MetroWest Center for Independent Living

03/12/2026

Thanks to DPC for this news:

"Repeat After Me" Art Exhibit Now Open in Worcester

Open Door Arts at the Worcester Art Museum is a working studio and gallery that exhibits and celebrates the work of aspiring, emerging and established artists with disabilities, acting as a catalyst for community convening and conversation with the museum and beyond.

"Repeat After Me" is a new group exhibition opening on March 6 (featuring art from DPC Community Organizer Sam Fein!). This exhibition positions the artist as a teacher. We are the experts in our own experience. Through painting, fiber, sculpture, and video, these artists assert themes of connection, embodiment, mapping, community, and identity.

On view March 6 to May 13 at the Open Door Gallery at the Worcester Art Museum (55 Salisbury Street Worcester, MA 01609).

The open reception and artist talks will be Thursday, April 16 from 4:30 pm - 7 pm.

https://www.worcesterart.org/exhibitions/open-door-gallery/repeat-after-me/

Image: a road barrier with a gold shawl and a neon sign saying "are you suffering.

Repeat – 1. Say again, 2. Say from memory, 3. To make or do again, 4. To express or present oneself again.We are the experts in our own experiences. This exhibition positions the artist as a teacher. Through painting, fiber, sculpture, and video, these artists assert themes of connection, embodim...

03/12/2026

Due to the severity of the winter, Gov. Healey has increased the heating assistance allowances in the following ways:

oil/propane/kerosene will increase from $1,000 to $1,400

natural gas/electric will increase from $850 to $925.

https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/03/11/massachusetts-heating-assistance-benefit-cold-winter

Image: Oil Delivery in the snow

Gov. Maura Healey's office said yesterday that this winter's persistently cold temperatures drained benefits for most of the Massachusetts households enrolled in the state's Home Energy Assistance Program.

03/12/2026

Wider doorways should be standard.

Wider hallways should be standard.

Bathrooms sized so that most anyone can fit should be standard.

03/12/2026

Today!

March is an important moment for wheelchair repair in Massachusetts.

This is the part of the legislative process where showing up matters. Where lawmakers need to hear directly from the people living with the consequences when systems do not work as they should.

That is why we are hosting a Legislative Briefing on the Massachusetts Wheelchair Repair Bills (H.4358 and S.2662). This briefing creates space for wheelchair users to share what delayed and denied repairs actually mean for daily life, mobility, and independence.

It is also a chance for allies to show up, listen, and stand alongside wheelchair users as legislators learn what is at stake.

Wednesday, March 12 12:00–2:00 PM
Massachusetts State House, Hearing Room B1 Accessible entrance, directly in front of security

Accessible Drop Off/Pick Up Location: 122 Bowdoin St Boston MA 02111 (Capitol Coffee)

We encourage wheelchair users to attend in person if you are able. Being seen in the room matters. If attending in person is not possible, a virtual option will be available. Your presence still matters.

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/WCBrief2026
*Zoom link provided after registration*

Please share with anyone who may want to join.

03/12/2026

03/12/2026

03/09/2026

We are thrilled to announce the release of the ADA National Network’s “ADA Mini-Unit for High School Educators: Rights, Responsibilities, and the Reasons They Matter.” It is a collection of resources to give educators tools, including a PowerPoint presentation, to teach youth about the basics of the ADA. Check it out: https://bit.ly/4bo5Vtz.

03/09/2026

Podcast with Transcript

Just dropped Episode 151: When Eating Is a Disability Rights Issue
In this episode, we welcome Naureen Hunani, a registered dietitian, educator, and the founder of Registered Dieticians or RDs for Neurodiversity, a group dedicated to changing how healthcare and mental health providers can support neurodivergent people with feeding and eating challenges. Her work focuses on the lived experiences of autistic and neurodivergent people and the intersection of feeding differences, feeding challenges, eating disorders, and Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder or ARFID. By supporting disability and neurodiversity, Naureen challenges harmful, compliance-based feeding models and advocates for healthcare rooted in personal choice, access, and dignity. She is widely known for connecting clinical nutrition, disability rights, and social justice to help families, clinicians, and systems rethink what truly supportive, ethical feeding care looks like. https://adalive.org/episodes/episode-151/

03/09/2026

https://www.section508.gov/manage/section-508-assessment/2025/message-from-gsa-administrator/

General Services Administration Publishes Annual Governmentwide Section 508 Assessment
GSA logo

The General Services Administration (GSA) has released its third annual report on federal compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. While the report highlights strengthened acquisition and procurement practices, the federal government continues to fall short of its legal and statutory obligations to ensure equal access for individuals with disabilities, including federal employees and members of the public.

Image: Keyboard with one key labeled accessibility and words: GSA: Section508.gov, Buy. Build. Be Accessible.

The FY 2025 Governmentwide Section 508 Assessment, prepared and submitted by the General Services Administration to Congress in coordination with OMB and the U.S. Access Board, presents federal ICT accessibility findings, establishes a new governmentwide benchmark, highlights agency implementation a...

03/09/2026

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/03/08/metro/boston-snow-removal-disability/?s_campaign=8315:varf

It's not just Boston! Tough winter, with cities and towns often not stepping up.

Image: William O'Donnell, with his guide dog, Juno, wants municipalities to prioritize clearing curb cuts during the next snowstorm.

Slippery steps, hard-to-reach crosswalk lights, and transportation lifts that couldn’t reach the curb were some of the difficulties they faced.

03/09/2026

https://stanforddaily.com/2026/03/08/housing-change-hurts-disabled/

Odd story - this is why decisions affecting people with disabilities need people with disabilities in the room.

"This year, Stanford made an announcement with no prior warning: all students with disabilities are no longer allowed to apply for housing in groups or to choose a roommate. This stark change, a drastic shift from Stanford’s previous policies, shocked me. The new housing policy is unequal and unjustly impacts students with disabilities. "..
"Stanford is trying to solve a real issue: it is well-documented that some students exploit the housing accommodations by either faking or exaggerating a disability. The newly implemented policy tries to eliminate the problem entirely, abolishing group housing for students with disability accommodations. Michelle Rasmussen, Vice Provost for Student Affairs, told The Daily that providing housing priorities to friends of those with disabilities led to unequal outcomes for those who did not have friends with disabilities.

But Stanford isn’t addressing the real issue. Instead of cracking down on those who exploit the system, Stanford’s decision leaves those who actually have disabilities in the crosshairs. Their decision is inherently unequal, allowing all students to apply for housing with friends, except for those with a disability. "

Image: Roble Hall at Stanford

Zidaan Kapoor argues that Stanford's new change to OAE housing is unjust and specifically harmful to disabled students.