Disability Policy Consortium

10/08/2026

We were ecstatic to be recognized as a 2026 Small-to-Mid-Size Organization Honoree by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities at their National Disability Employment Awareness Month Celebration at the State House yesterday! Our ED, Harry Weissman, and our Research Coordinator, Maggie Sheets, shared their experiences with inclusive hiring and workplace accessibility. As Maggie said, our goal is to open the door for accommodations before anybody has to knock.

Thank you again to the Permanent Commission, and congratulations to all the other Honorees!

⭐ Did you know? DPC's Training & Consulting department helps companies and organizations make their workplaces more accessible for employees with disabilities - moving beyond ADA compliance to true inclusion. If you'd like to partner with us on a training or request consulting services, visit https://disabilitydei.org to learn more. ⭐

To learn more about the NDEAM event and to access resources and recordings, check out the press release: https://www.mass.gov/news/massachusetts-permanent-commission-on-the-status-of-persons-with-disabilities-celebrates-national-disability-employment-awareness-month

10/05/2026

Join DPC's Disability Histories Project for a virtual capstone event celebrating disability stories across a variety of mediums! Featuring presentations from select participants and keynote remarks from Katherine Benson Anderson.

Event Details:
-Monday, October 19th
-5:30-7:30PM
-Virtual (on Zoom)
-ASL interpretation will be provided.

Register today at tinyurl.com/DHP-capstone!

The Disability Histories Project is a community asset repository and live ethnographic study. We seek to help individuals compose their stories and collect, preserve, and disseminate personal narratives about the lived experiences of Massachusetts' diverse, vibrant, and yet under-represented disability community.

The program is funded in part by Mass Humanities, which receives support from the Mass Cultural Council and is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Questions? Reach out to [email protected].

10/03/2026

An important issue

Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences through our Dental Experience Survey. The results show where dental offices are falling short. Read Able News contributor Dr. Rita Bilello’s take on what we heard and what needs to change: https://ablenews.com/we-should-stop-asking-patients-to-adapt-to-dental-care/

09/30/2026

Concerned about what’s happening in disability policy? Want to know what’s moving at the State House, what’s happening federally, and what disability advocates are working on across Massachusetts?

Tune in to Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council (MDDC)'s October Public Policy Committee meeting!

These meetings are open to the public and are a chance to hear updates on disability-related legislation, state and federal budgets, coalition efforts, and other policy issues affecting people with disabilities and our communities.

October 13 | 3–4 PM | Zoom | Registration Required

Come get informed, stay connected, and hear what’s happening in disability policy.



Register: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/h36kzgq

The public registration link for our upcoming MDDC October Public Policy Committee meeting is now live:

Click Here To Register: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/h36kzgq
The meeting will be held Monday, October 13, from 3:00–4:00 PM.

We’ll share updates on state and federal policy and budget developments, updates on MDDC priority and endorsed legislation, coalition and community partner work, and recent Council activities. Please free to pass this along to anyone who may be interested in learning more about the state and federal policy issues affecting people with disabilities.

09/30/2026

We are so thrilled to be a National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) Employer Honoree! 🎉

As an organization led by and for the disability community (over 75% of our staff and board identify as disabled), we strive to create organizational policy and foster an inclusive environment where employees with disabilities feel supported, and that empowers them to grow in their roles and careers. We're proud to be recognized for these efforts, and it only fuels our commitment to making DPC a place where people with disabilities want to work and volunteer.

NDEAM is an opportunity for employers around the country to reflect on what they can do to better support and recruit employees with disabilities, but in reality, this is a year-round exercise. People might take for granted and expect a disability-led organization to prioritize disability inclusion in its own workplace. But we believe every employer has both the ability and the responsibility to go beyond ADA compliance and build workplaces where people with disabilities are fully included.

We're excited to celebrate NDEAM with other honorees and advocates for workplace inclusion on October 7th, and dream up a not-too-distant world where people with disabilities have equal opportunity and support in the workplace.

We hope to see you at the NDEAM event on October 7th - see the post below for more details and how to register. Thank you to the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities for this recognition, and congratulations to the other honorees!

09/23/2026

If you missed last weeks session, no worries! There’s another one today!

Join us now!

DDS is considering the use of video surveillance in common areas of group homes, and the people who are most affected should be at the center of that conversation.

Have you lived in a group home? Do you live in one now? Or might you live in a group home in the future?

Massachusetts Advocates Standing Strong (MASS) in partnership with DDS is hosting two upcoming listening sessions for people with lived experience to share their thoughts, concerns, questions, and experiences about surveillance in group homes.

September 17
No registration needed:
https://www.wearemass.org/events/dds-listening-session-sept-17-2026

September 23
No registration needed:
https://www.wearemass.org/events/dds-listening-session-sept-23-2026

This is a complicated and layered issue. Some people may see cameras as an added layer of safety or accountability. Others may have concerns about privacy, consent, choice, and what it means to have cameras in the place you call home. Different people may experience surveillance differently, and those perspectives need space in this conversation.

The Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council (MDDC) has developed a resource guide exploring the potential benefits and potential harms of video surveillance in group homes. The guide also looks at important questions around privacy, informed consent, safeguards, and alternatives to surveillance.

Whether you plan to attend a listening session or simply want to learn more about the issue, take a look at the guide:
https://tinyurl.com/MDDC-VideoSurveillance-Guide

Your home. Your privacy. Your safety. Your voice should be part of the conversation.

