Today, July 26, is the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA is a piece of civil rights legislation that guarantees access to employment, public services, and government agencies. But we still have a long way to go–in particular, with the MBTA.
I live in Newtonville, three blocks away from the Commuter Rail station. As a person with a physical disability, I cannot walk down those (36) very steep stairs to get down to the platform, never mind the steep steps to get on the actual train itself. Couple my disability with my recent graduation from college, I will need to find a job. I will need to use the RIDE.
My parents bought the townhouse that I live in specifically so I could get downtown via that commuter rail independently. By not updating that station–and the two other stations that are out of compliance–the MBTA is illegally harming those with mobility needs and others who use those stations.
I join Rep. Kay Khan in her recent letter about her disappointment that Newtonville did not get the funding when they applied for the ASAP grant. The MBTA needs to do its job by complying with the law.
Nathan Persampieri,
Newtonville