"No Hate" Town Hall Meeting

ACI was at the “No Hate” Town Hall Meeting at Kean University on January 12th. The American Conference on Diversity (ACOD), in collaboration with Kean University, hosted this meeting with the intention of engaging in an open dialog about diversity, inclusion, and ending hate. The panel included representatives from the legal community as well as Kean and Rutgers Universities. The mission of empowering individuals and institutions to address issues of bias and discrimination is important to support. Thank you to all those who stopped by our table for information.

Photo credit for last four photos: Patti Banks/Patrician Photo for Kean University

Posted on January 17, 2017 by Brian Mazzarella and filed under Advocacy.

115th Congress Repeal Affordable Care Act Underway...Call to Action!

At 1:30 on Thursday morning, the U.S. Senate took its first step towards repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The approved budget resolution instructs committees of the House and Senate to draft repeal legislation by January 27th. Both chambers will then need to approve the resulting legislation before any repeal goes into effect.
 
The effort to repeal ACA will have a devastating effect of the 30 million people, many of whom have disabilities, who receive healthcare coverage through ACA. Blocking granting Medicaid is also being considered.

Read more …
Posted on January 17, 2017 by Brian Mazzarella and filed under Health, Advocacy.

ACI Welcomes Kate Blisard!

Please join us in welcoming Kate Blisard to our ACI team! Kate, who started on December 1st, is our part time housing assistant. She comes to ACI with a variety of experiences in the disability field, including a rich background in advocacy. This includes: supporting those who wish to leave institutions and live in the community. Kate's recent positions were Disability Policy Consultant with the People and Disability Network, Coordinator for Seeking Way Out Together (SWOT), Community Development Specialist, The North Princeton Project, Rutgers University School of Social Work.

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Brian Mazzarella and filed under Housing.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Senior Citizen Luncheon 2016

On December 9th 2016, a deaf and hard of hearing senior citizen group gathered for their annual Christmas luncheon at the Charlie Brown's restaurant in Scotch Plains, NJ.

The group is organized by Charlotte Karras, founder of the Central NJ Deaf & Hard Hearing Senior Citizens of Highland Park and Susan Bartose, ACI's Deaf and Hard of Hearing Coordinator.

The group gets together every second Friday of the month to discuss social issues, health issues, personal/home safety and civil rights. It is an excellent opportunity to socialize with others within the community. They gather to celebrate the holidays so no one feels alone or left out and also enjoy field trips to a number of popular places in the area.

If you’re a senior citizen or are deaf or hard of hearing, we encourage you to come and join us! For more information, please contact Susan at sbartose@adacil.org.

Posted on December 29, 2016 by Brian Mazzarella.

Holiday Luncheon & Shopping Trip 2016

On December 10th, ACI kicked off the holiday season with the annual Holiday Luncheon & Shopping Trip to the Woodbridge Center Mall. Everyone enjoyed a great meal at Applebee’s. ACI would like to thank the staff at Applebee’s including the general manager, Dawn Marquez, for all their help to make the luncheon successful. After the meal everyone took time to shop in the mall for that perfect holiday gift for their friends and family. Happy Holidays!

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Brian Mazzarella and filed under Social Rec.