March 2023

YAI has been providing innovative services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) since its founding in 1957, at a time when institutional living was the norm for people with I/DD. The nonprofit was launched in February of that year out of a small school in Brooklyn, New York. Initially staffed by co-founders Bert MacLeech and Pearl Maze MacLeech alone, their pilot program served just seven people. According to Bert, from […]

From writing an open letter to becoming a disability advocate By Fred J. Maahs, Jr. I had the pleasure of meeting Matthew Walzer a few years ago when he was being honored with a Catalyst Award at the Annual Convention for The Arc.  On that night, Matthew took the podium to be recognized for writing

I’m talking to her and she’s fidgeting. She’s talking and tapping away with that pencil. The orange-yellowish blur is driving me crazy and I want to grab her wrist to make it stop. Finally, it stops. Now I’m answering her and she’s looking at my left ear, then over to the right somewhere, then at

Information Technology (IT) is his passion, and at his job with the Trinidad & Tobago Blind Welfare Association, Kerryn Gunness gets to do what he loves every day. He is an IT instructor, teaching the visually impaired how to use various forms of technology. Be it computers, mobile phones or tablets, Kerryn is the Assistive

When Ryan was in middle school, he was diagnosed with a non-verbal learning disability (NVLD). Growing up, this neurological condition marked by academic and sometimes social difficulties resulted in many challenges.  He received occupational therapy and accommodations in the schools he attended, with assistance from many tutors, counselors, and academic advisors. “School was not easy

I consider it to be invasive when people ask me about my disability Most people have the privilege of hiding their struggles. Could you imagine a world where every traumatic event a person went through would be visible to others and constantly addressed by strangers in social settings? “Oh, I am so sorry you lost

Should I say ‘disabled person’ or a person with a disability? Author: Mary Ann McColl Professor, Queen’s University, Ontario Recently, an Alberta woman with an obvious physical disability was asked to leave a grocery store and not come back because she could not pack her own groceries quickly enough. According to the report on CBC’s Go

Written by St. Cloud State University student Taylor Mulcahy, B.A. in Psychology DMCFinder can be used by people with disabilities as they plan their travel Jo Joshi grew up in Nottingham, United Kingdom, and attended De Montfort University in Leicester. Her parents are her biggest inspiration who taught her that: “life is supposed to be a

by St. Cloud Student Makayla Christen, B.S. in Psychology Lewis recognizes the difficulties many individuals in the disability community may face in the workforce Anil Lewis grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, as the third of four children in his household. Two of Anil’s siblings became blind from retinitis pigmentosa, which, later at the age of

“At times, things may be difficult, but do not be hesitant to pursue your passion.” 21-year-old Judy Sango has big dreams. One of her dreams is to become a judge. Judy was born with Arthrogryposis, a condition that affects the joints. With frequent pain in her knees resulting in her having to use a wheelchair