NYSID has been named the recipient of the 2013 Fedcap Community Impact Award. Ron Romano, NYSID president & CEO, accepted the award from Steven Coons, Fedcap’s vice president of facilities management, on April 30 during a pregame ceremony at Yankee Stadium.

The Community Impact Award was created to recognize the commitment and contributions of individuals and organizations who have worked assiduously to promote sustainable economic independence among people who face barriers to employment. Past recipients include: Dick Traum, president & CEO of Achilles Track Club; the New York Yankees; Dick Cattani, CEO of Restaurant Associates; and Wes Moore.

“NYSID has transformed the lives of countless New Yorkers with disabilities through the power of work. That is the definition of community impact,” said Christine McMahon, Fedcap’s president & CEO.

“For nearly 40 years, NYSID has been turning business opportunities into jobs for New Yorkers with disabilities,” Romano said. “As a founding member of NYSID, Fedcap shares in our mission of job creation for a diverse group of individuals, and we are honored to receive this prestigious award.”

Based in Manhattan, Fedcap helps more than 12,000 Americans overcome obstacles, rebuild their lives, and find and keep meaningful employment. For 75 years, Fedcap has made a deep and lasting impact on the field of vocational rehabilitation, and in the lives of tens of thousands of individuals and their families.

Although they didn’t get to suit up and play, Ron and Steven did get to walk on the Yankee Stadium field for the award presentation behind home plate, with the proceedings shown on the video board for all the fans to see!

Speaking of Yankee Stadium, NYSID is a sponsor of the Damon Runyon 5K at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, August 18. The unique cancer research fundraising run/walk uses Yankee Stadium as its course and supports the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. For more information, visit http://www.damonrunyon.org/yankeestadium.

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. In recent years, attitudes toward mental health issues have evolved; negative attitudes and stigmas associated with mental health have changed, and there has been growing acceptance toward individuals with mental health issues.

As a shining example, Fred Ferrainolo, 56, works at The Arc of Livingston-Wyoming’s Hilltop Industries and is dually diagnosed with an intellectual disability and mental illness. He is part of a team that inspects and bags dry beans as they move down an assembly line, on a contract between Hilltop and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (NYSDOCCS).

In 2012, Fred was recognized for his work as an “Outstanding Performer” during NYSID’s annual William B. Joslin Outstanding Performance Awards Program. For Fred’s full story, read pages 6-7 of the Spring 2013 edition of The Parchment, The Arc of Livingston-Wyoming’s quarterly member newsletter.

http://www.lwarc.org/pdfs/19XXParchmentSpring2013-finalWEB.pdf

NYSID celebrates the efforts of our member agencies and corporate partners to help create more inclusive communities for individuals with mental illness. Together, let’s work to increase mental health awareness and demonstrate the ways in which we collectively turn business opportunities into jobs for all New Yorkers with disabilities.

The Nicholas Center for Autism (NCFA) in Port Washington is dedicated to developing innovative programs for young men and women with autism and similar developmental disabilities that enhance their well-being, autonomy and general quality of life. Founded by Stella Spanakos and her late husband and named in honor of their son, Nicholas, who has autism, NCFA is the only NYSID member agency that exclusively serves people with autism.

NCFA developed an innovative not-for-profit business, Spectrum Designs Foundation, which provides gainful employment and meaningful vocational experiences to teens and young adults with autism and other developmental disabilities, so they can live fuller more productive lives through the world of work. Spectrum Designs creates custom-made, decorated t-shirts and apparel for organizations, businesses and special events.

In this video recorded by NYSID staff during a recent visit, Spectrum Designs employees are creating shirts for the Miracle League of Long Island. The league’s mission is to establish and sustain baseball programs for people of all ages with disabilities; NYSID has been an annual sponsor of the Miracle League of Long Island through corporate partner Alternative EarthCare.

On Tuesday, April 30, Spectrum Designs will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its second location that will provide greater employment and vocational experiences to individuals with autism and related developmental disabilities. The event is both a milestone for NCFA and a fitting conclusion to National Autism Awareness Month.

As Opening Day for the 2013 Major League Baseball season nears, the Miracle League of Long Island is gearing up for another season of its own. The league’s mission is to establish and sustain baseball programs for people of all ages with disabilities. NYSID has been an annual sponsor of the Miracle League of Long Island through corporate partner Alternative EarthCare. Enjoy this video highlighting the numerous players, coaches, parents and volunteers involved. Play ball!

