New Visions Blog

A look at Purposeful Parenting as it relates to domestic violence. BFL's Cynthia Amodeo explores the topic. July was Purposeful Parenting month, which led to a flurry of articles, Facebook posts and twitter bites regarding the concept.  In general, Purposeful Parenting aims to build healthy relationships with children, to understand a child’s development and to help them grow in a way that emphasizes their potential.  Being “purposeful” in parenting can include meeting a child’s essential needs (bathing, feeding) or involve more… read more

JOIN REEL ABILITIES FOR A SPECIAL SNEAK PREVIEW OF KELLY & CAL An unlikely friendship between Kelly (Juliette Lewis), a punk-rocker turned suburban mom, and seventeen-year-old Cal, who uses a wheelchair. Wed, Sep 3, 7 PM The JCC in Manhattan 334 Amsterdam Ave @ 76th St CLICK HERE FOR FREE TICKETS - http://www.jccmanhattan.org/film?page=cat-content&progid=30777 The film opens Sept. 5 at NYC's IFC Center. SAVE THE DATE * 7TH ANNUAL REELABILITIES: NY… read more

CBS8.com reports: One very talented artist inspired fans at Comic-Con by drawing comics with a pen in his mouth. Larime Taylor is the creator of "A Voice in the Dark," a dramatic comic book series that follows a college girl born with the urge to kill. The series debuted in November, and Taylor has been keeping busy. He writes, draws, tones and letters the book, all with his mouth. Read the story.… read more

HSC has launched a new campaign to advocate for a comprehensive Cost of Living Adjustment from the State. Over the next four months HSC, in coordination with the lobbying firm Malkin & Ross, will be developing and launching a Campaign that will focus on building targeted support for a comprehensive policy to address the rising costs and impact of inflation on our industry. We must take advantage of the current election cycle to elevate the need for these critical state investments. To make… read more

Blogger Jenni Cowley is a former social worker who, after a career sabbatical to raise her two youngsters, decided to begin blogging about about mental health topics. Emotional Abuse – Can It Cause Longer Lasting Damage than Domestic Abuse? Statistics show that approximately one in four women living in America will suffer from domestic abuse at some point in their lives. Sadly, many women stay in abusive relationships long after the first violent act has been committed against them.  This is a… read more

Free Adapted Swim Program for People with Disabilities Week of July 8 – Week of August 22 The Adapted Aquatics program is free and offers two activities: 1. Aquatic exercise therapy that ranges from gentle water walking to aerobic-type exercise which improves range of motion, flexibility, mobility, muscle tone, coordination, focus and strength. 2. Swim instruction that focuses on becoming comfortable in the water and learning basic swimming and safety skills. For… read more

On Sunday, July 27th, 2014 Wheeling Forward and Life Rolls On will be having a "They Will Surf Again" adaptive surfing clinic at Rockaway Beach @ Beach 67 Street in Queens, NY for adults and children affected by spinal cord injury from 8am - 3pm . This will be a thrilling one-of-a-kind experience for the disability community. Here's a short video about adaptive surfing & see pictures of adaptive surfing here Volunteers and participants can register at www.LifeRollsOn.org/nytwsa On… read more

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has announced that its members will vote on whether to send the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Disabilities Treaty) to the full Senate on July 22! Contact your Senators and ask them to support ratification (passage) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Disabilities Treaty). Click here to contact your Senators: Once passed out of committee, we want the treaty to be considered by all Senators the last week of July. Background The… read more

Films in Tompkins shows free screenings of hand-picked movies every Thursday night throughout the summer in Tompkins Square Park in New York City's East Village. Pack a picnic, bring friends, and come hang out in the park! More Info here.… read more

Father Michael Lapsely, who has partnered with Barrier Free Living on Healing of Memories workshops, was featured on the July 11 epsiode of the PBS Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly show. PBS Reports: Father Michael Lapsley is an Anglican priest who was sent to South Africa during the institutionalized racial segregation of apartheid. He became a chaplain to Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress and a target of the white supremacy government. One day Lapsley opened a package that turned out to… read more

The MOVIES at ICS (25 Elm Pl, Brooklyn) presents Gravity starring Sandra Bullock! Enjoy a great movie every week free on our 80” wide screen. New Movies, old movies, all kinds of good movies! Light snacks and refreshments provided. Always fun and free to attend! Open to people with physical disabilities living in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens. For more information on attending, contact Latricia James at (718) 907-1622. If you use it… read more

HSC's weekly radio show, Human Services News and Views, is on every Thursday at 6 pm on WVOX 1460AM. If you missed our old podcasts, you can listen to them on our website. Download this week's podcast here.  This week, Council Member Carlos Menchaca discusses the new City Council Initiative to create municipal ID cards for undocumented immigrants. Ray López, Director, Environmental Health & Family Asthma Program for LSA Family Health Service… read more

Pace University presents: SUMMER WORKSHOPS 2014 For kids with Special Needs. Week long Workshops in July, 10am to 4pm, Monday-Friday, No Tech Experience Necessary! Create amazing things with Technology by being exposed to software and programming—and learning 21st century tech skills. Each week consists of 15 students wih a high 2:1 instructor ratio. Workshops include: experienced tech and teachers, guest lecturers by people in the tech field, free time to experiment with… read more

