programmatic access and/or removing barriers encountered by persons with disabilities in applicant facilities throughout the Commonwealth.

It’s important to note that the funding awarded to Lawrence this year through the grant will be exclusively earmarked for the benefit of people with disabilities such as the deaf, the blind, and those using wheelchairs. The project will include several improvements such as replacing transition counters, installing automatic door openers, compliant sinks in bathrooms, and Braille signage. These changes will make a significant difference in the lives of people with disabilities, and we are committed to ensuring that these funds are utilized effectively and efficiently.