Daniels-Finegold Plaintiff Group Receives Accessibility Award

On April 10, 2024, the Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD) honored the Daniels-Finegold plaintiff group with the Thomas P. Hopkins Disability Access Award for their ongoing work to improve public transportation access in Massachusetts. The plaintiff group includes 11 MBTA riders, the Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL), and Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS).

The landmark 2006 Daniels-Finegold Settlement Agreement ushered in significant, sweeping accessibility improvements to MBTA fixed-route service, including the creation of the Department of System-Wide Accessibility, an Internal Access Monitoring Program, and a major expansion of accessible vehicles and stations. Members of the MBTA Department of System-Wide Accessibility, and advocates from across the Commonwealth, were on hand for the award presentation, which took place at Suffolk Law School during MOD's Disability Connections event. 

The annual Thomas P. Hopkins Disability Access Award is presented to one or more individuals whose innovative advocacy has improved accessibility and quality of life for people with disabilities in Massachusetts through systemic change. The award is named for the late Tom Hopkins, a fierce disability advocate and wheelchair user who sued the town of Spencer, MA, over their failure to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). His advocacy and later leadership on the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board (MAAB) led to significant accessibility improvements in Spencer and throughout the state.

Watch the Video

Watch a recording of the Disability Connections Networking event where the Thomas P. Hopkins Disability Access Award was given.

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