SWAMPSCOTT — Commission on Disability members discussed the possibility of applying for grants to create accommodations for people with disabilities during the commission’s Monday meeting.
Commission member Jeff Blonder said that he became aware of potential grant opportunities through a mailing list for the state Office on Disability.
“It looks like cities and towns can apply for grants to make accommodations for people with disability,” Blonder said.
Chair Jill Susarrey said that the commission will look to work with local grant writers in order to help identify opportunities for grants.
As the deadline for grant requests is June 14, Susarrey told commission members to keep abreast of potential opportunities for grants, including for grants with deadlines past that date so the commission will know in advance.
MaryEllen Fletcher, the Select Board’s liaison for the commission, made the commission aware of a line item in the town’s proposed fiscal year 2025 budget, which would be supported with money from a grant. The item would be for trail design and construction to turn the open space on Archer Street into a more recreational space.
The line item is requesting $150,000, of which $120,000 would be provided by a grant through the state. Fletcher said that if the item is approved at Town Meeting, the commission should focus on making sure that the space at Archer Street is accessible to those with disabilities.
“It’s a huge opportunity for the town, currently it is way too rough for anybody with any kind of challenge walking to navigate. It’d be a shame if all of our citizens could not enjoy that space,” Susarrey said.
Commission member Jeff Brand suggested that grant money could potentially be utilized to add benches to the space at Archer Street, although Fletcher noted that sometimes grants are location-specific, in which case the monies could not be used for benches.
