Boston Center for Independent Living

11/26/2025

The legislation passed! What a victory for the disability community!

Opening State Records on Abuses of Disabled Children & Adults

"The biggest government transparency bill to pass in Massachusetts in a generation. And it comes from the active work of disabled people across Massachusetts fighting for our rights."

New State Law:
* Opens records from the state asylums and "schools" for disabled children and adults.
* Halts the destruction and cover-up of those records.
* Repeals medical schools' rights to claim and experiment on the disabled dead.

25 Institutions
14,000 anonymous graves
Tens of thousands of lives
Ten years of advocacy

Massachusetts Advocates Standing Strong
Arc of Massachusetts
Boston Center for Independent Living
Kiva Centers
Northeast Independent Living Program
MetroWest Center for Independent Living
Disability Law Center
Center for Public Representation
Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee
THOUSANDS of survivors and disabled activists

11/25/2025

Disability advocates — including BCIL staff — testified on Thursday before the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development in support of Bill H.2066 “An Act to impose fines on transportation network drivers who discriminate against riders with disabilities who use service animals”, sponsored by Somerville Representative .christine.barber.

(ALT caption available for each photo)

11/19/2025

PCA Day at the State House on Thursday!

PCA consumers, PCAs, and advocates will rally at the State House in Nurses Hall on Thursday, November 20 at 11:00 am. We know that the state again is looking at cuts to PCA services, so educating legislators on the importance of One Care is vital.

11/18/2025

DAAHR Forum on One Care follow-up

On November 6, over 170 people, including MassHealth Undersecretary Mike Levine, attended a forum on One Care hosted by Disability Advocates Advancing our Healthcare Rights (DAAHR), which is co-coordinated by BCIL and the Disability Policy Consortium (DPC).

One huge concern that came up was that members of Commonwealth Care Alliance were being inappropriately billed. This matter was jumped on right after the forum by DAAHR, MassHealth, and CCA, and the latter is making changes to their billing system to stop this from occurring. No one has to pay bills for services covered by CCA! If you have had this problem, you can contact CCA Member Services at 866-610-2273 (TTY 7101), 8 am – 8 pm, 7 days a week.

Another concern that was raised included inconsistent communications with CCA care coordinators. Below is the slide deck shared during the meeting, which, among other things, speaks to changes coming to One Care and who to contact for more information, including MyOmbudsman. You also can link to the slides athttps://bostoncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/DAAHR-Slides-2025-11-06.pdf

DAAHR may hold another forum during the winter to assess how things are going with all the changes to One Care.

11/18/2025

Are you a wheelchair user living in:
• North End
• Chinatown
• Beacon Hill
• Downtown Boston
• Financial District
• Back Bay
• South End
• Bay Village

Have you faced challenges getting your wheelchair repaired?

We want to hear from you!

Contact Kay at kays@bostoncil.org or 617-338-6665.

Your experience can help push for wheelchair repair reform!

11/13/2025

Calling on service animal users who have experienced Uber and Lyft refusals to testify at the upcoming public hearing for bill H.2066, "An Act to impose fines on transportation network drivers who discriminate against riders with disabilities who use service animals." Please share this within your networks!

Date & Time:
Thursday, November 20
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Hearing Details: https://malegislature.gov/Events/Hearings/Detail/5470

What is the Problem?
Service animal users face denial of service by Lyft and Uber drivers, including incidents involving RIDE Flex, which highlights ongoing refusals of service to individuals accompanied by service dogs.

What Does this Bill do?
This bill (H.2403/S.1560) would change statute language to allow penalizing transportation network drivers who discriminate against passengers with disabilities using service animals. This legislation would amend state law to impose fines of up to $500 for a first offense, $750 for a second offense, and $1,000 for a third offense. This law aims to decrease the number of ongoing refusals of service to individuals accompanied by service dogs.

