New Visions Blog

The Human Services Council Reports:  The State budget includes funding and language for salary adjustments for direct care workers for the first time in six years. The Budget includes $13 million growing to $122 million to support a 2% salary increase on January 1, 2015 and another 2% salary increase on April 1, 2015 to the lowest paid direct care workers. While the amount included for this year is low relative to the amount that would be needed for a full COLA, this allocation represents… read more

Barrier Free Living's mission film, created by filmmaker Blake Drummond, is featured on the CVS Caremark You Tube Page as a Grantee Spotlight. View the film. A CVS Caremark Community Grant supports Barrier Free Living and its mission to help people with disabilities reach their fullest potential… read more

Gabriel Gonzalez shares how Barrier Free Living helped him get off of the street and find safe, permanent housing, along with hope for the future.… read more

Jeremy Reitmaier and Amber Brust of Red Eye visited Barrier Free Living's Transitional Housing program this week, a first step for BFL towards its plans for an agency fund raiser. The visit included a tour of the program, which offers safe shelter and case management for people with disabilities, as well as a meeting with Transitional Housing resident Gabriel Gonzalez. Gonzalez recently secured permanent housing with the help of BFL housing team… read more

Grace Drums began a four-part drumming workshop for participants of Barrier Free Living's Secret Garden Domestic Violence program this March. Gabriella Dennery, Founder and Artistic Director of Grace Drums,  (pictured) along with Arlene Hall, facilitate the workshop where participants  learn about drums, rhythm and ultimately provide an outlet for expression. Formerly a practicing primary care physician, and now a full time performer and music teacher, Gabriella says she had… read more

The March issue of Currents (New York City  Chapter, National Association of Social Workers)  features an article from Barrier Free Living CEO Paul Feuerstein, "Bringing Frontline Workers Into the Forefront: A Progressive Method of Organizational Management." The Editor notes: The work environment for social work practice needs to be an  expression of the value of social work. It assures open communication not just from the top down but from the bottom up, so that those in management  and administration understand what… read more

The Huffington Post reports: On Feb. 6, the first day of New York Fashion Week designer Carrie Hammer featured Danielle Sheypuk, Ms. Wheelchair New York 2012 in her runway show. "People with disabilities are an untapped consumer market in terms of fashion," said Sheypuk, a clinical psychologist in New York. "We read the magazines, shop in stores, but nothing is ever pitched to us." Sheypuk, who has used a wheel chair since age 2, said she has a longstanding… read more

Into the Light a documentary about the groundbreaking Matheny Arts Access Program, whose innovative techniques and methodology make possible the creation of fine art by people with disabilities, has been accepted into the 12th Annual Garden State Film Festival. Three of these artists, painter Chris Saglimbene, choreographer Natalia Manning,and writer Jenny Durr, are profiled as they create work for the milestone Arts Access 15th anniversary Full Circle showcase. In the process, we learn of their past struggles, current creative… read more

In The Name of Love is an international art exhibition that brings awareness to the issues of gender-based violence. The exhibit is currently on display in Hays and in Lawrence, Kansas and the online version can be viewed here. This powerful exhibition is the product of a partnership between two violence prevention organizations, one from Kansas, USA and one from Namibia, Africa. Despite the geographical differences, Jana’s Campaign and Victims2Survivors agree that ‘In the Name of Love’… read more

2013 ACE Award winning jewelry designer Alexis Bittar hosted a benefit this month for the Ali Forney Center for homeless GLBTQ Youth in NYC. Attendees included Barrier Free Living 25 Videos of Hope participant singer Mister Padilla, pictured at right with his fiance, writer Culver McCall (Stonewall to Obama), along with BFL Organizational Development Manager Scott Hess. The mission of the Ali Forney Center is "to protect lesbian… read more

Sally Hershberger Downton NYC Salon donated hair products to the residents and consumers at Barrier Free Living's (BFL) Transitional Housing and Secret Garden programs. BFL works with severely disabled homeless people and survivors of domestic violence with disabilities. Famed colorist Marko Tomassetti, who has donated color services to BFL, was on hand to deliver the products… read more

Profiled in the Feb. 2014 Princeton Alumni Weekly, Dr. B.J. Miller is a triple amputee who was injured by an electric current from a trolley car when he was in school at Princeton. Because of his accident and a team of incredible caregivers, he recovered and went into medicine. He is now the Executive Director of the Zen Hospice Project in California. View a video with Miller.… read more

