New Visions Blog

Alex Minsky, featured in the GQ Magazine spread: Active Duty: Alex Minsky Shows You How to Dress for the Gym, continues to inspire people with disabilties world wide. BFL spoke to Minsky last year, about his journey after he lost his leg when his truck rolled over an IED (improvised explosive device) in Afghanistan. GQ Writes: Say good-bye to your mesh lacrosse shorts and take your Greek Week shirt to Goodwill. Now fashion designers are making clothes you can work out in (this… read more

From City Limits Gov. Needs to Restore Money for Domestic Violence Victims By: PAUL FEUERSTEIN A recent New York City Council report found that incidents of domestic violence in public housing operated by NYCHA had doubled since 2009. And yet at the same time, our elected officials are cutting funding to groups that help domestic violence victims access legal services, receive counseling and find safe transitional housing. When Governor Cuomo and state Budget Director Robert Megna… read more

Noah Galloway, the Iraq war vet and amputee who beat out 1200 competitors to be Men’s Health magazine’s cover model for November, 2014 is an inspiration to people with disabilities nationwide. We got a chance to talk to Noah about the cover, how he got through challenging times after his accident, and his secrets for a great gym routine. BFL: Your story is a great inspiration to the people we work with… read more

Born and raised as part of a large deaf family in Brooklyn, Michelle Reyes set her sights on giving back to the community after graduating from Gallaudet University. This year, she joined Barrier Free Living’s Secret Garden Domestic Violence program as a social worker, counseling both Deaf/HOH and hearing individuals. We caught up with Michelle to talk about her first year with BFL. How did you learn about Barrier Free… read more

amNewYork reports: The city's transportation network is a massive system of subways and tens of thousands of buses and taxis. But the 800,000 New Yorkers living with disabilities only get to use a fraction of what is available to the average person. Nearly 25 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 became law, more of the transportation network has opened up to people who use wheelchairs, walking aids or are visually impaired. Yet much of it is still off… read more

Manhattan Legal Services, the host agency for the Upper Manhattan Domestic Violence Services Collaborative, brings the Shine the Light On Domestic Violence message to  Harlem on the evening of October 27, 2014. Four Walks are being organized, one from each direction in Harlem.  The Walks will start at 5:30pm and convene at the State Office Building for a Speak Out.  Lights go purple at 6pm.  The event promises to raise the community’s level of awareness on the prevalence and insidiousness of domestic violence while also… read more

Disability Scoop Reports: The number of characters with disabilities appearing on broadcast television is on the rise, according to a new analysis. Eleven characters with disabilities are expected to be featured regularly on scripted prime-time programs on ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox and NBC this season, up from eight last year. The findings come from a report released Wednesday on diversity in television that’s conducted annually by GLAAD, a media advocacy organization for the gay and lesbian community. The review looks at… read more

When Kira Kazantsev (Miss New York) was crowned Miss America 2015, it was not only a win for the Big Apple, but for survivors of domestic violence nationwide. Kira chose domestic violence as her platform and together with the Miss America Organization has launched a bold #VOWtoEndIt campaign during October’s Domestic Violence (DV) Awareness Month. Barrier Free Living caught up with Kira to talk about her platform, her passion… read more

Private Violence is a feature-length documentary film and audience engagement campaign that explores a simple, but deeply disturbing fact of American life: the most dangerous place for a woman in America is her own home. Every day in the US, at least four women are murdered by abusive (and often, ex) partners. The film debuts on HBO on October 20. Learn more.… read more

During this October's Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Miss America 2015 Kira Kazantsev and the Miss America Organization launched the #VOWtoEndIt campaign. Learn more.… read more

The Mayor’s Office and the Department of Sanitation will be hosting the Winter Weather Access and Mobility Summit on October 22, 2014 from 11-1PM at the Lighthouse Guild. View info. here.… read more

Andy Mientus (Kyle Bishop in the tv show Smash) has joined the CW's The Flash as hearing impaired (and openly gay) DC Comics villain Hartley Rathaway/Pied Piper. Read more. … read more

Six diverse nonprofit organizations were announced as finalists for the 2014 New York Community Trust Nonprofit Excellence Awards. The Awards recognize outstanding management practices of nonprofits in New York City, Long Island and Westchester. The six organizations were selected by a panel of 30 nonprofit management experts, from a list of 10 semifinalists recognized earlier this year. The finalist organizations, which vary in size and in the types of programs and services they offer, were chosen by the program's 30-member expert Selection… read more

ThnkProgress Reports: The Star Apartments on Los Angeles’ Skid Row will provide permanent housing to 102 homeless people and the county agency that works to end homelessness. More important than the aesthetics is the good the facility will do for its residents and for Skid Row as a whole. It is three times more expensive to leave homeless people on the street than it is to simply give them housing. The stability that a home provides makes it far easier for… read more

The Wizard of Oz in American Sign Language was made by Eyes Alive!, an elementary school performing arts group at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind. The movie was shot over a couple of months on the school campus… read more

The INDY Star reports: Domestic Violence Awareness Month seems to be especially timely this October, and playwright Marcella Goheen is appreciative of the attention. As creator of "The Maria Project" — a one-person play about the 1931 murder of Maria Salazar by the hand of her husband — Goheen took note when the National Domestic Violence Hotline experienced an 84 percent increase in calls after a video leaked in September of football player Ray Rice hitting his then-fiancee in an Atlantic… read more

