cripNYC

Disabled Muslims Lobby for Better Access to Mosques

The landmark 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act requires new public facilities -- including houses of worship -- to be handicapped-accessible.

But because many mosques are small, housed in older buildings and rarely built from the ground up, few are fully accessible for the disabled.

Sister Aisha al-Adawiya, president of the advocacy group Women in Islam, said most mosques in New York ignore the disabled.

New York to Washington Bike Ride Planned to Promote Hiring of Workers With Disabilities

With the U.S. employment rate of people with disabilities at 20%, Jeff Klare, CEO of Hire Disability Solutions, a national leader in increasing employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, will undertake a 300 mile bike ride from New York to Washington, D.C., to raise awareness of the need for greater corporate hiring of workers with disabilities.

MetroCard Bus, Van Coming To Queens

MetroCard buses and vans will make scheduled stops in Queens during the month of September.

Senior citizens and persons with disabilities may apply for the Reduced Fare MetroCard on MetroCard buses or may obtain an application from the vans. Seniors must present photo identification proving that they are at least 65 years old.

Cafe to open at Children's Museum: Snug Harbor eatery to employ developmentally disabled adults from On Your Mark

Museum-going works up an appetite, especially among small fry. Starting next month, visitors to the Staten Island Children's Museum at Snug Harbor in Livingston will be able to refuel at a brand-new cafe.

Of equal benefit, the cafe will provide employment for 15 developmentally disabled adults from the nonprofit agency On Your Mark of West Brighton.

...Besides the cafe, the grant will provide funding for 15 special-education teen-agers to work at the museum to help with mailings, prepare for workshops, maintain exhibits and assist in the operations department.

It also will help fund various programs geared toward children with anxiety and attention disorders, including painting, sculpting, gardening and cooking with other young people.

Putting petals to the metal

The traditional yellow cab will get some flower power - and kid power - this fall as part of a citywide art project, Mayor Bloomberg announced yesterday.

Supersize floral decals painted by city children will adorn the hoods, rooftop signs and trunks of thousands of taxis in honor of the centennial of the first metered cab...

Hailed as one of the city's largest volunteer efforts, the Garden in Transit project will run from September to December 2007. The vibrant floral designs will be paid for by private donations through Portraits of Hope, a community arts program.

Pataki says "no" to Queens/Nassau Bus Rides

Governor George Pataki has vetoed a bill that would have allowed seniors and the disabled to use free bus services from Queens into Nassau and vice versa for doctor's visits.

City told to keep giving aid to disabled woman

A 22-year-old quadriplegic should continue to receive special services from the city Department of Education, a judge ruled yesterday.

Alba Somoza's family filed a lawsuit this year arguing that she was given a bogus diploma when she graduated from Manhattan's School of the Future four years ago and that she is entitled to $800,000 worth of additional services over two years.

Older residents hit hard by heat wave

There are about 1 million residents in assisted living and adult care homes across the country, according to the National Citizen's Coalition for Nursing Home Reform. While these residents are typically not as frail as those living in nursing homes, they represent an elderly and often disabled population who are taking medications that make them sensitive to heat.

"Their sensors are different. Older people might wrap themselves in a sweater and not realize they're overheating," said Cynthia Rudder, spokeswoman for the New York City-based Long Term Care Community Coalition.

Five Killed in Bronx Crash Horror

After their green Acura Legend slowed down for heavy traffic in the southbound lanes, Keywann, the driver, somehow lost control of the car, which ran onto the concrete divider, police said.

Cops said it skidded along the divider for 200 feet, knocking out a lamppost on its wild ride.

It then went flying into the northbound lane - and collided head-on with an Access-a-Ride bus and a Toyota Corolla.

The Disability Gap

Nationwide, under 2% of students have learning disabilities severe enough to qualify for extra time on the SAT. In private school Manhattan, the percentage is substantially greater. And that means dramatically higher scores.

New Plan Opens More Queens Shelters

Many political officials had criticized the city's previous evacuation plan after cities like New Orleans and Houston seemed to underestimate the difficult of mass evacuations. During a series of public hearings on the topic, officials said the City's plan relied too heavily on public transportation and did not adequately address the needs of elderly and disabled residents.

The new plan clearly makes an effort to address those concerns. OEM officials say they have learned from the experiences of local responders sent to help federal agencies during Katrina and Rita, applying those lessons to their updated strategy.

More attention will also be placed on ensuring the readiness of vulnerable populations in nursing homes and hospitals. The Fire Department will visit those facilities up to 72 hours prior to an evacuation order to determine their preparedness.

"We need to make sure our most vulnerable are safe in case of emergency," said Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria), chairman of the Council Public Safety Committee. "We need to learn from New Orleans, where they suffered the deadliest effects of not being prepared. It was almost inexcusable what the government allowed to happen... and in New York City, it’s not going to happen here."

Hearts, homes open for vets: N.Y.C. hails 'wounded warriors'

Some 40 disabled vets from Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington and their families will arrive today to a heroes' welcome in New York City.

The heart of the visit will be lessons in various water sports - from scuba to water skiing - all adapted for their injuries.

The soldiers will get an FDNY and NYPD escort as they cross into the city this evening.

In the Land of Gray Hair, Anxiety, Then Accord

The sisters have much company at the Pelham Parkway complex, a tidy collection of 23 six-story brick buildings tucked into a leafy part of the northern Bronx. Nearly 600 of the 2,600 residents are over age 60, and many of them, like the D'Amico sisters, rely on a program that aids inhabitants of such areas, known as "naturally occurring retirement communities," or NORC's.

Weekend Express Bus Service To Keep Rolling

Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the X27 and X28 are crucial for Brooklyn residents, especially seniors and the disabled.

NYC's 10 Worst Landlords: Mark Hersh

Generations of tenants tell similar stories about Mark Hersh: They've seen him threaten tenants with a baseball bat and sometimes beat them with it. One former tenant says he was the victim of such a beating in 1992. Some say he refused to accept their rent then evicted them for not paying. According to affidavits he takes money from the welfare checks of his disabled tenants in exchange for cashing them. They tell of squalid conditions, tenants begging him for repairs that never get made, and a lack of heat and hot water.