Town approves plan to help disabled

It has been just over two decades since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law by Congress, in order to prevent discriminations based on a disability.

And on Monday night, the Winchester unanimously accepted and approved the American with

“Tonight, Winchester took a huge step forward on the ADA plan,” said Michael O’Brien, chair of the Disability Access Commission (DAC). “It’s taken us 21 years to get to this point. Winchester is a town that we can all be proud of.”

The plan, which is scheduled to take 10 years to complete, will make Winchester more handicap accessible. Currently the town has more than 600 areas that need to be corrected, and the projected cost is approximately $3 million.

“Winchester can be very proud that we have supported this effort and will continue to support and make great strides in having Winchester continue to be a community that is accessible to all,” Acting Town Manager, Mary Ellen Lannon said.

According to O’Brien, the town cleared the final hurdle when it hired an ADA Coordinator – Anne Kostos – to lead the town through the transition plan.

“This took many painstaking hours to get to this point,” Kostos said. “And I expect this to be a working and breathing document, something that’s going to change along the way.”

But for the DAC, this was a moment that they have been looking forward to for a long time.

“People with disabilities are people first,” said O’Brien who suffers from multiple sclerosis. “The disability does not define the person. Disabilities aren’t a handicap, attituteds are. And with (former DAC Chair) Jean Batty’s hard work, accessibility at the Wedgemere Train Station will become a reality. Countless people will be able to access the train.

“I’m extremely proud to call Winchester my home. The greatest gift we can give is to make life easier for everyone.”