Barrier Free Living is featured in the Feb. 12 Wall Street Journal article, Cuomo proposes flat pay for caretakers of disabled. The article focuses on the fact that the Cuomo administration has proposed keeping pay flat for the sixth straight year for caretakers of the disabled and others at state-funded nonprofits and it's impact on staff. Read the article.… read more

Board Resource Reports: Abuse of People with Disabilities: A Silent Epidemic is a public service video produced by the Board Resource Center (www.brcenter.org) to encourage people with disabilities to speak up about abuse. Molly Kennedy and Kecia Weller are well known peer advocates in California who are taking a stand to stop abuse. Please join them by sharing the video with your network. View the video.… read more

For the second consecutive year, the Assurant Foundation has awarded Barrier Free Living with a $10,000 New Growth Fund grant in support of the agency's work with severely disabled formerly homeless individuals. The Assurant Foundation, which funded BFL's purchase of a new stove to serve the 48 residents of the Transitional Housing program in 2013, awarded  a second grant to "further enhance the incredible work of Barrier Free Living."… read more

Barrier Free Living is participating on AmazonSmile, the shopping site where portions of purchases are donated to the buyer's charity choice. AmazonSmile is listed as: "A simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase… read more

The first annual Soulful Closet Sale was held Jan. 23, with a portion of proceeds going to BFL’s  award winning Secret Garden program for people with disabilities who have experienced domestic violence. Event organizer Lori (Dame) Sutherland, pictured at right with Secret Garden Assistant Director Denise Baker (center) and Secret Garden Director Georgette Delinois (left) was thrilled to create the event featuring one of a kind sale items. Yael Yekutiel was… read more

Scott Hess, Organizational Development Manager and part of the HR/ODT Team at Barrier Free Living, has been accepted into the Columbia University Developing Leaders Program for Nonprofit Professionals, March 2014. "I'm excited to be part of the intensive program. As an agency, Barrier Free Living is in the midst of amazing growth and crucial change and this program allows me to reach higher as a part of the leadership team," said Hess. Hess… read more

Kessler Foundation sponsored a coat drive for BFL's Freedom House Emergency Shelter, donating warm coats to the families at the facility. Several hundred coats were received, said Occupational Therapy Coordinator Patricia Motus, who added that "It was amazing. Residents came and everyone found a coat that fit them perfectly. It looked like the coats were made for them." Freedom House is nationally recognized as the first fully accessible emergency shelter for disabled victims of domestic violence and their families. Kessler… read more

CNN Reports:  On Veterans Day, former Army special ops officer Gary Linfoot took a brisk stroll around the Statue of Liberty. That's remarkable because Linfoot is a paraplegic -- injured while on one of his many tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He's been wheelchair-bound and paralyzed below the waist since 2008. But new technology has offered Linfoot the opportunity to walk again.It's possible because of a kind of wearable robot -- a full-body apparatus developed by California-based Ekso Bionics… read more

A Winter Wonder Land event, funded by Events by Secrets catering and the Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ) was held at BFL's Freedom House emergency shelter. Events by Secrets provided Freedom House families brunch, a  hot dog cart,  popcorn cart and gifts. Harlem Children Zone provided gifts,a  cookie decorating table and arts and craft for the children as well.… read more

The first annual Soulful Closet Sale will be held Jan. 23, with a portion of proceeds going to  BFL's  award winning Secret Garden program for people with disabilities who have experienced domestic violence. Lori (Dame) Sutherland, who organized the event says: "We will be selling prized outfits, shoes, accessories and jewelry – either brand new (with tags!), or gently worn (and are in beautiful condition). From Banana Republic to Laboutins, darlings!… read more

Christy Parque, Executive Director at Homeless Services United was interviewed live on the nationally syndicated show Aljazeera America about the next steps the new administration can take to begin addressing homelessness. You can view the interview here .… read more

BFL's award winning Secret Garden program for people with disabilities who have experienced domestic violence has launched a S.P.E.A.K. (Strength. Positivity.Empathy.Action.Kindness.) workshop aimed at building a sense of "self, confidence, awareness and gut feelings." Topics range from safety planning to mind-body connections. Info: [email protected]… read more

Disability Scoop reports: The number of federal workers with disabilities is on the rise, with a new report finding that such employment has reached its highest level in more than three decades. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management said in a report released Thursday that the nation’s largest employer added 16,653 new employees with disabilities during the 2012 fiscal year, bringing the total to nearly 220,000. Read the full story here. … read more