2014 Year in Review - by Chad W. Underwood, MPA, ATI CEO 2014 has been a monumental year for both Access to Independence and people with disabilities in general. I’d like to share with you the great work that our staff and Board of Directors have accomplished this year. In 2014, the ATI Board of Directors was extremely active in governing the continued growth of ATI. For the third consecutive year, ATI generated more than $1 million in revenue to fund staffing and programming for people in our community. Not one dollar came from city or county tax coffers, providing ATI a very important opportunity to operate and advocate on behalf of all people with disabilities without having its hands tied by the politics of the local bureaucracy. In 2014, ATI secured $48,465 in donations from 211 individual and business donors, 53 of which were new, first-time donors. ATI secured a $75,000 grant to conduct statewide systems advocacy initiatives. ATI secured $150,000 from the Office of Housing and Community Renewal to complete home modifications. ATI secured $75,000 from the NYS Education Department to launch innovative transition and employment services for youth. ATI secured $90,000 from the NYS Department of Health to help people transition back to the community from nursing homes. In 2014, ATI maintained employment of 11 staff persons and secured funding to add a minimum of one new staff person in 2015. ATI staff credentials include a Master of Public Administration, a Master of Social Work, a Certified Benefits Counselor, two Certified Aging in Place Specialists, a Retired Code Enforcement Officer and more than 200 years of experience working with people with disabilities to secure their freedom and civil rights. In 2014, ATI provided intensive services to 392 consumers between the age of 5 and 96. Those consumers experienced cognitive, physical and/or mental health disabilities. Nearly one-third of ATI’s consumers were older than 60 years. ATI provided services to another 200 people with disabilities, their family members or their caregivers this year. ATI also provided at least one service to more than 6,300 individuals from across the state and some parts of the country. In 2014, ATI staff invested nearly 1,880 hours to fight for systems changes throughout the Cortland community. ATI increased community awareness of the lack of affordable, accessible and integrated housing options for people with disabilities, fought for increased public transit options, developed a community resource guide for transition-aged youth, launched efforts to help medical facilities become more accessible for patients with disabilities and launched efforts to facilitate increased access to social and recreational opportunities throughout the County. In 2014, ATI staff invested an additional 1,000 hours to fight for systems changes at the state level. ATI staff serve in key leadership positions on several governor-appointed state councils. As a result of years of ATI advocacy efforts, Governor Cuomo established an Employment First Commission to make competitive, integrated employment the first option when considering supports and services for people with disabilities. The State also announced the phasing out of the use of sub-minimum wage sheltered workshops for people with disabilities. Many thanks and much appreciation goes out to all of ATI’s staff, Board Members and community supporters for making 2014 ATI’s best, most productive year ever! Just the same, our work is not done. People with disabilities in our community are still unable to enjoy the same civil rights as people without disabilities and are still unable to participate fully in all aspects of life due to persistent structural and attitudinal barriers. Our work is not done and with your help and support, 2015 will bring even more progress in our fight for equality! For more information on the services Access to Independence provides, or to learn about how you can get involved, call Access to Independence at 607-753-7363.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 18:52:23 +0000
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