Boston Center for Independent Living

06/01/2026

This summer, the Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL) Youth Program is offering a fun and engaging lineup of free opportunities for young people ages 14-21 to build independent living and employment skills.

Join us for weekly themed workshops (offered both virtually and in person), exciting community field trips, and hands-on work-based learning experiences like job shadowing. We’ll also be hosting social club activities to connect with peers and two sections of a learner’s permit prep course. You can decide what to participate in! Whether you’re looking to build confidence, explore careers, or meet new people, there’s something for everyone this summer!

Dates: July 7th, 2026 – August 20th, 2026

Eligibility: Students, ages 14-21, with a documented disability (i.e. Individualized Education Plan, 504 plan, other disability documentation). You will be required to submit disability documentation to participate.

Summer Workshops

July 7th – 10th
Week 1: Where Oh Where Will I Work?
Community Day: Museum of Science Job Panel

July 13th – 16th
Week 2: Get Hired: Ready, Set, Apply
Community Day: Boston Public Library

July 20th – 23rd
Week 3: Find Your Voice, Find Your Way!
Community Day: State House Visit

July 27th – 30th
Week 4: Making it Work: Accommodations at Work, School, and Life
Community Day: Easter Seals Assistive Tech

August 3rd – 6th
Week 5: Future You: College Edition
Community Day: Lesley University Tour

August 10th – 13th
Week 6: Spend, Save, Succeed!
Community Day: TD Bank

August 17th – 20th
Week 7: Next Stop: Adventure!
Community Day: Scavenger Hunt

Questions? Email Maddie Heavey, Youth Services Program Manager [email protected]

05/29/2026

The Transition to Adulthood (TAP) Program at Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL) is hosting an afterschool workshop, "Public Libraries: So Much More than Books" on Monday, June 29th at 4:00 PM. This workshop will cover:

· Basic library services
· Digital services
· Community events and programs
· Library accessibility
· Community access passes
· Job and career services
· Other independent living resources offered at Libraries.

Date: Monday, June 29th

Time: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Eligibility: High school students, ages 14-22 with a documented disability (i.e. Individualized Education Plan, 504 plan, other disability documentation), as well as adults looking to support students with independent living goals.

Students: Please submit your Disability Documentation to Maddie Heavey at [email protected]

To register: Go to https://forms.office.com/r/gwq8dN0Dta or scan the QR code in the attached flyer. Once registered, you will receive the Zoom link in your email.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Maddie Heavey, BCIL Youth Services Program Manager, at [email protected] .

05/27/2026

A lively audience attended the 29th annual BCIL Marie Feltin Award Ceremony on May 12 at the union hall in Boston of SEIU 32BJ.

We were thrilled to bestow Feltin awards on Reggie Clark, Vicky Pulos, and Myrnairis “Mic” Cepeda. Please see these videos— all short and compelling— on the great work these three have done for decades:

• Reggie Clark - https://youtu.be/gzXnxK7g2B8
• Vicky Pulos - https://youtu.be/5DKbfQUnKfU
• Myrnairis “Mic” Cepeda - https://youtu.be/EZdZ-q59RBg

The ceremony on May 12 can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/2P8WRwhYmYg.

Thanks are extended to film producer Mike Kligerman, documentarian P.J. Moynihan, SEIU 32BJ, program moderator Rich Smith, and Dr. Robert Master, whose contributions to this event—and to the broader fields of disability rights and innovative health care—are immeasurable.

Lastly, a huge shoutout to our event sponsors— they made the evening possible while also providing invaluable resources for the organization.

Host Commonwealth Care Alliance
Platinum 1199SEIU, Tempus Unlimited
Gold
Mass General Brigham Health Plan
Phil & Kate Villers
Steve Rosenfeld & Margot Botsford
Silver
Advocates
Careforth
Bronze Disability Law Center
Health Law Advocates
Independence Associates
Michael Muehe and Amy Battisti-Ashé
Molina Healthcare
Northeast Independent Living Program, Inc.
Technical Assistance Collaborative
Corporate Administrative Business Services
Boston Medical Center
Google
Sentinel Group
Team Logic IT
Grassroots Disability Policy Consortium
CORD
Citizen's Housing and Planning Association
Disability Resource Center
Easterseals of MA
Greater Boston Legal Services
Health Care for All
Institute for Human Centered Design
New England ADA Center
Lurie Institute for Disability Policy at Brandeis University
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
Metrowest Independent Living Center
Your Access Advocates
Individual Alice Moore
Blackhorse Insurance
Dianna Hu
Ellen Breslin, Breslin Health Consulting, LLC.
Erik Nordahl
Henry Korman
Honorable Patrick J. King
Jean Masland
Jean Mcguire
Joe Bellil and Linda Long-Bellil
John E McDonough
Kim Shellenberger
Marie Herb & Bill Henning
Matt & Gail Hoffman
Norbert Goldfield
Tim Rupert & Jim Dowd
In Memory of Marie Gentile
Mary Gentile
Susan Gentile

05/23/2026

Adaptive Sports New England presents: Blind Sports Day 2026
Date: Saturday, June 13, 2026, 2:30pm – 5:00pm
Location: Boston College High School, 150 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA 02125

Adaptive Sports New England presents: Blind Sports Day 2026 Try something new, compete, play, and connect with peers at Blind Sports Day! Register Today! Sports Participants will be grouped by age and will rotate sport stations together. Goalball Teams of three players wear blackout eyeshades and ro...