How to Attend & Testify?
The hearing is hybrid – you can attend either:
• In person: State House, Hearing Room B-1
• Virtually: Via Microsoft Teams

Registration:
To register to testify in person or virtually, fill out this form: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=a36UCyb_E0uuHFc8Z1DIiAKqn8DEYFxJoe9Ad0JlIbdUMDhFOUNINFVSM0ZQWTMwVlREN0k5OVJWVi4u&route=shorturl. The deadline is tomorrow, Friday, November 14, at 3:00 p.m.

Written Testimony:
Written or pre-recorded testimony may be submitted until Friday, November 21, at 5:00 p.m. via email to labor.workforce.development@gmail.com.

Need Help?
If you have any questions or you'd like assistance with:
• Registering to testify (virtually or in person)
• Submitting oral or written testimony
• Navigating time conflicts or other accommodations
Please reach out to Kat at ktorresradisic@bostoncil.org or 978-893-8100. You can find a testimony guide with more information and testimony templates athttps://bostoncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/H2066-Testimony-Guide.pdf

The Boston Center for Independent Living and Partners for Youth with Disabilities invite you to an online workshop for youth with disabilities and their parents and other family members. We will discuss how to support youths in their transition to adulthood, the services available to them, how to bu...

11/12/2025

PCAs, Consumer Employers & Advocates: Join us for PCA Day at the State House
November 20 11AM - 3PM
MA State House (24 Beacon Street)
Meet at Nurses Hall - 2nd floor
———————————
1199SEIU invites you to come share your story with our elected officials about what the PCA program means in your life. Join us for a brief speaking program and then go speak with your legislators.

11/07/2025

MassHealth will be holding two Public Information Sessions.

MassHealth will be discussing Programmatic and Proposed Regulatory Changes.

When: Monday, November 17, 2025
Time: 2:00pm – 4pm
Topic: PCA Public Information Session 1

When: Friday, November 21, 2025
Time: 2:00pm – 4pm
Topic: PCA Public Information Session 2

Below is the link for the Information Sessions with the zoom links.
Events | Mass.gov

11/05/2025

BCIL applauds the MA House for their vote protecting transit workers! Very important legislation. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority - MBTA

11/05/2025

There is still time to register for Thursday's DAAHR Forum!

Big Changes Coming to One Care!
One Care health plans cover 40,000 people with disabilities.

• In January, One Care benefits will change and may be reduced due to federal changes. There will be changes to PCA services, chore services, delivered meals, transportation, and more.
• Two new health plans are joining One Care.
________________________________________

Attend a DAAHR Forum on One Care Changes!
Thursday, November 6, 1:00 pm
Learn what’s happening and share your concerns and needs!
Register for this Zoom forum here: https://bit.ly/DAAHRForum
MassHealth leadership is attending.

________________________________________

DAHHR— Disability Advocates Advancing our Healthcare Rights— is jointly coordinated by the Disability Policy Consortium (DPC) and Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL).

For more information contact BCIL at contactBCIL@bostoncil.org / 617-338-6665 or the Disability Policy Consortium at (617) 307-7775 / www.dpcma.org/contact.

CART, ASL interpreters, and Spanish-language interpreters will be provided. Contact BCIL at contactBCIL@bostoncil.org if you need other accommodations.

11/01/2025

Adaptive Sports New England Para Sports Day
https://adaptivesportsne.org/parasportsday/
Date: Sunday, November 9, 2025, 10:00am - 1:00pm
Location: Tufts University, Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center, 161 College Ave, Medford, MA 02155
Contact: Joe Walsh, joe.walsh@adaptivesportsne.org, 617-690-9103

This day is designed to introduce Paralympic sports and skills to participants with a mobility or visual impairment. Feel free to stop by at any time during our open hours and check out the sports that interest you!

There is no fee or age requirement.

PARA SPORTS DAY ~ 2025 ~ Join us and many fantastic adaptive sports organizations from throughout New England for a day full of fun, games, and new experiences! This day is designed to introduce Paralympic sports and skills to participants with a mobility or visual impairment. Feel free to stop by a...