April, 2026

We want to inform and connect with the entire Job Path community

 so we are all on this path together.

Customized Employment leaders honored

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Customized Employment Awards, hosted by The Consortium and the NYC Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, with the honors going to Julia Kelly and Martha Jackson - two leaders who have made a tremendous impact on of disability inclusion in New York City’s workforce.

The Consortium’s Director Karen Waltuck noted that the awards have been always scheduled in March to coincide with Developmental Disabilities Awareness month.

“This year’s DDAM theme is “We're Here: Then, Now, Always." And I think that everyone in this room feels that message very deeply.”

-Karen Waltuck, CCE Director

You can click here for the full story on the awards.

Photo caption: Martha Jackson, Executive Director, Center for Workplace Accessibility and Inclusion - NYC Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development and Julia Kelly, Director, Employment & Meaningful Community Activities - NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD.)

Part of the awards was the premiering of a short video highlighting success stories from people who have been supported by the Consortium for 10+ years, including Marlon C. who talked about his past work success and how he's ready for his next opportunity.

CCE is rooted in the principle that customized employment gives people with developmental disabilities the structure and framework they need to succeed while providing employers with skilled and motivated workers.

As Marlon says: “When you have that type of guidance and a good work ethic and a good support team that are supporting you and behind you - the sky’s the limit.”

CCE is a project of Job Path that brings together 14 New York City social service agencies to expand the reach of customized employment to serve even more New Yorkers with developmental disabilities.

Every week, we're sharing more stories like these

on our social media platforms.

Please follow, like, and share!

Has Job Path made a difference in your life?

Over the past 20 years that Associate Executive Director Aimee Althoff has been part of our Employment Program, hundreds of Job Path participants have found jobs and thrived at work.

The foundation for almost every one of those achievements can be traced back to her.

Joining the Benefit with a ticket, a sponsorship, or an ad is the perfect way to celebrate her, our Employment team, a loved one's success story, or anyone in the Job Path community!

Print ad deadline: April 10

Digital ad deadline: April 14

Help us celebrate Aimee (left) and our Employer of the Year: CAC Industries. You can read more about them here.

Charisma Pointer - Direct Support Professional,

Community Connections Program

At a recent all-staff meeting, Charisma Pointer shared a reflection on her time with with Job Path. She joined as a DSP in January 2024.

"Some of my favorite moments are the simplest ones. For example, there is an individual I support who greets me every day by asking me to squeeze his right hand and then his left hand. He asks multiple times throughout the day, and each time, it brings me just as much joy as it brings him. Those small moments serve as powerful reminders that kindness, patience, and consistency truly make a difference."

Charisma with some of the art created by the Community Connections Art Group.

With the end of March, we’ve officially concluded Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, and we are now moving into April as Autism Awareness Month. Both commemorative months were officially established almost 40 years ago, but the sentiments behind them are more important than ever, and more than a hashtag at Job Path. 

Every day of every month at Job Path is a celebration of what people with autism and other developmental disabilities can do, and how they make their workplaces and their communities a better place!

Thanks to our "Cheers" host and crowd

Thank you to our host Seven Sins for donating 30% of the bar tab, and everyone who came out for our Cheers for a Cause event on March 23!

We'll keep you posted about the next chance to gather (and send an email to jhughes@jobpathnyc.org if you know of a bar that might host one of our Cheers events.)

In case you missed it ...

The athletic shoe company, Adidas has released a performance running shoe designed by and for adaptive athletes and people with disabilities.

From the company: "Inspired by conversations with adidas-sponsored athlete Chris Nikic, the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon, and a shared drive to break down barriers, adidas set out on a multi-year mission to design a running shoe that addresses the unique needs of people with disabilities and makes sport more accessible." Read more here.  

April: As part of our efforts to highlight and celebrate the great diversity within our Job Path community, we will be featuring racial, ethnic, cultural, and identity pride commemorations here each month.

Autism Awareness Month

Arab American Heritage Month 

Staff Anniversaries

Special recognition to staff who celebrated their anniversary at Job Path in March.

Thank you for all of the contributions that you have made over the years in making Job Path successful.

Tracey Ramdehal  - 25 Years

Taijii Dudley - 20 Years

James Avanzino - 10 Years

Noemi Marrero - 14 Years

Cristian Atriz  - 9 Years

Amerie Vega  - 7 Years

Jill Lebwohl  - 6 Years

Frantz Gaspard  - 4 Years

Deiselu Guido  - 3 Years

Maria Sepulveda - 2 Years

Yoselyn Perez - 2 Years

Maki Fukuda - 2 Years

Camden Nasoff  -2 Years

Theresa Hsueh Ihara - 1 Year

Kirin Lawrence - 1 Year

Job Path supports people with autism and other developmental disabilities as they find jobs, live in their own homes, and become involved in community life. To learn more, visit our website.