New Visions Blog

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

The New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) in collaboration with the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) cordially invite you to: ACCESS TO INDEPENDENCE “Access to Independence is an Accessible Transportation Expo Designed to Educate the Public About Accessible Transportation Options Available in New York City” Victor Calise, Commissioner, MOPD To participate please register online at: www.nyc.gov/mopd or Call 311 September 30, 2014 10 AM - 2 PM Columbus Park, Brooklyn NY (North side of the park) Columbus Park is adjacent to Brooklyn… read more

AP Reports: At a time when election officials are struggling to convince more Americans to vote, advocates for the disabled say thousands of people with autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy and other intellectual or developmental disabilities have been systematically denied that basic right in the nation's largest county. Read the story.… read more

Barrier Free Living's Scott Hess speaks to Human Services Council NewsNViews Radio show about the agency's new Project Give Back.(Scott begins at 17 minute mark) Hear the podcast.… read more

Living on the streets and battling addiction, Lourdes found help and new hope at Barrier Free Living's Transitional Housing program, which works with homeless people with disabilities. After working with her case manager and the BFL housing specialist, today Lourdes is moving into her own home and planning to go back to school to fulfill her dream of being a counselor… read more

http://youtu.be/Ou4AYr-plrE Indigenous Conference Services (Australia) is pleased to host this year's World Indigenous Domestic Violence Conference, focusing on a Brighter Future. The World Indigenous Domestic Violence Conference is scheduled to be held in Cairns, Australia on 8th- 10th December 2014. The event is designed to be the largest international gathering of indigenous and non indigenous people with an interest in stoping Domestic Violence within Indigenous communities.  The aim of the conference is to highlight and showcase successful programs, which has led to positive impacts and outcomes within… read more

E-Pao.net reports: Emphasizing the significance of organizing awareness programme at the village level, Mangboi Singsit, Project Officer of Manipur North Economic Development Association (MANEDA) has pointed out that most of the disabled people living in villages are victims of domestic violence and they don't enjoyed the rights entitled to them by the Constitution of India. The Project Officer of MANEDA was speaking during a Seminar on the Rights of Persons with Disability jointly organized by All Disabled Union Sadar Hills (ADUSH)… read more

CVS Health (BFL's Freedom House Program is a CVS Caremark Community Grant program participant) has announced the end of tobacco sales at CVS/pharmacy as of September 3, nearly a month ahead of the previously targeted date of October 1, making CVS/pharmacy the first and only national pharmacy chain to take this step in support of the health and well-being of its patients and customers. To raise awareness about the benefits of quitting smoking, CVS Health is launching a social campaign –… read more

Cadwalder, Wickersham & Taft announced: This Friday, September 5, donate $10 to wear jeans to work to benefit Barrier Free Living (“BFL”). Barrier Free Living, one of the Firm’s longstanding pro bono clients, began its groundbreaking work with people with disabilities in 1978.  Since then, BFL has gone on to work with thousands of people with disabilities, has launched several successful award-winning programs and has become a leader in working with survivors of domestic violence with disabilities. BFL operates the only… read more

Today reports: Eight-year-old Noah Aldrich didn’t want his 6-year-old sibling Lucas — who is confined to a wheelchair — to miss out on a youth triathlon this month, so he pulled and pushed his little brother the whole way as he swam, biked and ran in the sweltering heat. Read the story.… read more

By Cynthia Amodeo, Director of Family Services, Barrier Free Living’s Freedom House Emergency Shelter. 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 complicated issues of… read more

Howard Cain at National Environmental, which supplies janitorial materials to Freedom House, donated uniform shirts to the maintenance team in support of the program's mission. John Macias, Facility Manager at Freedom House, said the new shirts featuring the agency logo were a great addition to team building for his hard working staff.… read more

The Huffington Post Reports: A New Brunswick university professor is calling attention to the need to overcome barriers people with disabilities face in politics after discovering an "extremely low" number of them enter public life. Mario Levesque, a political science professor at Mount Allison University in Sackville, N.B., said his research, which dealt with people with physical, mental and intellectual disabilities, is in its early stages but he is hoping to spark a national conversation on the issue. Read the story… read more

First featured on the BFL New Visions Blog in October 2012 Alex Minsky (image by Tim Cullis) is featured in the August 2014 issue of Out Magazine. Out Reports: Alex Minsky was just a young Marine, less than a month into his first tour in Afghanistan in 2009, when his body was brutally ravaged by a roadside bomb. Minsky lost his leg and fell into a 47-day coma. While in recovery… read more

The Guardian Reports:In Victoria, more than one victim of domestic violence dies every fortnight. There are no quick fixes, but there are some ‘best practice’ pointers which should be followed. On Monday, a group of leading Victorian family violence organisations laid 29 red roses and eight white rosebuds on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne, as a memorial and a challenge. They marked the number of women and children who died through family violence in the state last year. More than one… read more

Barrier Free Living is holding its annual Staff Appreciation Awards Friday Sept. 12. Staff are honored for outstanding work. Categories range from Best Leadership to Best Sense of Humor. Members of all BFL programs gather for the celebration, which culminates with a special rendition of Family Feud… read more

Barrier Free Living kicked off its new Project Give Back, where former residents "give back" by working on a project related to the shelter. Thomas, a former resident, (pictured and in video at top of pressroom page) is painting a dynamic, inspirational mural on the patio of the Transitional Housing program.… read more

The Huffington Post Reports: On August 8, 2014, the Governor of Massachusetts signed into law a statute that, among other provisions, allows an employee of an entity having 50 or more employees to take up to 15 days of leave from work in any 12-month period due to enumerated domestic violence issues. The employer has sole discretion to decide if the leave is paid or unpaid. A number of states already have similar legislation that either specifically addresses domestic violence or… read more

http://youtu.be/pcdFmJp0Oow Mayor Bill de Blasio and Commissioner Victor Calise Celebrate 2014 Sapolin Awards in Honor of the 24th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act August 19, 2014… read more

The Fourteenth Annual Gladys Ricart and Victims of Domestic Violence Memorial Walk/Brides’ March is being held Friday, September 26, 2014 The Brides March site states: If you or someone you know have been touched by family violence or you denounce this antisocial behavior and crime, we invite you to join the 14th Annual Gladys Ricart and Victims of Domestic Violence Memorial Walk/Brides’ March, on Friday, September 26, 2014. Gathering will… read more

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