In this segment of StoryCorps Rochester, Tabitha Jacques talks to her friend and colleague, Susan Murad, about deaf art and culture, the De'VIA movement, and how the hearing community can be better advocates and allies to the deaf community. She speaks through her interpreter, Kira Avery.
The lack of home care aides is a crisis for the people and families who depend on them. With support from the Solutions Journalism Network, WXXI worked with other regional news partners to cover possible solutions to the problem.
On Thursday, AutismUp, the Golisano Autism Center and Homesteads for Hope held a news conference in support of two pieces of state legislation that would expand housing programs for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
Some people with disabilities need help around the clock and agencies can provide that in residential home settings. But across the state, agencies are struggling to hire and keep staff.
WXXI’s April Franklin has more on how one local agency is trying a new approach to retain employees by helping them with problems that occur outside of work, too.
Parents and advocates say the recently adopted New York state budget does not deliver on early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities.
The movie CODA was a big winner in Sunday night’s Academy Awards, and the film and the recognition it received is especially important to Rochester’s large Deaf community.
Flip Rivera has been fighting through a complicated and arduous process to be able to live independently since 2010. He spent tens of thousands of dollars to have his new house renovated to be more accessible.
However, because of a shortage of home care aides, he is still living as a long-term resident at Monroe Community Hospital.
Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed Kim Hill as the first person to the post, which will be located in her executive offices and advocate for issues and rights for people with disabilities.
It's been around for decades, but a local adaptive ski program has provided a much-needed reprieve for people of all abilities, especially during the last two winters of the COVID-19 pandemic.
