Disability Commission on agenda for Lynn council

LYNN – The City Council may soon be voting on whether to establish a Disability Commission.Council President Timothy Phelan sent a memorandum to council members last Wednesday requesting that they review the law and consider his request to create a Disability Commission. The statute allows cities and towns to appropriate money to the commission.”This is a law that I believe passed a couple of years ago that allows city councils to establish a disability commission to advise municipal officials, elected officials and cities and towns on issues regarding disability throughout the city,” Phelan said.The law requires that the City Council take a “firm vote” to establish the commission, and if the council votes in favor, a non-paid board would be selected by the mayor. The statute req-uires that citizens with disabilities be appointed to the commission and that there may be no less than five members or more than nine.”The beauty of that is people with disabilities see things from a reality perspective, so to speak,” Phelan said. “They’re living that life and they see and experience the difficulties that go on day to day that people without disabilities may not see. So if we as a city can learn from them and improve services and life for people with disabilities, why not do it? It seems like a no-brainer to me.”Phelan said he has not had a chance to speak with his colleagues on the matter, and while he does not wish to speak for anyone else, Phelan believes that there will be “substantial support from the council.””I just think that as a society we have to continue to understand that people with disabilities are just like you and I,” Phelan said. “They’re people, no better no worse, but (they) have a road block that we don’t have in front of them and if we can remove them we should. It is the right thing to do.”The next Council meeting is scheduled for April 27 at 8 p.m. in City Council Chambers. It was not known Wednesday if councilors would begin discussion of the Disability Commission at that time.