Weekly Update: July 14, 2023

All aboard! Students had so much fun making a train out of recyclables.

Our official 2022-2023 end-of-year t-shirts & hooded sweatshirts are now on sale! Available in several colors, fits and sizes (including youth), they feature the names of every student enrolled at Cotting School during the 2022-2023 school year on the back.

Order yours here!

A first-of-its-kind streaming service is launching this week showcasing films connected to the disability experience.

ReelAbilities Stream will go live Tuesday with more than 50 movies by and about people with disabilities.

The service is an offshoot of the ReelAbilities Film Festival, which has been held in more than 20 cities around the world since originating in New York in 2007.

Find out more here.

In Massachusetts, we are fortunate to have public outdoor and indoor recreation opportunities throughout our state. DCR manages state parks, beaches, skating rinks, pools, rail trails and shared use trails, and campgrounds in Massachusetts. At many of these locations there are accessible recreation opportunities and adaptive equipment available for public use. This guide lists trails and facilities that are accessible to people using a mobility device and locations where DCR has adaptive equipment available for public use.

Check out Nara Park for swimming, boating, renting accessible bicycles and more!

NARA Park, the Nathaniel Allen Recreation Area, is located at 25 Ledge Rock Way in Acton and is operated by the Town of Acton Recreation Department. The park is open year-round from sunrise to sunset and staffed seasonally from Memorial Day weekend through late August.

Learn more here.

Waypoint Adventure Summer Nights Programs are funded in part through the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation which provides free programming for youth.

If you are under the age of 21, you can sign up for any of the following programs for FREE! (All are listed in the link below for you to click on and register for).

• July 16th (10-12 p.m. or 1-3 p.m.) at Constitution Beach, East Boston (Spanish translation available)
• July 25th (2-4 p.m. and 5-7 p.m.) at Constitution Beach, East Boston (Spanish translation available)
• August 3rd (5-7 p.m.) at Magazine Beach, Cambridge
• August 17th (2-4 p.m.) at Constitution Beach, East Boston (Spanish translation available)

Register Now

July 8 – August 24, 2023, Ayer, Boston, Cambridge, Lincoln, Waltham, with Waypoint Adventure. Free. For youth with disabilities up to age 21.

• Strengthen your kayaking skills.
• Adaptive equipment and motivating instructors will make your paddling experience a memorable one.

Fees apply, registration is required here or contact Waypoint Adventure at 781-325-7980 or info@waypointadventure.org or visit www.mass.gov.

Virtual Navigation Help with ARC staff.

• Have issues navigating services?
• Want tips on Turning 22?
• Where do you start?

12-1 p.m.

• Jul 19th
• Aug 16
• Sep 20
• Oct 18
• Nov 15
• Dec 20

Registration is required.

Take a Break From the Heat – Cool Down with 3ICE FOR FREE!

3 ICE

Wednesday, July 26, 7 p.m.

HOCKEY IN THE SUMMER! As a thank you for your support for BU Athletics and as a valued community partner, we wanted to share this opportunity with you and your organization to attend a night of 3ICE professional hockey on us completely FREE!

What is 3ICE? 3ICE is an exhilarating, fast-paced, family-friendly, three-on-three professional North American Ice Hockey League…3ICE IS OVERTIME ALL THE TIME! The speed and skill you love from the NHL’s OT…but NON-STOP! 4 Teams will compete on July 26th on their way to the Patrick Cup, including Team Bourque coached by one of Boston’s favorite stars Ray Bourque.

There is a limit of 6 tickets per order.

For more information please contact the Agganis Arena Group Sales Department at

617-358-8697 or email grpsales@bu.edu

On July 26, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) turns 33. Here are some ways to celebrate!

The ADA was passed 33 years ago, but its history goes back much further than that. While smaller grassroots efforts had been going on for years, by the 1960s, the civil rights movement had brought national attention to barriers in employment, public transportation, and housing. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbid discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, but it left out individuals with disabilities.

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 made some headway when it prohibited discrimination on the basis of disability in federally funded programs, but disability advocates called for additional protections to ensure equal opportunities in other areas of public life.

With the support of individual activists and groups like The Arc, the ADA was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990. The ADA was later amended in 2008 to protect a broader range of individuals with disabilities. Today, the results of the ADA can be seen in nearly every public space, from curb cuts in sidewalks to ramps and elevators in buildings and closed captions on TV.

Ways to celebrate!

• Download and share the ADA fact sheet.
• Here’s a list of great TED Talks on accessibility and inclusion.
• Watch a movie about accessibility and inclusion.
• Locate your regional ADA Center. The centers provide local assistance, as well as resources for implementing the ADA.
• Tune in for a webinar on the history of the ADA.
• Download the disability events calendar to identify other events where you can raise awareness about disabilities and inclusion throughout the year.

Find more information here.

~Pam

Please share your own resources and questions with Pam Varrin at pvarrin@cotting.org.