On January 6th & 7th, 2010, Dr. Carol Goossens' of Abilities! and the Henry Viscardi School presented a two-day workshop in Israel entitled "Helping Children with Aided Communication: Tools for Success in the Classroom". This workshop was sponsored by the Israel chapter of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication.

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! has used 2 way interactive broadcasting to bridge distance and physical barriers to connect students with docent led tours of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, Egyptian exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Discussions with Scientists in the Panamanian Rainforest.

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.