- Massachusetts Office on Disability
The Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD) is pleased to present the combined Municipal ADA Improvement Grant Report for FY20-21. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous municipalities were granted extensions with their ongoing projects that were awarded in the FY20 cycle. Therefore, Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021 (FY20 and FY21, respectively) are combined into one report.
Launched in Fiscal Year 2017, the Municipal ADA Improvement Grant Program has provided communities with resources necessary for updating amenities to increase accessibility for residents across the Commonwealth. The program is designed with the goals of creating new or updated Self-Evaluation and Transition Plans and increasing access to programs, services, and activities through new projects or the removal of barriers for people with disabilities. The awarded applications reflect cities and towns of all sizes, demographics, socioeconomic conditions, and geographic locations throughout the Commonwealth.
On August 1, 2019, the FY20 application period opened, and MOD received inquiries and subsequent applications for grant funding for both Planning and Project Grants from Commonwealth municipalities. There were 57 Planning Grant and 85 Project Grant applications, totaling 142 grant applications submitted for review. Following a competitive, scored selection process based on direct community impact and funding availability for FY20, 50 grants were awarded for a total of $1,848,023.20. The 24 Project Grants totaled $1,068,177.67, created accessible updates to existing infrastructure, allowed for the purchase and installation of assistive technology, and benefited residents with a wide range of disabilities. The 26 Planning Grants totaled $779,845.53 and allowed municipalities to create or update their own ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plans, encompassing all the grantees’ public facilities, activities, programs, and services.
On August 1, 2020, the FY21 application period opened, and MOD received inquiries and subsequent applications for grant funding for both Planning and Project Grants from Commonwealth municipalities. There were 42 Planning Grant and 91 Project Grant applications, totaling 133 grant applications submitted for review. Following a competitive, scored selection process based on direct community impact and funding availability for FY21, 35 grants were awarded for a total of $1,626,863.57. The 18 Project Grants totaled $959,545.61, created accessible updates to existing infrastructure, allowed for the purchase and installation of assistive technology, and benefited residents with a wide range of disabilities. The 17 Planning Grants totaled $667,317.96 and allowed municipalities to create, or update, their own ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plans, encompassing all of the grantees’ public facilities, activities, programs and services.
The report provides an overview of the Municipal ADA Improvement Grant Program, the grant application and selection process, award amounts and information regarding the Planning Grants, award amounts and impacts of the Project Grants, overview of internal control, a reflection of program success over FY20 and FY21, and a forecast of continued goals for the years ahead.
