Boston Center for Independent Living

10/23/2025

Supporting Independent Lives Workshop

Date: Wednesday, November 19th, 2025
Time: 6:30-7:30 PM
Virtual: On Zoom
Eligibility: Parents, family members, educators and friends of youth/young adults with disabilities are welcome to attend. The workshop will focus on transition aged youth (14-21) as well as adult services available once students graduate and turn 22. Youth themselves are also welcome to attend.

The Boston Center for Independent Living and Partners for Youth with Disabilities invite you to an online workshop for youth with disabilities and their parents and other family members.

We will discuss how to support youths in their transition to adulthood, the services available to them, how to build a support system, and getting students involved in their IEP process. We will also answer questions relating to independent living and what PYD and BCIL can offer to students right now and when they are adults.

To register: click https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdq2y4C2-4AI7n_iPXyTCNTzOAyB5qjqcKMPhy4XOz14N0EDQ/viewform or scan the QR code above. Once registered, you will receive the Zoom link in your email.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Benjamin Whidden, PYD’s Assistant Manger of Outreach & Engagement, at bwhidden@pyd.org or Maddie Heavey, BCIL’s Youth Services Program Manager, at mheavey@bostoncil.org

10/22/2025

Last week, BCIL joined forces with the City of Boston’s Participatory Budgeting (PB) Office and a number of other organizations to help review and prioritize community ideas for the PB ballot!

More than 1,200 ideas poured in from residents this summer — all focused on building a more equitable, inclusive Boston.

Boston residents will vote on the winning projects early next year, and in spring, a few will be funded through $2 million from the City — turning community ideas into action!

Thanks to our staff and members for making sure the disability community’s perspective was represented in this process.

(ALT captions available for each photo.)

City of Boston

10/17/2025

CALLING ALL ARTISTS & CREATIVES IN THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY

Oct. 29th 12-1PM Location: Online

A listening session to help shape the future of City arts funding

COME SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON:
Equity
Impact
Funding in the arts and culture sector of Boston

ALL PARTICIPANTS WILL RECEIVE A $25 GIFT CARD

Scan the QR to register

QUESTIONS: PLEASE CONTACT US AT INFO@CHICCOMMUNITYENGAGEMENT.COM

10/14/2025

On October 9th, seventeen wheelchair users and allies came together at the Massachusetts State House for our Wheelchair Repair Advocacy Day. Organized by community advocates Destiny from the Disability Policy Consortium (DPC) and Kay from the Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL), the event brought people together to educate members of the House of Representatives about the human impact of delayed wheelchair repair, sharing stories of people stranded, hospitalized, and cut off from their communities because their chairs weren’t fixed on time.

The power of community was on full display on Thursday. When we come together to advocate for ourselves and for each other, we make change possible. This is what collective action looks like: people with lived experience leading the way, sharing their stories, and fighting for a future where no one has to wait months for the mobility equipment that makes independence possible.

We’re especially grateful to the press, including Boston’s NPR station GBH 89.7, for helping us share this issue with an even wider audience. And we’re not stopping here. We’ll keep pushing until this bill makes it across the finish line and wheelchair users finally have the repair rights we deserve.

You can read real repair stories or submit your own to be featured on the back of our legislative infosheets here: tinyurl.com/WCRepairStories
If you’d like to share your wheelchair repair story, email Destiny @ dmaxam@dpcma.org

10/14/2025

Please join us at our RTAG meeting tomorrow!

October RTAG General Meeting

This is a forum where riders can provide input and feedback regarding accessible transportation. The group meets with the MBTA, the T's Department of System-Wide Accessibility (SWA) and The RIDE.

Date: Wednesday, October 15th, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Location: Zoom

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/fTjXlkB2TQ2Xg4JaXRxUxg

Agenda
1. Welcome & Introductions
2. Zoom Directions
3. RTAG Update
4. SWA Updates - Mobility Center and Travel Training
5. Fare Engagement Updates
6. Feedback Session: SWA and Fare Engagement
7. The RIDE Updates - Spare and Baggage Policy
8. Feedback Session: The RIDE
9. Closing Remarks

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing Zoom access information about joining the meeting.

RTAG meetings are accessible to people with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency. American Sign Language (ASL) will be provided for this meeting. Other accessibility accommodations and language services will be provided free of charge, upon request, as available.

If you have any questions or to request a reasonable accommodation or language services, please contact Kat at rtagboston@bostoncil.org or by phone at 978-893-8100.

10/08/2025

Big Changes Coming to One Care!
• In January, One Care benefits will change and may be reduced, due to federal changes.
• One Care may be affected by new federal requirements for eligibility redeterminations for Medicaid (MassHealth), which in part determines One Care eligibility.
• Insurance brokers, not MassHealth, will be reaching out to current and potential One Care enrollees about their options.
________________________________________

Attend a DAAHR Forum on One Care Changes!
Thursday, November 6, 1:00 pm
Learn what’s happening and share your concerns and needs!
Register for this Zoom forum here: https://bit.ly/DAAHRForum
MassHealth leadership has committed to attend.

