New Visions Blog

Anne Markowitz, L.C.S.W., is a consultant for Barrier Free Living providing workshops around the topic of anger. She shares a few tips about dealing with anxiety  during this challenging period. We are going to be in this Coronavirus crisis for some time, and no one knows for how long. We are all used to crisis work—(at Barrier Free Living's programs for survivors of domestic violence with disabilities it’s the nature of… read more

Sit Down With Sara Episode 2 Sara Eldridge, Assistant Director at Barrier Free Living’s Secret Garden domestic violence shelter shares insights and tips on topics related to domestic violence and the services and support offered at Barrier Free Living.… read more

A message from Barrier Free Living CEO/Founder Paul Feuerstein As the global effect of coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve, Barrier Free Living is firmly committed to the health and safety of our staff and the people we serve. We are closely monitoring the changing situation, working with our partners in domestic violence field to comply with public health guidance and meet the requirements of our funding sources. All of our… read more

Barrier Free Living team member Aeilushi Mistry will be fostering community and encouraging harmony at a special event on August 3 at Brooklyn's Pebble Beach. Aeilushi is the Founder of the Hindu Lamp Ceremony,  which will be held on August 3 from 4-8pm at Pebble Beach in Brooklyn Bridge Park. The ceremony encourages participants to decorate their own palm leaf lamp and release it in the East River as part of the traditional… read more

Barrier Free Living apartment team members Irma Williams, Director of Social Services, and Jeffrey Hampton, Resident Aide Manager, put their recent CPR* training to the test in an emergency situation this summer, saving the life of a resident at the supportive housing program. After a tenant reported an unresponsive family member in their home, Irma and Jeffrey  rushed to the scene, called 911 then checked the person's breathing.  Jeffrey, who had… read more

When Marlow White joined the Resident Aide team at Barrier Free Living apartments a few years back, he didn't expect the job to change who he was as a person. But that's exactly what happened. Marlow, who since joining the agency has become active as a CPI Trainer and a member of the 2019 Communication Committee, says that the work he does at BFL has  "helped me to look at myself 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

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

This May,  Theater of War Productions, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence, presented a dramatic reading of two scenes from Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize winning play, A Streetcar Named Desire for an audience of  middle and high school students. Although Barrier Free Living’s primary focus is providing direct services to survivors of domestic violence with a disability, the agency is… read more

Members of the BFL Apartments' community garden club kicked off the planting season, supported in part by a grant from the City Gardens Club of NYC. BFL Apartments is a supportive housing complex in the Bronx, providing permanent homes to survivors of domestic violence with disabilities and their families, as well as veterans with disabilities. The club was created with the Barrier Free Living occupational therapy team in 2017, as a… read more

Barrier Free Living's Secret Garden domestic violence program will be participating in the Next Steps Fair on Thursday, April 26, part of Turn Off The Violence Week at St. John's University.  Turn Off the Violence Week includes the Clothesline Project, and is a week of empowerment and awareness regarding sexual violence in the community. The Clothesline Project started in 1990 to address the issue of violence against women. It… read more

Blog contributor Julia Alberino. Julia retired in 2011 after more than thirty years as a health care administrator in both the public and private sectors. She was a frequent speaker at professional conferences, and co-founder of an advocacy group that worked to maintain and improve services for Medicaid beneficiaries, including elderly and disabled individuals. We’re a little more than halfway through Autism Awareness Month, and I’ve been thinking about a remarkable young… read more

Myra Ricard, Program Director at Barrier Free Living's Freedom House emergency domestic violence shelter was one of the women honored at the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agency's (FPWA) Women in Human Services Hall of Fame ceremony on March 13, 2018 in Albany. "I am very honored," says Myra. "I have been doing this work for many years. It's a passion for me and I will continue to do work with domestic violence survivors for years to come,." FPWA… read more

A call for entries is out for a DYCD Sexual Assault Awareness Month Youth Art Project. The contest is open to any teens across NYC, regardless of whether they attend a DYCD-funded after-school program or not.  New this year, DYCD will release limited edition t-shirts in April featuring youth artwork in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Teens can submit original artwork by January 26 for a chance to… read more

BFL CEO Paul Feuerstein is profiled in the New York Law School Center for Real Estate Studies' The Rooftop Projects newsletter this May. Read the article. … read more

This March, Barrier Free Living’s (BFL) Freedom House domestic violence program created an American Sign Language (ASL) video as a way to share information with arriving Deaf and Hard of Hearing residents. The film, to be used internally by Freedom House, is supported by the Office on Violence Against Women Disabilities Grant Program. Barrier Free Living's Director of Communications Scott Hess shot the film, working with consultant and long time collaborator Blake Drummond of Diagonal Media.… read more