DNAInfo NY Reports: New Jersey-based for-profit company deposited a collection of bright pink clothing donation bins across the neighborhood in the past few days — including on properties where owners said they didn't give permission. About half a dozen Our Neighborhood Recycling bins appeared on East Broadway, Rutgers Street, Norfolk Street and other spots last weekend, as first reported by Bowery Boogie. The company’s name is painted on the front of the bins, along with the words “Clothes, Shoes, Drop” on… read more

Jana Mackey left a legacy of courage and strength. She spent her entire life fighting for justice and equality for all. Jana dedicated her life to social change and making this world a better place. Jana’s Light Will Shine was written to encourage every one of us to carry on where Jana left off and find the courage to defeat injustice. We don’t have to let the world tell us who to be. We can be the feet and hands of change… read more

During the 2014 summer all agency Town Hall meeting, Innovation Awards were presented to Aida Colon (Freedom House, pictured) for her creation of the Dare to Dream Event, and Aaron Scott (Transitional Housing) for his out of the box thinking during recent corporate volunteer days. CEO Paul Feuerstein presented the awards, applauding the team members' creativity and ability to stretch the boundaries of traditional thinking on the job.… read more

The New York Times reports: AFTER spending two years studying services for domestic violence survivors, I was surprised to realize that one of the most common barriers to women’s safety was something I had never considered before: the high value our culture places on two-parent families. Read the article.… read more

The award winning indie film titled 1 in 3 about domestic violence hopes to have a screening at the AMC Loews in Kips Bay on June 30. 1 in 3 relates to the fact that 1 in 3 women have or will be a victim of domestic violence in her lifetime. The film looks at that staggering statistic. Ophelia Metz is one of those… read more

Gerald Francese has been elected Barrier Free Living Chairman of the Board. He had previously served as Vice-Chair. Mr. Francese concentrates his legal practice in financial services, private equity, corporate finance, and bank and investment advisor regulation.  Mr. Francese has managed businesses and legal teams involved in all aspects of investing and investment management in over 40 countries across the Americas, Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific.… read more

Working with the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, BFL welcomed 25 volunteers to the Transitional Housing program as part of AON Global Service Day on June 12, 2014. The hard-working volunteers painted and refurbished a lounge, offices and a garden area for residents of the shelter.… read more

Barrier Free Living welcomes new Board Member Bernard M. Holand, CPA, PFS. Mr. Holand applies over thirty-five years of technical experience and practical judgment to counsel companies from start up ventures to established enterprises. As a Personal Financial Specialist (PFS), he counsels clients on risk and investment management, retirement, insurance, tax and estate planning. Mr. Holand's diverse base of clients is comprised of professional service firms, broker dealers, other financial service companies… read more

Working with the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, Barrier Free Living (BFL) welcomed volunteers from Deloitte for Deloitte Impact Day on June 6, 2014. This year marked Deloitte’s 15th annual IMPACT Day, a celebration of a longstanding commitment to communities. Tens of thousands of Deloitte personnel volunteer on more than 800 service projects in 80 communities. The hard-working group at BFL painted walls, hung new blinds and art and… read more

The Red Cross Club at New Exploration Into Science Technology + Math high school donated books to the programs of Barrier Free Living. Books will be given to the children of participants at the Secret Garden Domestic Violence program for summer reading… read more

Over several months, Andres Serrano has engaged with homeless individuals in New York City, creating a series of large-scale photographic portraits called Residents of New York, a site-specific public art project which takes a look at the many faces of homelessness and poverty in New York City. Starting May 19 and running for four weeks through June 16, 2014, his photographs will transform distinct locations around Washington Square, including a full occupation of the subway station at West 4th Street as… read more

The Medical Assistance Group from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, China, visited Barrier Free Living this May and met with agency CEO/Founder Paul Feuerstein. The group toured the main office and discussed BFL's decades of work with people with disabilities, and the growth and lasting power of the agency's mission.… read more

NPR Reports: Though nearly 20 percent Americans have physical or mental disabilities, studies show that less than 20 percent of medical schools teach their students how to talk with disabled patients about their needs. Read the article.… read more

Dr. Danielle Sheypuk will be a keynote speaker at the 2014 Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) National Conference  Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Maryland June 12th – June 15th. Pictured: Dr. Sheypuk is using… read more

Blogger Jenni Cowley Reports About Substance Abuse Risk As It Relates To Disability. Jenni says she "used to work in health and social care, with service users who battled drug and alcohol addictions." She decided to leave this field some years ago after the birth of her first child and now she's a freelance writer who pens articles on the topics she cares most about. Supportive Accommodation – Reducing the Risks of Substance Abuse Although anyone can develop a dependency on drugs… read more

May 2014: The Link Between Domestic Violence and Pregnancy By Cynthia Amodeo, Director of Family Services, Barrier Free Living’s Freedom House Emergency Shelter. Cynthia is a licensed mental health counselor who graduated Teachers College, Columbia University with her Master of Education and Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology.  Cynthia has been working at Freedom House since 2008 first as the children’s counselor, then Coordinator and now Director of Family Services.  Prior to Freedom House she worked with children and families impacted by… read more

BFL's Secret Garden staff and participants gathered for the Celebration of Women on May 8. Dame Lori Sutherland (pictured at right with Secret Garden Director Georgette Delinois), hosted the Soulfull Closet event this year which benefited Secret Garden, and was the featured keynote guest. Sutherland wowed the crowd and the participants enjoyed lunch and activities.… read more