Around Our Towns

Dutch Broadway School in Elmont recently hosted its annual Disability Awareness Day on Sept. 30, organized by physical education teacher Debra Bennett, continuing a longstanding partnership with the Henry Viscardi School in Albertson that helps foster empathy,...

Students in Dan Varney’s International Baccalaureate Design Technology class at West Islip High School are putting empathy and problem solving at the center of their learning as part of their user-centered design unit. Recently, the class met with local real estate...

Kessler Foundation’s Fall Fest is an annual celebration of accessibility, inclusion, and represents the Foundation’s mission to improve the lives of people with disabilities. The free, family-friendly celebration brought together people with disabilities, caregivers,...

Pal-O-Mine Equestrian, an Islandia nonprofit that provides equine-assisted therapeutic programs in the heart of Suffolk County, recently welcomed a team of 14 volunteers from Discover Long Island, the region’s only accredited destination marketing organization, for a...

It was an ‘epic’ celebration at the grand opening of EPIC Long Island’s new Program Without Walls vocational training facility in Bethpage. Assemblymember Charles Lavine (D-North Shore) was honored to speak at this special event and present a citation to President...

State lawmakers, disability advocates, caregivers, and individuals with disabilities urged passage of the Traveling with Dignity Act at a press conference in Westchester in August. Hosted by CP Unlimited, a New York nonprofit supporting individuals with intellectual...

The Harlem Independent Living Center celebrated the 36th anniversary of the ADA with an award ceremony and gathering in late July to recognize ten individuals and organizations whose work has strengthened disability rights. Speakers reflected on the organization’s...

Spectrum recently sponsored a Lighthouse Guild event, “Access in Focus: Blind Perspectives on Entertainment,” which brought together industry leaders to discuss the evolution of accessibility and technology. Held at Lincoln Center’s Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, the...

Play It Forward hosted “Adaptive Surf NYC” at Rockaway Beach on July 11 where more than 192 athletes participated while supported nearly 500 volunteers and hundreds of spectators. Play It Forward is a core adaptive sports and recreation program of Wheeling Forward and...

While the Americans with Disabilities Act has protected the civil rights of people with disabilities since it was signed into law more than three decades ago, advocates said at a recent New York City event marking the act’s 36th anniversary that the landmark...