The City's Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance Committee is spearheading an Accessibility Awareness Campaign to encourage business owners, citizens, and city government to make Cambridge fully welcoming and accessible to persons with disabilities.

The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination and ensures people with disabilities are provided the same safe and accessible opportunities in schools, transportation, and public places.

The Cambridge ADA Compliance Committee’s first campaign will focus on fostering compliant accessibility in the Downtown Business District. Optimizing access to our shops and restaurants will not only benefit residents with disabilities, but also attract more customers to local businesses -- especially as Cambridge becomes recognized as an engaging and accommodating travel destination.

To kick off the Accessibility Awareness Campaign, city employees designed a simple, easy-to-use measuring tool, called the ADA Clearance Stick, to help business owners establish safe travel paths outside their stores.

Vocational carpentry students from the Dorchester County Career and Technology Center then stepped up to implement the design and creation of the 4-foot-long measuring sticks, which will be distributed to business owners as the first step towards a goal of making Cambridge one of the most accessible, walkable and hospitable cities on the Eastern Shore.

Staff and members of the ADA Committee will present the ADA Clearance Measuring Stick to city council at its regular meeting on March 11, at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers at 305 Gay Street.