Pictured above, Franklin Recreation Director Ryan Jett and Advocate Ali Rome inspect the accessibility improvements at Fletcher Field.
Friday may not be marked as a special day on your calendar, but it is commonly celebrated by members of the disability community as Disability Day. On that day in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law by President George HW Bush, significantly changing the legal status of many people with disabilities and requiring greater accommodation in society. But, of course, there is much more work to be done.
We spoke with Ali Rome, a Franklin resident, disability advocate, speaker, and artist with her own art business called Embracing Unique. She is a certified Community Access Monitor with the Massachusetts Department of Disabilities. Ali has always been passionate about inclusion, having previously served as an elementary school physical education teacher, kids ministry director, and high school coach before a brain injury changed her life forever.
Reaume learned that she had to undergo rehabilitation to get from a 10 percent functional level, unable to walk, talk or do anything on her own, to where she is now. Along the way, Ali also overcame several other medical conditions, including Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, dysautonomia, narcolepsy and auditory processing disorder, to become part of the disability community.
She currently serves on the Franklin Commission on Disabilities, the Franklin Accessibility Working Group, and the Massachusetts Brain Injury Council.
“Accessibility helps everyone and hurts no one,” Reaume said. The goal is to have fully inclusive venues and events here in Franklin. To be inclusive, you need accessibility, she explained.
“Franklin has done a great job of improving accessibility throughout town, especially in the areas of conservation and recreation,” she said, “and I hope that this will trickle down to other departments and be truly incorporated into the master plan so that more places, like downtown, can have increased accessibility,” she added.
Rheaume explained that Franklin, and the state as a whole, is a very historic place. It’s difficult to convince places like downtown establishments to renovate for accessibility because they may be exempt from ADA law to preserve their historical significance. “But you can still make renovations that don’t affect the historical significance of the building,” Rheaume said.
The Dean MBTA station will soon be accessible with a new freestanding mini-high platform, which Rome said is a “huge win” for the Town of Franklin.
In the past year alone, several Franklin facilities have become more accessible: Panther Way Sculpture Park, for example, has added handicapped parking both in the main lot next to the police station (including a paved walkway from the parking lot to the park) and at the rear on Edwards Street. Benches with backrests have been strategically placed around the loop, handicapped picnic tables and access paving have been added.
A portion of the playground at King Street Memorial Park has been made fully accessible with a structure and surface. Also, a portion of the playground at Fletcher Field/Park on Peck Street has been made more accessible, with handicap swings and an accessible surface installed in addition to the other swings. Handicap picnic tables have also been installed, as well as walkways leading to all the picnic tables and benches with backrests. Ramps to access the basketball/hockey courts have also been improved, as well as handicap parking.
The Franklin Farmers Market has added handicapped parking spaces and has sensory-friendly hours from 2 to 3 p.m., strategically placed along the paved walkway.
“More accessibility plans are in the works, including the goal of creating a usable sidewalk from the Del Carte parking lot to the water’s edge and a paved walkway around King Street Memorial Park,” Rome noted.
She said the Franklin DPW should be especially recognized for all the efforts they are putting in when it comes to accessibility renovations. “They are the ones that are doing most of the physical work to actually implement the renovations and help make it a reality,” she added.
Rheaume
If you have any accessibility needs, concerns or ideas for improvements, please contact her or the Franklin Disability Commission any time.
Rheaume also runs Rise Up, a meetup for people living with disabilities that takes place the third Saturday of each month at 10 a.m. Anyone 18 and older is welcome to attend, and there’s an opportunity to network as well as discuss accessibility and inclusion. Community partners are encouraged to join the group to better connect with the disability community.
Pictured below, Breeka Lee Goodlander, Ali Rome and Meg Hagan overlook the water and discuss ways to make Del Carte Park more accessible.
