Overview
The Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD) is organized under Section 185 of Chapter 6 of the Massachusetts General Laws and operates under the direction and control of the Executive Office for Administration and Finance in accordance with Section 4G of Chapter 7 of the General Laws. MOD has a director, who is appointed by the Governor, and 12 staff members. It is located at 1 Ashburton Place in Boston. In fiscal year 2017, MOD received $651,516 in state appropriations, $445,198 in federal grants, and $39,175 for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Trust Fund.1 In fiscal year 2018, it received $651,516 in state appropriations, $462,367 in federal grants, and $27,600 for the ADA Trust Fund. According to its website,
The Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD) works to ensure the full and equal participation of all people with disabilities in all aspects of life by working to advance legal rights, maximum opportunities, supportive services, accommodations, and accessibility in a manner that fosters dignity and self-determination. . . .
MOD’s mission is to ensure that people with disabilities of all ages living or working in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have full and equal participation in all aspects of life.
The ADA requires that state and local governments (Title II entities) with 50 or more employees designate ADA coordinators to oversee efforts to comply with the ADA and to handle disability-based discrimination complaints. State Executive Order 526 designates MOD as Massachusetts’s ADA coordinating agency for the executive branch of the state government. MOD responds to the needs of more than 16,000 people yearly through training, technical assistance, and its three major programs: the Client Services Unit (CSU), the Client Assistance Program (CAP), and the Community Services Program.
The CSU responds to approximately 3,000 requests per year. According to its annual report to the Governor,
The [CSU] is the first point of contact for individuals with disabilities, their family members, state agencies, municipalities, businesses, service providers and others [to] ask questions about a wide range of topics including disability laws, government benefits, services, and programs or to report concerns about disability related barriers to participation or discrimination.
The CAP responds to approximately 112 cases per year. It is funded by grants from the United States Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration. According to MOD’s annual report to the Governor,
CAP provides an unbiased source of information, referral, and advocacy services for people who are having difficulties obtaining vocational rehabilitation (VR) and independent living (IL) related services.
Finally, according to the same annual report,
The Community Services Program interacts with approximately 11,000 people per year to help ensure that people with disabilities know their rights and responsibilities and that state, local and private entities know how to comply with their non-discrimination obligations.
MOD is also the administrator of the state’s Municipal Americans with Disabilities Act Improvement Grant Program, which began in May of fiscal year 2017. These grants support capital improvements dedicated to improving access for people with disabilities throughout the Commonwealth. Project and planning grants up to $250,000 are awarded to cities and towns to improve access. MOD received authorization to spend $1,000,000 in each of the fiscal years 2017 and 2018 from the state’s Capital Investment Plan to support the Municipal Americans with Disabilities Act Improvement Grant Program. According to MOD officials, for fiscal year 2017, the agency’s Grant Selection Committee approved $995,000 in awards and disbursed $927,730 to cities and towns throughout the Commonwealth. The balance of $67,270 remained unspent as of the end of fiscal year 2017. For fiscal year 2018, the Grant Selection Committee approved $978,198 in awards plus $16,703 in funding for a part-time grant coordinator (for a total budget of $994,901) and disbursed $956,615 to cities and towns throughout the Commonwealth. The balance of $21,583 for grant awards remained unspent as of the end of fiscal year 2018.
| Date published: | April 2, 2019 |
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