________________________________________
One Care health plans cover 40,000 people with disabilities.
Things you need to watch:
*Personal Care Attendant Services *Homemaking services
*Some One Care flex benefits *DME services
*Non-medical and social transportation *Home modifications

Other important updates:
In addition to Point32Health (Tufts), UnitedHealthcare (UHC), and Commonwealth Care Alliance, now owned by Care Source, an insurance company based in Ohio, Mass General Brigham (MGB) and Molina are becoming One Care plans, making One Care statewide.

DAHHR— Disability Advocates Advancing our Healthcare Rights— is jointly coordinated by the Disability Policy Consortium (DPC) and Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL).

For more information contact BCIL at contactBCIL@bostoncil.org / 617-338-6665 or the Disability Policy Consortium at (617) 307-7775 / www.dpcma.org/contact.

CART and ASL have been requested. Contact BCIL at contactBCIL@bostoncil.org if you need other accommodations.

09/30/2025

Hold the Dates for Coming Events

Raise Up Massachusetts community forum on the threat of budget cuts and how to counter them: Tuesday, October 14, 6:30 – 8:00 pm, 122 DeWitt Drive, Roxbury. More information can be found here: Raise Up Massachusetts https://www.raiseupma.org/

Board meeting of Massport, which oversees Logan Airport, to be held virtually on Thursday, October 16, likely 9:00 a.m. (Massport does not release info until the day of the meeting). Attend to support disability trainings for workers at Logan.

DAAHR forum on changes to One Care. Big changes are coming to One Care starting in January. Disability Advocates Advancing our Health Care Rights will have info and wants your input on Thursday, Nov 6, 1-2:30 pm. A link to this virtual forum will be shared later this week. DAAHR is a joint effort of BCIL and the Disability Policy Consortium.

For more information contact BCIL at 617-338-6665 or contactBCIL@bostoncil.org.

Who We AreRaise Up Massachusetts is a grassroots coalition of community organizations, religious groups, and labor unions committed to building an economy that works for all of us. An economy that invests in families, gives everyone the opportunity to succeed, and creates broadly shared prosperity.W...

09/30/2025

Improve Disability Access at Boston Logan International Airport!

BCIL, the union 32BJ SEIU, and disability rights advocates in Massachusetts are proposing a first-of-its-kind training requirement focused on disability access to be provided to all airport service workers at Boston Logan International Airport.

We’ll be providing more information on this emerging campaign, which you can inform by taking a very short survey here: Survey: Disability Access at Boston Logan International Airport. http://bit.ly/4mI7oxu

There are over 40 million passengers going through Logan every year—and this means there are hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of people with disabilities going through the airport. We can make it a better experience—equal access is a right in airports!

The Boston Center for Independent Living, 32BJ SEIU, and disability rights advocates in Massachusetts are proposing a first-of-its-kind training requirement focused on disability access to be provided to all airport service workers at Boston Logan International Airport. The Boston Center for Indepen...

09/26/2025

The Mayor’s Commission for Persons with Disabilities invites you to participate in our annual Civic Engagement Information Session for People with Disabilities.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT WEBINAR 2025
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
6 - 7:30 pm

Join us to learn how you can become more involved in local government! This year's event will be held over Zoom, and will highlight opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. All members of the public are welcome to attend.

ASL and CART have been requested. Interpretation, translation, and disability accommodation services are available to you at no cost. If you need them, please contact us at disability@boston.gov, call 617-635-3682, or text 617-251-2718.

Learn About
*Registering to vote and accessible voting
*Participating in City of Boston hearings
*Joining a board or commission

Register at

Thank you for your interest in attending the City of Boston Mayor's Commission for Persons with Disabilities Civic Engagement Day on Tuesday, September 30th. This event provides an opportunity for people with disabilities to learn about the different ways to get involved in Boston's municipal govern...

09/25/2025

Save the Date!

REquipment is having a "Fall Free-For-All" in Worcester on Saturday, October 25th, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Browse and take home free, gently used durable medical equipment and assistive technology.

Everyone is welcome.



UCP of Western Massachusetts
Stavros Center For Independent Living
AdLib Center for Independent Living
Center For Living And Working, Inc
Northeast Independent Living Program
CORD - Cape Organization for Rights of the Disabled
Disability Resource Center
SCIL, Southeast Center for Independent Living
Independence Associates

https://www.facebook.com/share/1H88cpWLSm/

09/25/2025

Boston Self Help Center is expanding services and is looking at other adaptive sports and recreation to offer to the community - bowling, bocce ramps and balls, urban hiking and more! For more information or to get on the mailing list for announcements about these additions email Jim Wice at JJwice@gmail.com.

09/18/2025

The Justice Department is suing Uber, accusing it of allegedly discriminating against passengers with disabilities. The rideshare company denies the claims. Ryan Honick, who is named in the lawsuit, joins CBS News to discuss his experience.

The Justice Department is suing Uber, accusing it of allegedly discriminating against passengers with disabilities. The rideshare company denies the claims. Ryan Honick, who is named in the lawsuit, joins CBS News to discuss his experience.