New Visions Blog

Since 1990, Barrier Free Living's community-based Secret Garden program has been working with survivors of domestic violence with disabilities providing counseling, support groups, occupational therapy and case management services. During October's Domestic Violence Awareness month, the team is busy with outreach, events and presentations. They also offer domestic violence related trainings year-round (view a short film about the trainings here). We touched based with the team, to take a… read more

Last summer, after a domestic violence incident, Oliva was feeling emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually unsafe. She needed to find a way up and out for herself and her children. “The (domestic violence) incident that took place on June 5th turned everything upside down for me,” says Olivia. “I needed to get away from this abusive relationship with my children’s father. (Barrier Free Living’s) Freedom House (domestic violence shelter) has been the catalyst… read more

Barrier Free Living's Freedom House domestic violence shelter held a Domestic Violence Awareness Month dinner for residents and their children this month. Celebrating 12 years in New York City, Freedom House is a domestic violence shelter (90-180 day stay) for women, men and children. We serve both families and single individuals with or without disabilities. We have worked with people from 40 states and internationally and we welcome all members of the LGBTQ… read more

During October's Domestic Violence Awareness Month, residents and participants at our domestic violence programs will be sharing their work, created during art expression workshops at Freedom House and Secret Garden. We will be posting the art through the month to celebrate their strength and courage. At top art by EA. Below, first image, art by EA, second and last image art by CA, "building blocks of love" from CC… read more

When Irma Williams joined the Barrier Free Living apartments (BFLA) social work team this past year, she brought a skill set she’d developed over a decade. Originally from Guatemala, Irma grew up in lower Manhattan and started out as a peer program assistant at Boom Health (formerly citywide harm reduction.) During her time at Boom, she earned a master’s degree in social work from Hunter College and was promoted to the social work… read more

Barrier Free Living attended the closing bell at the NY Stock Exchange on October 3, 2018 as part of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Cynthia Amodeo (photo above) Barrier Free Living's Chief Program Officer was on hand at the closing bell. The NYSE welcomed Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) to ring The Closing Bell in celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The agency joined a host of other agency's and individuals for the… read more

Team members of Barrier Free Living's domestic violence programs walked in this year's Bride's March on September 26. Check out our march coverage on instagram: bfl_newyork The Gladys Ricart and Victims of Domestic Violence Memorial Walk/Brides’ March is an annual event which was started in New York City in 2001 to remember Gladys Ricart, a Dominican woman from Washington Heights, who was murdered in New Jersey on September 26, 1999, by her abusive former… read more

Deaf Awareness Month began in September 1958 as International Week of the Deaf, in commemoration of the first World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf. Barrier Free Living (BFL) has a long history of working with Deaf and hard-of-hearing clients and residents at our three domestic violence programs (Secret Garden, Freedom House, BFL Apartments). For many years, Freedom House had hearing social workers and… read more

The Harlem Independent Living Center, with support from the AIDS Institute, recently completed production of five brief videos on HIV specifically for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.  These landmark videos are the first of their kind, developed in sign language by and for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. https://vimeo.com/274758309 Each video is available for viewing or downloading by clicking below. The video series covers the following topics: 1.HIV: Know Your Rights… read more

The kids at Barrier Free Living's Freedom House domestic violence shelter took a special trip to see Broadway's School of Rock, thanks to support from The East Harlem Community Partnership Program/Union Settlement. Staff and 18 kids took in the sites of Time Square and enjoyed a matinee performance of the musical extravaganza, which is about a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school who discovers his students musical… read more

Angela began counseling at Barrier Free Living's Secret Garden community-based domestic violence program in 2014, and soon after began exploring the rich opportunities offered through the agency’s Occupational Therapy (OT) department. “Through the help of the occupational therapy team I gained courage and became more open to change,” says Angela, who has a visual impairment. “They provided a safe zone for me to be around people who have the best interest for my… read more

The child care team organized a trip for the young tenants of Barrier Free Living's Freedom House domestic violence shelter this month to the Bronx New York Zoo. Celebrating 12 years in New York City, Freedom House is a domestic violence shelter (90-180 day stay) for women, men and children. View a short film about Freedom House here. … read more

The Pursuit of Justice, a film by Greg Gyers and an award winner at this July's Colorado International Activism Film, has launched a new poster for the documentary. The Pursuit of Justice tracks the activities of the Disability and Guardianship Project, launched by Spectrum Institute. The project over the past few years has advocated for guardianship and conservatorship reform in California, Oregon, Washington, Texas, Missouri, Michigan, Pennsylvania and many other… read more

The Barrier Free Living Occupational Therapy (OT) team at BFL Apartments in the Bronx NY kick off the new "Fierce Femmes" women's empowerment group Friday, July 27. The purpose of the 4-week group is to promote social participation, physical activity, and positive self-regard. Tenants of BFL Apartments, which serves survivors of domestic violence with disabilities, will learn choreography to a new song each week. Week one will feature choreography to "7/11" by… read more

Barrier Free Living team member Nicolyn Plummer will present on Elder Abuse at the Deaf Wellness and Recreation Center in Brooklyn, NY at 10 a.m. on August 31. Nicolyn is a Senior Social Worker and the Coordinator of Outreach and Advocacy at Barrier Free Living. Learn more here.  Learn more about the Barrier Free Living Deaf Services Team here. Read our recent blog story about Elder Abuse here. … read more

