Concord Disability Commission Receives First ADA Audit in 20 Years, Plans Select Board Briefing

CARLISLE — June 9, 2026 — Concord Disability Commission receives sweeping ADA self-evaluation covering nine town buildings, programs, and digital platforms. Consultant Emmanuel of KMA presented a draft 46-page self-evaluation report and outlined a transition plan summarizing more than two dozen programmatic and physical accessibility barriers, produced under a Massachusetts Office on Disability grant. The commission unanimously re-elected Jennifer Brook as chair. Emmanuel described the findings as fixable but compounding — noting that virtually every inspected bathroom had compliance gaps and roughly 90 percent of recreational facilities had sidewalk or surface issues — and estimated that resolving all programmatic barriers could address close to half of the total barriers identified. The final deliverables are due June 26, and a Select Board presentation is tentatively set for July 20. Completion of the project makes Concord eligible for the next MOD grant cycle in May 2027, with project grants of up to $250,000 available — the first time the town would appear in the program's applicant pool.