Blog Posts by Subject: Disabilities and Accessibility

This is a guest post by Joanne Dillon, interviewer for Visible Lives: Oral Histories of the Disability Experience at Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library. Joanne conducted her first interview for the project with storyteller Ann Chiapetta on Saturday, December 20. After you read her post, you can listen to Joanne's interview with Ann.

This is a guest blog post by Deena Greenberg, interviewer for Visible Lives: Oral Histories of the Disability Experience at Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library. Deena conducted her first interview for the project with storyteller Daniel Aronoff on Tuesday, November 18. After you read her post, you can listen to Deena’s interview with Daniel.

On Saturday, November 22 at Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library, we celebrated the launch of Visible Lives: Oral Histories of the Disability Experience, The New York Public Library’s community-based initiative to make public and preserve stories of the disability experience.

The Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library is launching an oral history project that will be the largest community-based effort of its kind to collect and document stories of the disability experience, and we want you to share your story.

Andrew Heiskell Library hosted the first Technology, Culture, and Community Fair for People who are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Physically Disabled, welcoming 32 vendors, 16 featured speakers, and over 200 attendees.

This is the Department of Labor blog post authored by Kathy Martinez, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy.

Unite magazine, a bi-monthly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) business publication, featured Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathy Martinez in an article "Working Together to Promote Inclusive Workplaces" in its October/November issue.

This library provides services for blind customers in all five boroughs of New York City and Long Island.

Autism Speaks and Job Path will present Employing Individuals with Autism: Information and Customized Employment Ideas on Thursday, April 10, 2014, 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. at the Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL), 188 Madison Avenue and 34th Street, Conference Room 018.

The following information is from the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy.

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) has announced its Summer Internship Program. The program is open to college students, graduate students, recent graduates (within one year), or veterans who self-identify as an individual with any type of disability.

Fotis Flevotomos, still frame from the video "Looking for a Face"I first met Fotis Flevotomos in June 2011. He had come to New York from Greece to speak on his creative process at The New York Public Library's Low Vision and Blindness Resource Fair. An experienced artist, he was able to do so many things with ease—produce art; pack, transport, and display art; speak articulately about his work as a panelist; and even find a reasonably-priced place to stay in midtown 

Job hunting for youth has been increasingly challenging in recent years as there are more experienced, educated adults who have become unemployed as a result of the recession and are seeking employment. The Youth Employment Rate is especially low for youth with disabilities as reported in the Current Popluation Survey (CPS), a monthly survey of households conducted by the U.S. Censue Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In an effort to raise awareness on disability employment for youth, 

Would you consider New York City "age-friendly"? That is, is it a place where people of all ages—including the very old—can feel comfortable, safe, and happy?

One million people aged 65 and over call New York City home, and a half-million more are expected to swell those ranks by 2030. New York City's top-notch public transportation system and rich access to cultural institutions contribute toward making it a place where these folk will want to stay; most are not planning to leave for southerly climes anytime soon, if ever.

 

A few years ago, after I was diagnosed at age 47 with Stargardt disease (juvenile macular degeneration), I discovered that it was becoming increasingly difficult for me to read print. Things which I had always taken for granted such as visually scanning the headlines of a newspaper, reviewing my written financial statements and checking out the onscreen guide on my television set all caused my eyes to strain almost immediately. I could still see the print, but not without considerable discomfort. How would I be able to manage 

The following article provides invaluable information on the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce and in the marketplace. It is a publication of the United States Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy.

By fostering a culture of diversity, or a capacity to appreciate and value individual differences, in all aspects of their operations, employers benefit from varied perspectives on how to confront business challenges and achieve 

What is it like to be a convicted murderer just released from prison? What company was the Apple of the 1960s and 70s? Can you forage for edible plants in New York City? How much do you know about life in Palestine? What does America owe to its

AHRC New York City's Adult Day Centers offer adults with disabilities a variety of services and opportunities. Using a person-centered approach, individualized and creative supports are offered to achieve meaningful goals based on the person's strengths and preferences. Providing individualized supports includes respect to personal choices and responsiveness to the person's unique needs.

Art consultant Catherine Rosamond wants the artists in the Betty Pendler New York 

With my hand, I touch the outside, or contour, of a small ceramic jug, a container for cream. I slowly trace the curve of the rim, continuing to the pointed lip. I put down the jug, and pick up a piece of charcoal or a soft pastel. I draw round curves, recreating what I see in my mind's eye, moving my hand across the paper, keeping pace with my inner vision.

"Jug and Green Glass," iPad drawing by Dana SimonI return to the small jug and begin again; tracing the contours of the round, squat body. But alas, when I try to return to the spot on the paper to begin 

Here we are in the middle of spring; and I'm still embarrassingly waffling over which sport I should focus on in the beautiful weather. I've once again missed my opportunity to do cross-country skiing. Perhaps table tennis will be within reach for me this summer...

Though I myself am a bit indecisive, I love the idea of each of us finding at least one sport or other athletic activity that's fun and right for us, and participating on a regular basis.

To this end, several libraries have hosted 50+ Fitness Fairs in the past, in