SUPPORTING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS

We break down barriers and create programs that encourage and empower people with disabilities to secure jobs and plan for the future. We make sure that our synagogues, camps, day schools, and JCCs are warm, welcoming, and inclusive spaces. Because everyone has the right to live life to the fullest.

The Facts:

• 1 in 68 children in the U.S. has autism.
• 1.3 million New Yorkers have some kind of disability.
• 82% of working-age Americans with disabilities are unemployed.
• 27% of adults with disabilities live in poverty in the U.S.

Our Impact:

• 14,500 people with physical disabilities have experienced the joy of summer camp and year-round residential programs for nearly three decades.
• $3.2 million was secured in government funding — thanks to our advocacy — to provide socialization programs for children with autism and support groups for their parents.
• We’re providing services so young people with autism and other disabilities can gain independence and make their mark at work. We’re supporting counseling, career assessment, and internships that will help young people carve out their paths.
• We’re making it possible for deaf people to participate more fully in Jewish communal settings. We’re supporting the Jewish Deaf Resource Center Interpreting Fund that provides interpreters at events and programs held in the New York Jewish Community.
• We’re helping create more job opportunities throughout New York City. We’re offering vital support to the NYC: At Work Initiative together with the mayor’s office to help people with disabilities gain meaningful employment, and to provide resources for businesses looking to hire them.

With thanks to our network of nonprofits.