PROVIDENCE – The Governor’s Commission on Disabilities and other organizations will co-host a series of public forums throughout Rhode Island during the week of July 24-28, as part of the 27th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Public forums addressing the concerns of individuals with disabilities and their families will be held at the following venues:
- July 24, 4 to 6 p.m., at the Rogers Free Library’s Meeting Room, 525 Hope St., Bristol; hosted by the National Federation of the Blind.
- July 25, 4 to 6 p.m., at the Warwick Public Library, 600 Sandy Lane, Warwick; hosted by the Ocean State Center for Independent Living.
- July 26, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., at the Peace Dale Library, 1057 Kingstown Road, in the Wakefield village of South Kingstown; hosted by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Greater New England Chapter. From 4 to 6 p.m., Seven Hills Foundation hosts the event at the Cumberland Public Library, 1464 Diamond Hill Road, Cumberland.
- July 27, 4 to 6 p.m., at the Middletown Public Library, 700 W. Main Road, Middletown; hosted by Opportunities Unlimited for People with Differing Abilities.
- July 28, 3 to 5 p.m., at the Rochambeau Library, 708 Hope St., Providence; hosted by the Brain Injury Association of Rhode Island.
Sign-language interpreters and real-time captioning will be used at the sites, and a transcript will be compiled of the testimony. Assistive-listening systems will be available upon request at the hearing; requests for other language interpreting should be made to (401) 462-2130 at least three business days in advance.
Comments may be made in person during the forums. They can also be faxed to (401) 462-0106 or e-mailed to GCD.Disabilities@gcd.ri.gov, or mailed by Aug. 8 to Governor’s Commission on Disabilities, John O. Pastore Center, 41 Cherry Dale Court, Cranston, RI 02920-3049. For more information or to request an accommodation, call (401) 462-0100 or (401) 462-0101.
Nancy Kirsch is a PBN contributing writer.