05/22/2026

Disability advocate Michael Muehe says the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board only issues fines in “the most egregious cases.”

“It’s rare. The state access board, they almost bend over backwards not to issue fines,” said Muehe, an access analyst for the civil rights nonprofit Boston Center for Independent Living. “It’s like, ‘We need to acknowledge the seriousness of this complaint. And given our efforts [to address the accessibility problem] so far haven’t yielded adequate results, then we don’t have much left but to issue a fine.’”

https://www.wgbh.org/news/housing/2026-05-14/boston-housing-authority-faces-rare-fine-from-state-board-after-years-of-elevator-issues

image: One of the elevators at Ruth Barkley Apartments, photographed during a two-week outage in 2023.

Disability advocate Michael Muehe says the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board only issues fines in “the most egregious cases.”

05/21/2026

Let’s Connect on LinkedIn!

The Boston Center for Independent Living's Pre-Employment Services is hosting a virtual LinkedIn workshop called Let's Connect on LinkedIn! This workshop will teach youth ages 14-22 how to use LinkedIn, create a profile, and connect with other users professionally.

Date: Monday, June 15, 2026

Time: 4-5 pm

Virtual: On Zoom

Register at the QR code or at https://bit.ly/4nGYfHi.

Once registered, you will receive the Zoom link in your email. If you have any questions, please reach out to Maddie Heavey, BCIL’s Youth Services Program Manager, at [email protected].

05/20/2026

This summer, the Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL) Youth Program is offering a fun and engaging lineup of free opportunities for young people ages 14-21 to build independent living and employment skills.

Join us for weekly themed workshops (offered both virtually and in person), exciting community field trips, and hands-on work-based learning experiences like job shadowing. We’ll also be hosting social club activities to connect with peers and two sections of a learner’s permit prep course. You can decide what to participate in! Whether you’re looking to build confidence, explore careers, or meet new people, there’s something for everyone this summer!

Dates: July 7th, 2026 – August 20th, 2026

Eligibility: Students, ages 14-21, with a documented disability (i.e. Individualized Education Plan, 504 plan, other disability documentation). You will be required to submit disability documentation to participate.

Summer Workshops

July 7th – 10th
Week 1: Where Oh Where Will I Work?
Community Day: Museum of Science Job Panel

July 13th – 16th
Week 2: Get Hired: Ready, Set, Apply
Community Day: Boston Public Library

July 20th – 23rd
Week 3: Find Your Voice, Find Your Way!
Community Day: State House Visit

July 27th – 30th
Week 4: Making it Work: Accommodations at Work, School, and Life
Community Day: Easter Seals Assistive Tech

August 3rd – 6th
Week 5: Future You: College Edition
Community Day: Lesley University Tour

August 10th – 13th
Week 6: Spend, Save, Succeed!
Community Day: TD Bank

August 17th – 20th
Week 7: Next Stop: Adventure!
Community Day: Scavenger Hunt

Questions? Email Maddie Heavey, Youth Services Program Manager at [email protected]

05/19/2026

But a number of people with disabilities told GBH News they are frustrated. They say concurrent signaling leaves all residents vulnerable, especially people who can’t see or hear turning cars coming and people who can’t suddenly speed up or slow down to dodge an oncoming vehicle. They say it’s also dangerous for people who use mobility devices like wheelchairs or scooters and may be harder to see on a crosswalk.

https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2026-05-14/is-bostons-use-of-concurrent-signals-putting-pedestrians-at-risk?

Image: BCIL Board member Casandra Xavier walks in a crosswalk in downtown Boston this week.

A third of Boston intersections let pedestrians in crosswalks cross at the same time as traffic.

05/13/2026

Advocacy Action Alert! Support PCA services today and tomorrow!

The PCA program needs your support today and tomorrow!

The proposed state budget being debated in the state Senate would cut PCA services by $68 million. PCA services enable over 50,000 people with disabilities to live independently in their own homes. Cuts could cause some people to lose services and see their independence and health put at risk.

Please scan the QR code below, developed by our friends at 1199SEIU, to send a message to your state senator to support a budget amendment introduced by Senator Julian Cyr that would stop the cuts to PCA services. We need your messages sent by the end of the day on Thursday!

If you are unable to use a QR code, you can go to https://seiumass.salsalabs.org/pcasenatebudget27/index.html or call your state Senator and urge them to support amendment #413.

For more information contact BCIL at [email protected] or 617-338-6665.

05/12/2026

Have you benefited from REquipment? We need your voice!

Have you ever received a wheelchair or other durable medical equipment through REquipment? If so, we need your voice! Please contact Rachael Cowan at [email protected] to briefly share your story.

For many people with disabilities across Massachusetts, REquipment has been a critical lifeline, especially for wheelchair users often left waiting months for repairs. The program provides free refurbished wheelchairs and other durable medical equipment to people who need it most. Unfortunately, its $500,000 in state funding was cut by the Governor and not restored in the House budget. As attention now turns to the Senate budget, we are fighting to restore funding and ensure REquipment can continue helping people maintain their mobility, independence, health, and dignity.