THE SECOND ANNUAL REELABILITIES:
NY DISABILITIES FILM FESTIVAL
SUCCESSFULLY HELD AT ABILITIES! 1/31 - 2/1
FEATURING FILMS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Click above to play an interview with Anita Altman, Deputy Managing Director, Department of Government Relations & External Affairs at the UJA New York and Lawrence Carter-Long, Executive Director, Disabilities Network of NYC. The interview is conducted by Fran Prezant, Senior Vice President at Abilities!

The Second Annual ReelAbilities: NY Disabilities Film Festival announces films and events line-up, all of which celebrate lives, stories and artistic expressions of people with disabilities. NY premier and award winning films were screened January 31st through February 1st, 2010, at Abilities! at the Smeal Learning Center. ReelAbilities is dedicated to promoting the awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories and artistic expressions of people with different abilities. Discussions and other engaging programs will bring together the community to explore, discuss and celebrate the diversity of our shared human experience. Presented by the JCC in Manhattan, with the support of UJA-Federation and over 40 partnering organizations, ReelAbilities will feature nine films showcased in 12 venues throughout NYC, Long Island, and Westchester.

UPS Store Franchise at Abilities, Inc.
Printing, Packaging, Shipping and Mailroom Training

(L-R): Joseph C. Tranfo, Abilities! board member; Steve Dandrea, Northeast Region Coordinator, Mailboxes Etc.; Glenn S. Rice, President, UPS Northeast Region; Edmund L. Cortez, President & CEO, Abilities!; Jessica Swirsky, President & Chief Operating Officer, Abilities, Inc

On December 3, 2009, Abilities, Inc. hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of The UPS Store, a unique franchise operated by Abilities, Inc. The UPS Store will house the “Printing, Packaging, Shipping and Mailroom” training program, and will offer unparalleled training opportunities to individuals with many varied disabilities. Abilities, Inc. has long been recognized for its exceptional vocational training program for adolescents and adults with disabilities who reside throughout the Long Island/New York metropolitan area. This unique partnership with UPS and Mailboxes Etc. (MBE), a UPS company, breaks new ground as it allows Abilities, Inc. to train individuals with disabilities within an actual UPS store. The project has also involved an almost unprecedented investment of time and resources from both UPS and MBE.

Abilities! National Business & Disability Council (www.nbdc.com) is a partner in the Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE), a collaborative effort that includes the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the US Business Leadership Network (USBLN), and Special Olympics (SO). The goal of the Campaign is to promote positive employment outcomes for people with disabilities by encouraging employers and others to recognize the value and talent that people with disabilities bring to the workplace. The Campaign has developed a public service announcement (PSA) that can be viewed from the web site homepage at http://www.whatcanyoudocampaign.org where contest winner videos and other useful resources can also be found.

The Campaign is supported by West Virginia University, receives technical assistance from the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) and is funded by the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)/US Department of Labor .

Abilities! Facts

Abilities, Inc. offers programs for people with disabilities who have never worked or will require a full change of career direction.

69% of respondents to the 2007 Abilities, Inc. Graduate Outcome survey were currently employed at least part-time or were enrolled in school.
In 2006 the national employment rate for working age people with disabilities was 37.7% (according to the Cornell University Disability Status Report).

Abilities! website now supports online giving. The online donation is a secure, credit card transaction. The “Support Abilities!” link appears in the top right corner of the website.

For more information on Abilities! programs and services, questions about donating online, or to make a donation, please contact our Development Office at (516) 465-1596.