By Emily Gydesen, CREATE Marketing Intern

NYSID is collaborating with colleges and universities across New York state to tap into innovative technologies – and help make connections to better lives for the individuals we serve.

Cultivating Resources for Employment with Assistive TEchnology (CREATE) brings engineering students from colleges and universities within New York State together with community rehabilitation centers to create new and inspiring technologies and devices which improve lives and livelihoods.

Currently, two groups of students at SUNY Maritime are partnering with Goodwill Industries of Greater New York & Northern New Jersey, Inc. (GIGNY) on CREATE; one group is working on a heat sealing machine modification and the other group is working on a tagging gun design project.

“Staff members have enjoyed working with the students and we are excited to see what solutions they design,” said Linda Scarce-Turner, GIGNY’s executive vice president of human services. “It has been a real pleasure working with the students and a valuable learning experience for them, as well.”

CREATE could be a key component in a Capstone course for engineering students, while resulting in a practical application of assistive technology that will help workers with disabilities overcome obstacles. Participating teams are eligible for seed money to finance their CREATE projects and possibly put into production the winning technology that will transform the workplace environment.

NYSID’s goal is to have multiple participating colleges and community rehabilitation centers participate in the 2013 CREATE program.

“We are excited to work with all the amazing institutions and bright minds within New York,” said Ron Romano, NYSID president & CEO. “We are looking forward to the many great inventions that we will receive and a new landscape of employment options for persons with disabilities.”

For more information on CREATE, contact CREATE@nysid.org or visit www.createnysid.net.

March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, when we recognize the contributions of individuals with disabilities to the social and economic well-being of our communities, our state and our nation. In this video, Caroline Mancino, who works at Westchester Arc, discusses her job and why she enjoys it. She was one of 59 New Yorkers with disabilities recognized through NYSID’s ninth annual Joslin Outstanding Performance Awards Program in 2012.

A Preferred Source custodial crew from The Altamont Program was recently commended for working above and beyond its usual cleaning duties during an unexpected building emergency. This crew has been on the job at the Office of General Services’ Corning Tower building – the largest single state office building from Westchester to Plattsburgh – since June 2011, where a number of prominent state government agencies are located.

Due to a flood throughout the building, the team found its customer at the NYS Department of Health overwhelmed with immediate concern for saving office equipment and files from water damage. Pitching right in, the Altamont workers moved furniture and equipment off the ground and covered things with plastic over several floors of building space, well outside the usual scope of “all in a day’s work.”

Only days later, a Department of Health spokesperson shared this recognition of a job well done: “Just want to be sure someone gets the word out that the maintenance staff from Father Young’s group were terrific on Monday… I feel they are always wonderful in terms of the cleaning and friendliness, but they really stepped up during the flood and we appreciate it.”

Fedcap has been given the opportunity to use unadvertised space on New York City taxis. The ads, which also feature the names and logos of NYSID and AbilityOne, appear on nearly 100 taxis throughout New York City. In addition, Fedcap ads appear on nearly 50 taxis in the Washington DC area.

In the immediate aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in October, a number of our longstanding customers in the metro NYC area requested emergency support through NYSID member agencies. This unprecedented need called for cleaning office buildings and residences, setting up emergency shelter stations and laundering voluminous mounds of extra linens.

Springing into action, NYSID members pulled teams together and went to work on behalf of their communities, helping to secure the safety and comfort of scores of individuals and families.

Comments from customers following service completion are nothing short of admirable:

"Keeping the shelters clean and sanitary was a critical necessity and all your efforts helped to protect the well-being of many New Yorkers." [NYC Office of Emergency Management]

"You and your employees have helped improve the quality of life of our residents who are suffering a great deal." [NYC Housing Authority]

"True partners of NYC." [NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services]

This praise is especially noteworthy when you reflect on the fact that those performing this work also experienced the storm’s devastation as community residents – New Yorkers helping New Yorkers.

"I can’t thank our members and their work teams enough for their positive impact in the aftermath of a horrendous event," stated Joe Messina, VP of Sales. "To be characterized as a ‘true partner’ to the city speaks to mutual respect for missions of service to diverse New Yorkers."