by Administrator Account ·
by Davida Bagatelle ·
Friday, March 6, 2026
Harvard is proud of its culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The actions of residents in the community have demonstrated the commitment to these values, as have the Select Board and the schools.
In July 2020, the Select Board formally established a Commission on Disabilities. The powers and duties assigned to the appointed members of the commission include researching local problems of people with disabilities; reviewing and making recommendations about policies, procedures, and services of town departments and agencies; and working with them to bring about maximum participation of people with disabilities.
It wasn’t long after our first meeting that the commission realized that to carry out our mission and duties, Harvard first needed to complete a formal Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan. Why did that matter? First and foremost, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act requires local municipalities to conduct a self-evaluation of programs and services, as well as an evaluation of all facilities to document physical barriers to access as part of the requirements for developing a transition plan. Second, it would give us a place from which to begin our work.
Thanks to the support of the Capital Planning and Investment Committee, the town was awarded the funds to hire a consulting firm to conduct the evaluation. In the spring of 2022, the consultants toured Harvard, visiting all public buildings and recreational properties to determine the level of ADA compliance. Then in December of 2022, a 190-page report was submitted to the Select Board.
The most important portion of this document is the transition plan. It identified physical obstacles on municipal properties that limited the accessibility of programs or activities to people with disabilities and described the actions to be taken to eliminate the obstacles. The plan also prioritized the removal of barriers, evaluated the feasibility of their removal, recommended completion dates to achieve accessibility, listed cost estimates for each action (at 2022 prices), and identified the responsible party for implementing the changes.
After reviewing the plan, the Commission on Disabilities began to identify ways to work with the town to bring about maximum participation of people with disabilities. We appreciate that the Select Board’s liaison to the commission and Harvard’s ADA coordinator routinely attend our monthly meetings and continue to play a critical role in communicating progress, as well as conveying our thoughts and concerns back to the Select Board. The Harvard Public Schools have been an active partner in the process and keep us updated on the progress made in and around our school buildings.
Nearly all of the small, although important, low- or no-cost corrections have been completed throughout town. Because of the support of local and state funding, significant changes have taken place at the town beach. Park and Rec sought the expertise of the Commission on Disabilities in planning for and implementing these changes to make the boat launch, beach, water fountain, and picnic and play areas more accessible to all visitors. Many more improvements are planned elsewhere in town.
For those who want to review the findings of this comprehensive report, go to the Commission on Disabilities webpage on the town’s website and click on “Self-Evaluation & Transition Plan.”
Now that you have a better understanding of who we are and what we do, you might ask, “Why does this matter to me?” It matters because it has resulted in improved accessibility in our public buildings, improved town beach access, and it has raised awareness of the importance of considering accessibility when projects are being spearheaded by town boards and committees.
Therefore, the members of the Commission on Disabilities are asking for your input. With the improvements to accessibility made thus far, how can we learn what, if any, impact they have had on our residents and visitors who are part of the disability community? We want to assess the impact of the improvements and continued challenges to accessibility in town.
To do this, we are launching a survey. We need to hear from all of you living with and without a disability: students, elders, families, teachers, caregivers, friends, employers, and employees. Has accessibility to buildings and recreation areas improved? Have barriers to participation in townwide activities been removed? What more can be done? What thoughts, ideas, experiences, or concerns would you like to share with us?
Please take a few minutes to complete this anonymous survey: Go to harvard-ma.gov>>News/Announcements>>Accessibility Survey. We are also providing a limited number of hard copies, which can be found in the lobbies of the Harvard Public Library, Town Hall, and the Harvard Senior Center, as well as in the main offices of Hildreth Elementary School and Bromfield. In early June, a full report will be presented to the Select Board and posted on our webpage.
In addition to completing our survey, there is one more thing to consider: Attend a Commission on Disabilities meeting and share your thoughts on accessibility improvements and issues around town. We meet by Zoom on the third Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. You can find the link on the meeting agenda at the commission’s webpage.
Davida Bagatelle is a member of the town’s Commission on Disabilities.