NYAIL News 2024

Seasons’ Greetings, Advocacy Updates, Webinar Series, and Center Spotlights

Thank you for taking the time to read the monthly newsletter from the New York Association on Independent Living (NYAIL). Do you have job postings, events, or suggestions to improve our newsletter? Send any information to NYAIL’s Communications Specialist Blaise Bryant.

Regardless of which holiday you choose to celebrate, the NYAIL team wishes you a happy, healthy, restful, and safe holiday season! Our office will be closed December 24-25 and December 31-January 1, 2025, to allow our staff to have more time to be with family. As 2024 is ending we want to thank you for joining us either at the Capitol advocating for disability rights, participated in our webinar series, or however you helped further our mission of freedom and independence for people with disabilities. Nothing about us without us! Lead on!

Advocacy Updates

PPL Information Sessions

Public Partnerships LLC (PPL), the company the state is contracting with to administer the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP), is holding information sessions both virtually and around the state. The goal of these sessions is to introduce themselves to Consumers, Designated Representatives, Personal Assistants, and others who are connected to CDPA. The recording for their November 21 informational session, along with a list of upcoming sessions is available on their website.

Advocacy Summit Jan 12-13, 2025

Group of people with disabilities wearing shirts that read, Advocate Educate Love Accept Spina Bifida Association NYS

The Spina Bifida Association of NYS (SBANYS), NYAIL, and other partnering organizations are holding an advocacy summit on Sunday, January 12 and Monday the 13^th in Albany. During this two-day event you will learn the basics of advocacy, meet your elected Assemblymembers and Senators, along with networking with people with disabilities. Learn more on their website linked above, or register here!

In Memoriam: Diane Coleman

Pictured is the late Diane Coleman with glasses, wearing a peach dress and holding a bouquet of flowers.

Diane Coleman, a tremendous advocate for people with disabilities passed away on November 4. She was 71 years old. Coleman founded Not Dead Yet in 1996, opposing assisted suicide legalization and fighting for disability freedom and autonomy. She is a well-known writer and speaker on the issue, having presented testimony four times to the House and Senate and appearing on national television news broadcasts for Nightline, CNN, ABC, CBS, MSNBC and others. She also served for three years as Director of Advocacy at the Center for Disability Rights in Rochester, New York and has been a longstanding member of NYAIL’s health committee. NYAIL awarded Diane the David Veatch Advocacy Achievement award at our 2021 conference for her deep commitment to her principles and issues, and for her knowledge, experience and expertise. Here is a video of her speaking at a virtual press conference about assisted suicide and her own experiences. Rest in power, Diane.

Department of Health Launches Open Doors Campaign

Black elderly man sitting on a brown love seat

Last month the NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH) launched a campaign highlighting the Open Doors Program, transitioning people out of nursing homes in to homes of their choice. Our New York City Transition Specialist Liaison Mariah Sepulveda was featured in a radio commercial. Learn more about the Open Doors program and the campaign on the DOH website!

Webinar Series

Image of video reads Who is Involved? Independence and Access for All

On November 13^th Connor McGough gave a presentation on the ARISE Adapted Design Program. This creative resource takes various low-cost materials and turns them in to adapted equipment for people with disabilities. Watch the recording and read the slides on our Training and Education page! While you’re there consider a sponsorship for our 2025 webinar series to offset the cost of American Sign Language and captioning. For questions or more information please contact our Communications Specialist Blaise Bryant.

Sponsor our 2025 webinar series!

Click to download pdf

For every webinar we provide American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreting, along with real-time captioning. You can sponsor either one or more webinars per month for $500, or an annual sponsorship for $5,000. Your organization’s logo will be placed within the webinar, on social media, and on our NYAIL website. You can find out more information about the sponsorship packages on our Training and Education page. If you have questions or would like to be a sponsor for the webinar series please contact Blaise Bryant.

Center Spotlight

CENTER FOR INDEPENDENCE OF THE DISABLED, NY Wednesday, December 4th 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Mental health and sex education. Featuring guests from SIECUS.

Please RSVP in advance at: www.tinyurl.com/CIDNY4All or email Mbacke Thiam at mthiam@cidny.org. If you need accommodations like large print, American Sign Language (ASL), or materials in other languages, please let us know two weeks before the meeting. For more information, please call 212-674-2300. Thank you!