Contributor Sara Eldridge, LMSW, is the Assisstant Director of Social Services at Barrier Free Living’s Freedom House domestic violence shelter.  Sara is a licensed social worker who received a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College in 2015.  Sara has been a social worker at Freedom House since 2015, where she provides individual and group counseling to adults, children and adolescents. Prior to Freedom House she worked with… read more

Barrier Free Living team member Nicolyn Plummer presented at the 54th Biennial National Association of the Deaf Conference in Hartford, Connecticut on July 5, 2018 Nicolyn co-hosted the session Does Advocacy Still Exist?  with DeAnna Swope. The workshop explored  "the complexities of the systematic injustice that affects those who do harm. We will discuss in depth about how the system fails those who do harm and how do we start from there." Nicolyn is a Senior Social Worker and the Coordinator of Outreach and… read more

Team members of Barrier Free Living marched in this year's Disability Pride Parade in New York City on July 15. Disability Pride Parades were held through the month world wide. The first Disability Pride Day was held in Boston, MA in 1990. For nearly 40 years, Barrier Free Living has been working with people with disabilities, and survivors of domestic violence with disabilities and their families, at our shelters and… read more

Barrier Free Living team members will march in this year's Disability Pride Parade on July 15. The parade begins in Madison Square Park and marches to Union Square Park. The theme of this year's parade is express yourself! Gather in Madison Square park at 10am for an 11am kick off. More info. here. … read more

Tenants at Barrier Free Living Apartments are coming together to plan a trip to the iconic Coney Island amusement park this summer. Barrier Free Living Apartments offers permanent homes to survivors of domestic violence with disabilities, both singles and families, with support services. Past community building events include a garden club, occupational therapy workshops and a summer staff/tenant BBQ… read more

Barrier Free Living team member Nicolyn Plummer will present at Safe Horizon on  July 16, 24 and 31  on topics related to Deafness and the deaf community. Nicolyn, who is a Social Worker and Coordinator of Outreach & Advocacy Deaf Services  at Barrier Free Living's Secret Garden & Freedom House shelter will present to 200 of Safe Horizon's Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP) advocates who work in each NYPD precinct throughout the city. She will present on: Understanding Deafness Understanding… read more

Reposted from the No More Blog. The following was co-written by James and Leigh Ann. For far too long, people with disabilities and their allies have been invisible to mainstream society, forced to live in the shadows within our communities, and given little opportunity or a platform to speak out on issues we care about. This painful reality has been especially damaging when it comes to sexual assault. While national movements like #MeToo have opened the door to establishing a… read more

Residents and Occupational Therapy interns at BFL's Freedom House domestic violence shelter worked together this spring to bring new life to the shelter garden. "Residents gain self-confidence and a sense of control as they see the decisions they make lead to real changes in the aesthetic of the yard and the growing of their seeds," says Bella, a member of the OT team. Freedom House offers safe haven to families, along with… read more

Barrier Free Living's Secret Garden community based domestic violence program has begun a new group focusing on the Immigrant Latina survivor of intimate partner violence. Stemming from research conducted by Catherine Marrs-Fuschel, Secret Garden has adopted portions of a curriculum, “Si, yo Puedo.” This program is meant to work with the immigrant Latina to understand aspects of healthy vs unhealthy relationships and works to improve self-awareness and self-esteem in the Latina immigrant… read more

The newly launched Give One organization worked with the tenant’s Garden Club at BFL Apartments this April to spruce up the 6th floor roof. The volunteers and the tenants cleaned the roof, planted seeds and flowers and set up the area for spring. "Watching the tenants work side by side with the volunteers was an amazing experience and a powerful example of community building," says Scott Hess, Director of Communications who… read more

When Bethelihem and her family arrived at Barrier Free Living's Freedom House domestic violence shelter in 2014, the only thing on her mind was safety.  Not long into her stay, she discovered the power of helping others as part of her own healing journey.  Today, as a senior at  Hunter College of City University of New York (CUNY) pursuing a Sociology degree, Bethelihem decided that she wanted to give… read more

Barrier Free Living's Freedom House domestic violence shelter expressed gratitude for recent toy donations, and was featured in the Second Chance June 2018 Toy Blog Toy Tales: Giving Comfort and Expressing Feelings (below).  Our ongoing series of #ToyTales goes beyond the day of toy drop-off and takes a look at how donated toys change the lives and outlook of those who receive them. Today's Toy Tales is about Freedom House/Barrier Free Living NYC, a fully accessible domestic abuse… read more

Contributor Sara Eldridge, LMSW, is a Senior Social Worker at Barrier Free Living’s Freedom House domestic violence shelter.  Sara is a licensed social worker who received a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College in 2015.  Sara has been a social worker at Freedom House since 2015, where she provides individual and group counseling to adults, children and adolescents. Prior to Freedom House she worked with youth in alternatives… read more

The Secret Garden team offers a variety of workshops and trainings from Crisis Intervention & Domestic Violence to Sexual and Domestic Violence in the Deaf Community. View the full DV workshops and training list (PDF). Our team can tailor our presentations based on your needs. We provide workshops to people from all areas including service providers, community groups, students and clients/consumers. To find out more about booking a workshop please email [email protected] We look forward to sharing our expertise with you… read more

Contributor Sara Eldridge, LMSW, is a Senior Social Worker at Barrier Free Living’s Freedom House domestic violence shelter. Sara is a licensed social worker who received a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College in 2015.  Sara has been a social worker at Freedom House since 2015, where she provides individual and group counseling to adults, children and adolescents. Prior to Freedom House she worked with youth in alternatives… read more