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:

• 15% of Jewish households sought services for an adult with a disability.
• In general, low-income families experience greater levels of difficulty than others in getting services for a family member with a disability.
• Poverty among Jewish households where the respondent, a spouse or partner, or both are unable to work because of a disability is extraordinarily high — 54% of these households are poor.

About the Data

Our Impact:

• 14,500 people with special needs, including autism and physical and intellectual disabilities have experienced the joy of summer camp and year-round residential programs for nearly three decades.
• 6,500 children with special needs, including teens, who live in New York received a range of services.
• 2,800 people with disabilities participated in inclusion programs in the New York area.
• 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 many thanks to our generous donors and network of nonprofits for making all this possible.

Related Nonprofits and Programs:
Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
JCCA
Westchester Jewish Community Services
OHEL
Sid Jacobson JCC
Mid-Island Y JCC
(among many others)