On July 29th, 2015, ACI held another Charity by Design Fundraiser at the Alex and Ani store in Red Bank, NJ. We would like to thank everyone who came out and supported ACI as well as the people who called in to place their orders. A special thank you also goes out to the amazing staff at Alex and Ani: Danielle, Roxy, Mel and Amanda!
ACI's Social Rec Group Tours the Newark Museum
ACI's Social Recreation Program recently enjoyed a grand highlight tour of the Newark Museum. The tour started with various art pieces from such backgrounds as Japanese, Native American, African and Early American, followed by a special tour of the word famous Ballantine House, which at the time was at the center of the country's industrial movement. The group even got a chance to see NASA's newly constructed 7-layered golden mirror telescope, which will ultimately replace the Hubble Telescope. Thank you to the Newark Museum for providing this free tour to our group! Everyone had a great time!
ACI Receives Grant from Wells Fargo
The Alliance Center for Independence (ACI) was awarded a $1,000 grant on July 29th by Wells Fargo to support the organization’s mission of supporting the philosophy of independent living for all individuals with disabilities.
Founded in 1986, ACI is the designated Center for Independent Living for Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties in New Jersey. This region is the most populated in the state with over 1 million individuals identified as disabled. ACI's primary goal is to promote and protect the rights of individuals for independence and inclusion in their community.
“At a time when donations from the public and private sectors are down due to the economy, we truly appreciate the support Wells Fargo has provided,” said Carole Tonks, Executive Director of ACI. “We will use this grant to provide programs and assistance for the disability community.”
The grant was awarded as part of Wells Fargo’s Community Connections program, which provides local branch managers the opportunity to make a $1,000 charitable contribution on behalf of Wells Fargo to a nonprofit of their choice.
Wells Fargo’s 54 branches in the Southern New Jersey-Central Jersey area distributed a total of $54,000 in grants to support nonprofit groups - $1,000 for a nonprofit identified by each store manager.
“Our local branches see which nonprofits are out in the community making a difference every day,” said Linnette Shaver-Johnson, Wells Fargo’s Central Jersey area president. “We use this as an opportunity to celebrate and say thank you to ACI for all of the value they have provided to our community over the past year.
The Community Connections program offers Wells Fargo store managers the opportunity to provide additional grants to local nonprofits of their choice in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. A total of $140,000 in Community Connections grants is slated to be distributed throughout the month of July in Southern New Jersey.
Youth Game Night
ACI recently held it's first ever Youth Game Night for on Friday, July 24th, 2015! It was an exciting night of competitiveness as the group played a fun and fast paced magnetic board game YIKERZ, as well as Tumbling Towers and a huge ice-breaker dice game. ACI plans on holding these youth groups every month, so stay tuned!
NJTV Interviews ACI about ADA Violations in Atlantic City
The following is an article from njtvonline.org
Nybil Ghanem recalls when he went to Atlantic City several months ago, it was hard to get some places.
“I just thought it was very unfair that someone couldn’t get up to certain card table venues because of the stairs,” he said.
Ghanem encountered examples of what the Justice Department says it discovered in a four and a half year review: violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act at five Atlantic City hotels, casinos and restaurants — Resorts Casino Hotel, Tropicana Casino and Resort, Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel, The Rainforest Café at the former Trump Plaza and Trump Taj Mahal.
The violations include doors that require too much force to open, doorways that are too narrow for passage, gaming tables that are too high for wagering and disability parking spaces without signage.
But, instead of suing the businesses for damages, the Justice Department has reached settlement agreements. “The agreements require the hotels and casinos to remedy any violations, enabling people with mobility impairments to fully access these facilities.” The agreements include training staff and give businesses six months to two years to comply.
VIDEO: ADA@25 and Beyond
July 26th 2015 marks the 25th anniversary of signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). ACI salutes the pioneers, activists and leaders in the disability community as well as the ordinary people who championed for passage of this significant civil rights law.
Now 25 years later, a new generation of people with disabilities are working to ensure that the promises of the ADA are fulfilled. In ADA@25 and Beyond, we interview several people with disabilities to highlight the continuing struggles they face.
A big thanks to those who shared their thoughts with us...James A. Michels, Christine Riva Hines, Ethan Ellis, Nybil Ghanem, Sarah Rizzuto and Jim Dickson.
Coloring for Adults
On July 24th, ACI members enjoyed the newest stress relieving trend among adults...coloring books! Coloring is said to help de-stress and lower anxiety. Everyone had a great time!