Spread The Sparkle hosted a holiday event for Barrier Free Living on December 25, providing a sumptuous dinner buffet, a visit from Santa and gifts for nearly 180 attending. Tenants of Barrier Free Living apartments, residents of the agency's Freedom House domestic violence shelter and consumers of BFL's Secret Garden domestic violence program attended the festivities. The day's events included a photo booth, Santa Claus, caroling and more. Spread The… read more

BFL Apartments tenant Felicia Ridges hopes to further her education and career goals, using the fund raising platform Benevolent. Felicia worked with her social worker David Kwon, posting a video on the site about her journey, from surviving domestic violence to finding her own home. "Felicia's goal is to help others who have experienced similar issues by becoming a drug counselor. Her first step is to get her GED then she… read more

Barrier Free Living will be a participate in St. John University’s 9th Annual Turn Off The Violence week, April 25-27. The Queens campus of St. John’s will  recognize those victims of violence who come from “many different countries, races, religions, and socioeconomic statuses, and to take a stand against all power-based personal violence that often occurs in personal relationships.” Turn off the Violence Week promotes "awareness, empowerment… read more

Rick Davy, founder and Executive Director of the BK Style Foundation, Monica Watkins, Ford Model and founder of anti-trafficking organization Beauty for Freedom have partnered with Steps to End Family Violence in creating the Denim Day NYC #IAmNotInvisible Video and Photographic Campaign raising awareness for the survivors of sexual and domestic violence. Launching April 2016, the campaign’s mission is to engage New Yorkers in the fight to end sexual and domestic violence and to raise funds and awareness for Denim Day… read more

About a dozen Freedom House team members participated in a 4-week ASL workshop this spring. Caelan Manning, a Barrier Free Living case manager, ran the workshop. The goal was to educate and inform staff about working and interacting with the Deaf community. Manning hopes that "staff will be able to use what they've learned in emergency situations, and also in general to show some kind of unity and acceptance with/of the Deaf community."… read more

Shine Foundation kicked off a new 4-week Financial Engagement workshop for residents at Barrier Free Living's  Freedom House  emergency shelter this March. The goal in the next 4 weeks, says Shine coordinators, is to "have clients set and achieve their savings goals for housing." The mission of Shine Foundation is to improve the financial health of homeless abuse survivors in NYC and Baltimore.  First session residents identified over $400 in savings. For additional… read more

Freedom House launched a training roster through the spring of 2016 to educate and empower staff at the domestic violence program. Trainings range from  DV 101, to Child Abuse Reporting Training to a presentation on deaf history.The staff also attended a Demystifying ACS presentation this spring.… read more

Scott Hess, Director of Communications at Barrier Free Living, has joined the Denim Day NYC Executive Board as a Member-At-Large. Denim Day NYC is a coalition of community agencies, elected officials, students, and volunteers united to promote awareness around the issue of sexual assault. Denim Day is April 27. For the past 17 years, Peace Over Violence has run its Denim Day campaign on a Wednesday in April in honor of Sexual Violence Awareness Month. The campaign was originally triggered by a… read more

Photo Alice Sheppard . Credit: Jeffrey Lee/On the Spot Image Registration for Dance/NYC's 2016 Pre-Symposium Sessions is Now Open! When: Saturday, February 27, 2016, 10:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Where: Gibney Dance Center, 280 Broadway (enter at 53 Chambers) How: Register Now. Symposium Registration is required. Pre-Symposium - FREE for Symposium attendees Full Symposium Registration - $125 Artist Rate - $50 A Pre-Symposium program, part of Dance/NYC’s initiative to increase access and inclusion to the art form, is presented in partnership with Art Beyond Sight… read more

December toy donations from both individuals and agencies like the FPWA and Second Chance Toys brighten the holiday for the 144 children living at Barrier Free Living's Freedom House domestic violence shelter and BFL Apartments as well as our Secret Garden program. Learn more about donating a toy, your time or much needed financial resources to Barrier Free Living here.… read more

I headed to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on November 17 to see the Axis Dance Company, expecting an enjoyable evening out of the city. What I experienced was a jaw-dropping, awe inspiring night of integrated dance performance. The show, which includes performers with and without disabilities working together, featured a trio of moving dances: Dix minutes plus tard by Sonya Delwaide; Divide, by Marc Brew; to go again by Joe Goode. The pieces, both individually and as a program, got at… read more

Axis Dance will perform Nov. 17 at 7pm at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Seen on So You Think You Can Dance! AXIS Dance Company is one of the world’s leading and most innovative ensembles of dancers with and without disabilities.Paving the way for physically integrated dance, each year AXIS shares its cutting-edge artistic and education/outreach work with thousands all over the world.AXIS exists to… read more

The Fall 2015 Breaking Barriers newsletter, with a focus on the agency's new BFL apartments and the ribbon cutting event, is available to download. Download the PDF here.… read more