Blog Stories

At Elmsford Day Habilitation in YAI’s Hudson Valley region, a group of women are smashing the commonly held misconception that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) cannot meaningfully give back to their communities. For months, the women have spent their free time crocheting blankets for patients undergoing inpatient rehabilitation for chemical dependency at St. John’s Riverside Hospital in Yonkers.

On November 15, YAI hosted its third annual Hudson Valley Autism Conference, drawing more than 200 people from across the region who came to learn more about the challenges and opportunities that adults with autism encounter in their everyday lives.

November was a month of milestones for YAI. On November 10, CEO George Contos made his debut on City and State’s Nonprofit Power 100 list, coming in at 45. Just five days later, YAI earned the 2019 Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar, the world’s largest organization that evaluates the effectiveness and mission of US-based nonprofit organizations.

Even as the sky darkened and puddles collected on the lawn of their apartment complex in Westwood, New Jersey, Lisa Zabielski and Jenna DeNoble didn’t let the weather drown out their Halloween plans. “We love having friends over, so we’re throwing a Halloween pizza party tonight,” Zabielski said, smiling. “We’ll have a bucket of candy and put on some movies so no one has to go out in the rain.”

On October 27, Newsday honored YAI’s Long Island region with a Top Workplaces 2019 award. Long Island, where more than 500 of YAI’s 4,000 staff are employed, offers a full range of services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) including housing, socialization programs, and vocational training.

Of all the collective knowledge held by experts and direct support staff at YAI, none surpasses the insight and experience of those who know, firsthand, what it’s like to live as a person with an intellectual or developmental disability (I/DD). Because of this, YAI’s self advocates take their role seriously, dedicating much of their lives to giving a voice to the I/DD community through speaking engagements, community activism, and statewide political advocacy.

From the moment they were born 33 years ago, fraternal twins Andy and Michael Platt have been inseparable. For years, the brothers shared a room in their father’s house in Suffolk County, Long Island, and attended YAI’s WAVE day program.

On September 19, participants in YAI’s first-ever Management Development Program celebrated their graduation. Led by experts from Smergut Consulting, Rutgers University, and The National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities at the University of Delaware, the year-long course was open to senior managers whom supervisors had identified as having the potential to transition into top leadership roles at the agency.

On September 26, YAI Network school Manhattan Star Academy (MSA) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its Upper School at 150 Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan, marking the expansion of the school’s capacity and services. The event, which was attended by New York State Senator Brad Hoylman and YAI’s CEO George Contos, embodied the realization of a decade-long plan to expand MSA’s charter to accommodate students with autism, global developmental delays, and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) up to age 21.

Representatives from four of YAI’s leadership groups — our Self Advocates, Family Advisory Council, Board of Trustees, and senior staff — came together on September 19 to celebrate the opening of YAI Headquarters on Manhattan’s East 42nd Street. Nearly 100 people toured the new space and learned from colleagues how elements from its design will help the growing network increase independence for people with disabilities.