GREENFIELD — The city has received a promise of $40,000 in grant money to update its plan for handicap access.
Greenfield received the grant promise from the Massachusetts Office of Disability, and will be used with $10,000 previously earmarked to update the city’s American with Disabilities Act’s Self-Evaluation and Plan for Accessibility. The plan, which assesses the handicap accessibility of various public areas, was last updated in 2004.
According to Laurie DiDonato, temporary liaison to the Commission on Disability Access for the city, the money will be used to hire a consultant for an assessment on the city’s handicap accessibility.
The assessment will include city buildings, parks, parking lots and other areas of public access and determining if they meet Massachusetts and federal regulations.
The plan is one that was previously required according to ADA regulation in 1990, DiDonato said, but updated standards in 2010 made the plan a recommendation instead of mandatory.
The city is expected to hold at least two public forums on the matter to collect public opinion in the spring, though no dates have yet been set, DiDonato said.
According to DiDonato, the plan is expected to be completed by June and the city will not receive the money until it is done.
Also, the city is looking to fill four vacant positions on their seven-member Commission on Disability Access. The commission works to assist the city to remain compliant to state and federal disability laws and advocate “to create respectful accessible environments in coordination with the Commonwealth’s Americans with Disabilities Act,” according to the city’s website.