The  BFL Speaker’s Bureau held its  Moving Beyond Shame special Domestic Violence Awareness Month event on Oct. 7, celebrating survivors of domestic violence who have moved beyond shame and found hope. Spearheaded by Speakers Bureau founder Theresa McIntosh, special guests included  Victor Calise, Commissioner, Mayor’s Office for People With Disabilities;Rosemonde Pierre-Louis, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence; along with humanitarian/advocate Brett Scudder; and writer… read more

Sorenson Communication launched a new Videophone Communication booth for Deaf/HOH participants at Barrier Free Living's Secret Garden Domestic Violence program in October. Sorenson's mission is to "empower the deaf and hard-of-hearing community to communicate with both deaf and hearing family, friends or business contacts using video relay service." Nicolyn Plummer, Secret Garden Social Worker, Services for the Deaf, organized the event, attended by staff and participants of the program. Pictured… read more

Goldman Sachs’ Community TeamWorks (CTW) supported Barrier Free Living's Freedom House emergency shelter this past year through a variety of volunteer initiatives, including a summer BBQ and  trips to the Bronx Zoo, Victoria Gardens, and the Natural History Museum. CTW released its 2014 Impact Report, thanking the "nearly 900 community partners who engaged our volunteers in over 1,580 service projects this year. Through this partnership, more than 25,000 Goldman Sachs volunteers contributed over 125,000 hours of service to… read more

The  BFL Speaker's Bureau will host Moving Beyond Shame a special Domestic Violence Awareness Month event on Oct. 7, celebrating survivors of domestic violence who have moved beyond shame and found hope. Special guests include Victor Calise, Commissioner, Mayor's Office for People With Disabilities;Rosemonde Pierre-Louis, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence; along with humanitarian/advocate Brett Scudder; writer Claire Cappetta; BFL CEO Paul Feuerstein; and Speaker's Bureau founder Theresa McIntosh. The BFL Speakers Bureau was founded in May… read more

The Daily News reports: A group of world-class wheelchair-bound athletes showed off their competitive spirit Thursday, taking over a parking lot at Citi Field during the 14th Annual Major League Wheelchair Softball Tournament. The event brought together four teams from New England, Chicago and the metropolitan area. And these eclectic mix of players take their sport seriously. Read the story.… read more

The 14th annual Matthew Sapolin Memorial Wheelchair Basketball Tournament (formerly the Mayor’s Cup) will bring the nation’s best wheelchair basketball teams to New York City for two days of non-stop action on October 11 & 12. The tournament, held at Horace Mann School in the Bronx, is one of the largest of its kind in the Northeast and has become one of the premier events on the National Wheelchair… read more

Freedom House Team member Lisa Lorenzi will join the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in New York Oct. 18-19. Lisa joined the walk in memory of her Grandmother (pictured above with Lisa). Lisa says: "My grandmother's cancer taught me to cherish life daily. To love the people in my life with all my heart, and let them know often how much I love them often. It taught me to have no regrets and… read more

The National Network to End Domestic Violence reports: In a press conference today, Commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated the need for the NFL to “get it right” and work to shift how society responds to domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse. In response to media inquiries about the National Football League’s (NFL’s) plans to do this, Commissioner Goodell announced that NFL funds will be donated to the National Domestic Violence Hotline to aid in responding to the increased call volume. These funds… read more

Ndidi joined BFL as a marketing and administration intern in 2011. Her goal: to contribute to our mission while building her job skill set. After six exemplary months, Ndidi was hired at Horowitz Associates as a Program Coordinator Assistant. “As an intern at Barrier Free Living, it was not only a rewarding experience, but also the right stepping stone toward a career that I knew I wanted,” said Ndidi. “Without my experience… read more

Ndidi se unió a BFL en el 2011 para la práctica profesional de marketing y administración. Su objetivo: contribuir a nuestra misión mientras construye su conjunto de habilidades de trabajo. Después de seis meses ejemplares, Ndidi fue contratada en Horowitz Associates como Asistente de Coordinador de Programas. "Como estudiante en práctica en Barrier Free Living, no sólo tuve una experiencia gratificante, sino también fue el paso correcto hacia una carrera que yo… read more

CNN Reports: The 23-year-old Miss American 2015 Kira Kazantsev's platform is domestic violence. During the question and answer portion of the pageant -- held Sunday at its birthplace of Atlantic City, New Jersey -- she said sexual assault in the military is a problem that needs the attention of lawmakers. Read more.… read more

http://youtu.be/ZAgXgKQ7viY UNYQ reported: “It’s been crazy,” said Minsky. “People are starting to recognize me so this was the best possible opportunity to show off my freshly designed fairing.” Retired Marine Cpl. Alex Minsky’s life took a surreal and unexpected turn this year as he sat on a couch next to Barbara Walters , Sherri Shepherd, andJenny McCarthy . The ladies of The View were admiring him, not just over his heroic military service or the fact that he’d been… read more

CNN Reports: When a case of domestic violence captures the national headlines like the story of fallen NFL star Ray Rice and his wife, Janay, there's a laser focus on the abuser and the victim. But what about the children? Ray and Janay Rice have a 2-year-old daughter. We don't know if she has ever witnessed domestic violence in her household or ever will. What we do know is more than 3 million children have witnessed it in their homes every year, according to… read more

The Washington Post Reports: It turns out that domestic violence against women doesn't just do short-term damage to a victim's health. It's also associated with diseases, traumas and illnesses that can last a lifetime. Women who have fallen victim to domestic violence are 80 percent more likely to suffer a stroke, 70 percent more likely to have heart disease, 70 percent more likely to become heavy drinkers, and 60 percent more likely to become asthmatic than women who have not, … read more