*Massachusetts residents are encouraged to share. Other residents in different states are welcome to listen*



Image description: A black flyer with bold yellow and orange text reading, “Have you ever lived in a group home? Will you live in one? Your voice matters!” The flyer explains that DDS is partnering with Massachusetts Advocates Standing Strong (MASS) to hear directly from people about cameras in group homes. It includes information and a QR code for MDDC’s guide on video surveillance. The listening sessions are September 17 from 1 PM to 3 PM and September 23 from 3 PM to 5 PM. A second QR code links to session information. No registration is required. Yellow and orange speech bubbles appear in the bottom right corner.

09/21/2026

The City of Boston Mayor's Commission for Persons with Disabilities is hosting an upcoming event: Civic Engagement for People with Disabilities: A Virtual Information Session on Wednesday, September 30th, from 6:00- 7:30pm on Zoom.

To learn more and register for the event, please visit: boston.gov/disability-engagement.

This event will be held completely online and take place during evening hours. All of the public is invited - people with disabilities, professionals in the field, families, friends, allies, and others are all welcome to attend and participate!

This event provides members of the public opportunity to connect directly with City of Boston leaders and gives participants a chance to learn about:

-Registering to vote
-Accessible voting options
-Participating in City Council hearings and meetings
-Participating in other City public meetings
-Participatory budgeting

And a lot more civic involvement opportunities!

ASL and CART have been requested for this event. If you plan to use these accommodations, please let us know. Interpretation and translation services along with disability accommodations are available to you at no cost. If you need them, please indicate that on this form, or contact us at [email protected] call 617-635-3682, or text 617-251-2718.

To learn more and register for the event, please visit: boston.gov/disability-engagement.

09/18/2026

Check out this internship opportunity with DPC and the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston!

The Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts Boston and partners at the Disability Policy Consortium are looking for members of the disability community to work in a paid research internship as part of a research team studying employment for people with disabilities.

The goal of the project is to study the Progressive Employment model, an emerging evidence-based practice that helps job seekers with disabilities to obtain competitive integrated employment.

The Research Internship is designed to provide hands-on experience in qualitative research and scholarly dissemination. The primary goal of the internship is to enhance interns’ skills in qualitative research methods and processes while supporting the development and submission of a manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal. Interns will work closely with research staff and contribute to various stages of the research process, depending on project needs, internship timing, and the availability of research activities.

⭐Learn more and apply today: https://employmentopportunities.umb.edu/boston/en-us/job/530189/progressive-employment-research-intern-scholarly-writing

09/16/2026

DDS is considering the use of video surveillance in common areas of group homes, and the people who are most affected should be at the center of that conversation.

Have you lived in a group home? Do you live in one now? Or might you live in a group home in the future?

Massachusetts Advocates Standing Strong (MASS) in partnership with DDS is hosting two upcoming listening sessions for people with lived experience to share their thoughts, concerns, questions, and experiences about surveillance in group homes.

September 17
No registration needed:
https://www.wearemass.org/events/dds-listening-session-sept-17-2026

September 23
No registration needed:
https://www.wearemass.org/events/dds-listening-session-sept-23-2026

This is a complicated and layered issue. Some people may see cameras as an added layer of safety or accountability. Others may have concerns about privacy, consent, choice, and what it means to have cameras in the place you call home. Different people may experience surveillance differently, and those perspectives need space in this conversation.

The Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council (MDDC) has developed a resource guide exploring the potential benefits and potential harms of video surveillance in group homes. The guide also looks at important questions around privacy, informed consent, safeguards, and alternatives to surveillance.

Whether you plan to attend a listening session or simply want to learn more about the issue, take a look at the guide:
https://tinyurl.com/MDDC-VideoSurveillance-Guide

Your home. Your privacy. Your safety. Your voice should be part of the conversation.

*Massachusetts residents are encouraged to share. Other residents in different states are welcome to listen*



Image description: A black flyer with bold yellow and orange text reading, “Have you ever lived in a group home? Will you live in one? Your voice matters!” The flyer explains that DDS is partnering with Massachusetts Advocates Standing Strong (MASS) to hear directly from people about cameras in group homes. It includes information and a QR code for MDDC’s guide on video surveillance. The listening sessions are September 17 from 1 PM to 3 PM and September 23 from 3 PM to 5 PM. A second QR code links to session information. No registration is required. Yellow and orange speech bubbles appear in the bottom right corner.

09/11/2026

You are invited! Join the Disability Policy Consortium on Thursday, November 19th for the 30th Anniversary Gala to celebrate three decades of advocacy and impact.

🗓 Date: Thursday, November 19th, 2026
⏰ Time: 6:00 – 8:30 PM
📍 Location: Artists for Humanity (100 W 2nd Street Boston, MA 02127) and livestreamed on Zoom
👉Accessibility: ASL and CART will be provided
⭐Tickets: tinyurl.com/dpc-30-gala

In honor of this milestone, we are thrilled to present the Visionary Changemaker Award to longtime disability advocate Charlie Carr, whose leadership has shaped DPC and the entire disability rights movement in Massachusetts.

We will also be joined at the Gala by event co-chairs Audrey Shelto, former President and CEO of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, and Monika Mitra, Director of the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy at Brandeis University.

The Gala will be a powerful evening of community and connection. We hope to see you there!

⭐Get your tickets today! tinyurl.com/dpc-30-gala

Sponsorship packages are still available for the Gala! Please reach out to Allison Habermehl ([email protected]) for more information.