U.S. Access Board Holds Meetings in Rhode Island

Each year, the U.S. Access Board visits a city outside of Washington, D.C. to learn about the state of accessibility around the country. During the week of May 4th, the Access Board traveled to Rhode Island for its 2026 out-of-town Board meeting. During various sessions throughout the week, the Board heard from residents, advocates, and government leaders regarding key accessibility issues and successes in the Ocean State. A summary of these meetings follows below.

On Monday, May 4th, several Board Members and staff visited the Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket to observe the accessibility of the facility. Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien joined the Board to speak about the accessible design elements that were included during the construction of the stadium.

The next day, on Tuesday, May 5th, the Access Board held its annual town hall meeting at Bally's Event Center in Lincoln. This meeting provided the Board with the opportunity to hear directly from residents regarding the state of accessibility in their communities. The town hall was chaired by Public Board Member Tina Guenette, who currently serves as Vice-Chair and Acting Chair of the U.S. Access Board. Following the town hall, the Board attended the first annual Rhode Island Accessibility Summit. More information on the town hall meeting and the Summit can be found in the Board's news release.

In the morning on Wednesday, May 6th, the Access Board attended a panel discussion on beach access and trails at The Coast Guard House in Narragansett. The panel included Amanda Cantrell (Deputy Director, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management), Jeanne Cooper (Preserve & Shorebird Program Manager, The Nature Conservancy), Harry Horgan (Co-founder, The Impossible Dream), and John Kostrzewa (author of Walking Rhode Island and former reporter for the Providence Journal). These subject matter experts discussed the accessibility barriers that exist when designing ocean trails, beaches, seawalls, and other nature trails.

Later in the afternoon on Wednesday, the Board visited the Rhode Island Veterans Home in Bristol. While there, the Board attended a facility observation to learn about the accessible features of the facility and the types of care provided to residents. Following the observation, the Access Board participated in a panel discussion with Kasim Yarn (Director, Rhode Island Office of Veterans Services) and Paul Murgo (Administrator, Rhode Island Veterans Home). During this discussion, residents of the facility, including many residents with disabilities, shared their experiences at the Veterans Home with the Board.

Finally, in the morning on Thursday, May 7th, the Access Board attended two separate panel discussions at Track 15 in Providence. The first session focused on the accessibility of tribal communities and the role that the Access Board can play in helping to ensure access for Native Americans with disabilities. The panel included Chief Raymond "Two Hawks" Watson (Principle Chief, Mashapaug Narragansett Tribe) and Dr. Silas Pinto (Deputy Chief of People & Culture, City of Providence). Furthermore, the second session at Track 15 included a panel of experts who discussed the accessibility of streets and towns, including the RiverWalk and the annual WaterFire event, both of which are based in downtown Providence. This panel included Daniel Baudouin (Historic Benefit Street), Liza Birch (Board President, Providence Streets Coalition), Norelys Consuegra (Director of Mayor's Center for City Services, City of Providence), and Chris Martin (Director of Special Projects, City of Providence).

In the afternoon on Thursday, the Board attended two more sessions at Farm Fresh in Providence. First, the Board participated in engaging demonstrations of accessible drumming with Dr. Pinto and local culture and culinary accessibility with Go Providence. Additionally, staff from the Rhode Island State Archives joined the Board to share resources and materials relating to the 250th anniversary of the nation and of the state of Rhode Island.

Following these sessions, the Board attended a final panel discussion on arts, culture, and tourism with state and local leaders and tourism professionals. The panel included Stefan Pryor (Rhode Island Secretary of Commerce), Bob DaSilva (Mayor of East Providence), Dr. Pinto, Joe Wilson Jr. (Director, City of Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism), Kristen Adamo (President and CEO, Go Providence), and Erin Degulis (Senior Director of Convention & Visitor Services, Go Providence).

On Thursday evening, several Access Board Members and staff attended a final site visit to learn about the various accessibility features of the Rhode Island Convention Center, the largest of its kind in the state. This session concluded a highly productive week in the Ocean State, and the Access Board greatly appreciates the engagement of federal, state, local, and tribal officials, local advocates and organizations, and community members throughout its visit. Moreover, the Board would like to acknowledge the efforts of Acting Chair Guenette for the critical role she played in bringing many of these meetings to fruition.

The next meeting of the U.S. Access Board will take place in-person in Washington, DC from July 27 - 29, 2026. Visit the Access Board's website or sign up for the free subscription to get notified of upcoming Board meetings, webinars, trainings, and other events.