The DPC embarked on a new course in 2004 with the addition of   staff dedicating more time and effort to general advocacy issues in addition to legislative and budget advocacy. With successful fund raising, the DPC expanded leadership training and found new areas to work in.  

This is a list of accomplishments from then through the present . (underlined text is a link)

One direction the DPC is moving is enforing Civil Rights.

State House Accessibility Review & Evaluation: (2004-2005) Major report on issues of accessibility of the Massachusetts State House including physical and communication access. The 2005 SHARE report led to a contract to develop a media-based training for State House employees.

State House Accessibility Agreement: (2006-08) Negotiated an agreement with House and Senate leadership to correct deficiencies in meeting Massachusetts’ Constitutional requirements to meet needs of people with disabilities. Announcement anticipated in September 2008. An appropriation of $200,000 or more accompanied the starting FY08.

The Massachusetts State House: Access and Accommodations: 2006: Completion of a training DVD for State House employees on customer service techniques appropriate to people with disabilities.

Olmstead Legislative Working Group: The DPC organized an informal group of advocates, legislators and staff who met occasionally from 2006-2008 to discuss home and community-based service options to nursing facility care.

OpenSource Computer Technology: DPC action in late 2005 & 2006 halted the adoption of an inaccessible technology platform by the Commonwealth’s Information Technology Division by challenging adoption of Open Document standards. Action by the DPC and Bay State Council of the Blind led to a delay in implementation and a memorandum of agreement among state agencies establishing hardware and software accessibility standards.

Common Ground on Long Term Care: Instrumental in convening long term care institutional-based advocates, community-based disability and elder advocates meeting regularly with Executive Office of Health & Human Services Elder Affairs and Long Term Care staff on ways to work together for reform of MassHealth expenditures in 2005 & 2006.

The Olmstead Challenge Conferences: The DPC along with Disability Law Center,Boston Center for Independent Living and other IL Centers sponsored a series of conferences called The Olmstead Challenge. Three were subtitled “Medicaid’s Community Living Options”, and the fourth, “Housing for People with Disabilities”. These conferences led directly to the work on adult onset disabilities.

Emergency Preparedness: The DPC was the first community-based organization to challenge the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Public Health for their lack of concern for community-based planning. One result will be a report from the Commonwealth’s Task Force on People Needing Addition Assistance in Times of an Emergency. (2007-2008).

The Personal Emergency Preparedness Plan: Published in 2007, we have distributed 10,000 copies. The Plan is a workbook for individuals and caregivers to identify contact information, medications, equipment used, etc and general get people thinking about being prepared.

Streetscapes: Identified more that 500 violations of sidewalks and curb cuts hampering access for people using wheelchairs on the streets of Boston in 2007. The City revamped its Public Works contracts to meet ADA and the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board Requirements, appointed a new Disability Commission has meets monthly with advocates monitoring DPW’s sidewalk ramp compliance. Monitoring is continuing.

Department of Public Health PCA-Employer Training: The DPC completed a contract for the Department of Public Health in August 2008 on training of Personal Care Assistant and their employers (people with disabilities needing help with 2 or more Activities of Daily Living). The materials include a PowerPoint, discussion guide, Information at a Glance Card and My Emergency Plan. The information is available in Spanish, Portuguese & Haitian Creole.

Department of Public Health Registry Assessment: The DPC contracted with a market research firm to evaluate responses of people needing additional assistance in time of an emergency, first responders and emergency planners to the concept of establishment of a Registry for use in time of an emergency.

Adult Onset Disabilities report: Released in July 2008, the work commissioned by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and conducted by the Center for survey Research (UMass/Boston) was the result of a DPC initiative in the FY2006 budget.

Adult Onset Disability Alliance: (2008- ) Working in partnership with the central N.E. Chapter of the MS Society, the DPC organized the AODA. The Alliance includes individuals and organizations representing Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gerhig's Disease), Multiple Sclerosis, Ataxia, Epilepsy, Huntington’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease and other low-incidence conditions.

ARRA Act: In January 2009 Massachusetts officials announced a plan to grant “blanket time variances” to all Federal Stimulus projects in Massachusetts. The DPC organized the disability community to restore the role of the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board’s oversight role that ensures building and road works meet accessibility standards.

Disabilities and Disparities: The culmination of 15 months work under a Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation Health Care Voices grant will document that the current discussion of health care disparities should include people with disabilities. Report issued in March 2009 and working in partnership with the Arc of Massachusetts, the DPC is pursuing legislative and other policy changes.

Deaf Day: April 14, 2009 (repeated again in 2010) saw over 150 people from the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community descend upon the State House for the first-ever large event. The DPC partnered with the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to make this event successful.

The Olmstead Initiatives: The work started with three community forums inHolyoke, Worcester and Boston held jointly with 40 community partners and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. Over 250 participated directly with more submitting statements electronically. The Olmstead Initiatives report is a series of recommendation for altering the delivery of home and community based services in Massachusetts.

DOJ_Water Crisis:  May 1, 2010 opened with a major water crisis in the  greater Boston area.  Residents served by the Massachusetts Water Resources Agency were forced to boil water after the main water supply broke and backup systems were put into effect.  The Governor and public official in every affected town did their best to make sure that people got the Boil Water message…except for people who were Deaf since there weren’t any American Sign Language interpreters accompanying any of the public officials in the media.  Water distribution was largely (Boston being an exception) limited to able bodied people with cars.  Blind people who had to prepare water for service animals were given contradictory advice or some times none at all.  The DPC filed a Department of Justice Title II Complaint on May 20, 2010.