Able Newspaper

06/23/2026

From beaches to ballgames to boardwalks, there’s something for everyone this summer. Across Long Island and New York City, many popular recreational destinations have made meaningful strides toward accessibility, making summer’s favorite pastimes available to all. From beaches to ballgames to boardwalks, there’s something for everyone this summer. Read the full article at
https://ablenews.com/accessible-escapes-enjoying-summer-on-long-island-and-the-nyc-metro-area/

06/20/2026

A newly designed $43 million ADA-accessible Welcome Center at Green-House at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn invites visitors into a redesigned space filled with culture, art and history. From iconic artifacts to free concerts and seasonal events, Green-Wood offers something for everyone. Reaad the full story at https://ablenews.com/inside-green-woods-34-million-effort-to-make-a-historic-cemetery-more-accessible/

06/18/2026

Disabled artists, critics, programmers, writers, and audiences should not have to wait for one annual festival to feel what a room built with us in mind can feel like, writes Lawrence Carter-Long, of ReelAbilities International. The ReelAbilities Film Festival New York 2026 just wrapped up - a proven model for true disability integration. read the full article at https://ablenews.com/on-representation-reckoning-and-repair/

06/09/2026

Meet Dr. Conchita Hernandez—who is reshaping education for blind and low-vision students. As a leader at the Maryland School for the Blind and co-founder of the National Coalition of Latinx with Disabilities, Dr. Hernandez is a champion of access for all, an educator who firmly hopes that “all children, especially children with disabilities, know that they are perfect just the way they are and that they can do anything they put their mind to.”

06/05/2026

Congratulations to Able News reporter Emily Sauchelli, on earning first place at the Press Club of Long Island 2026 Media Awards for "narrative education reporting" for her story about The Viscardi Center's adaptative driving program and the and the importance of expanding access to programs like it. Read the award-winning story at
https://ablenews.com/why-the-viscardi-centers-adaptive-driving-program-should-be-restored-the-desire-for-independence/

06/03/2026

The June issue of Able News is now available. Read about New York State's new initiative to expand healthcare access for people with developmental disabilities, highlights from Night of Champions at The Viscardi Center, disability culture and advocacy stories, and more at

06/01/2026

Congratulations to Mindy Henderson, Vice President of Disability Outreach & Empowerment at the Muscular Dystrophy Association, who was just named recipient of the Steve Bartlett Award from Disability Belongs. A powerful leader in disability rights, she’s being recognized for her advocacy for accessible air travel among other notable achievements. She will be honored at the Disability Impact Awards July 16. For more about her work, please see her interview with Able News: https://ablenews.com/meet-mindy-henderson/

Meet the 2026 recipient of the Steve Bartlett Award, Mindy Henderson:

• Mindy is a powerful leader in disability rights, with specific interests in accessible air travel, healthcare, universal design, employment, inclusive fashion, and product design.
• Her award-winning advocacy around accessible air travel garnered awareness and influenced language in the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill of 2024 and the Department of Transportation wheelchair user rule that was finalized in late 2024.
• She is the Vice President of Disability Outreach & Empowerment at the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA).
• She is also Editor-in-Chief of MDA’s Quest Media.

Join us at the Disability Impact Awards in D.C. on July 16th and watch Mindy accept this award! Get your tickets: https://give.disabilitybelongs.org/event/2026-disability-impact-awards/e762645

05/29/2026

“Advocate, Advocate, Advocate!” – that’s the guiding advice of Joseph Pancari, an accomplished advocate for people with disabilities who serves as President & CEO of Constructive Partnerships Unlimited (CP Unlimited). In this feature, author Katherine Magnoli explores his journey from psychology student to CEO and details the challenges he continues to fight for to this day. Read the full article at https://ablenews.com/meet-joseph-pancari-a-ceo-with-a-lifetime-of-advocacy/

05/27/2026

More than 100 people with physical disabilities, advocates, family members, and allies gathered outside Gov. Kathy Hochul’s New York City office this month to protest the closure of Independence Care System (ICS), the only Health Home in New York State dedicated to people with physical disabilities. Organizers said that closing ICS will mean that adults with physical disabilities will lose access to expert disability-competent care management, wheelchair services, and Social Adult Day services that ICS alone has provided and that remain largely unavailable in the broader healthcare delivery system. Read the full article at https://ablenews.com/they-were-warned-the-fight-to-save-ics-and-the-failure-of-new-yorks-disability-care-system/

05/21/2026

Nassau County’s Games for the Physically Challenged is marking its fortieth anniversary, a major milestone for this beloved event where student athletes from throughout the region compete in sports ranging from swimming to track & field. In this story, reporter Emily Sauchelli speaks with the founder of the Games and current leadership about the origins of the event, challenges faced in its history and what to expect when competition kicks off at the end of May. Read the full article at https://ablenews.com/celebrating-forty-years-of-nassau-countys-games-for-the-physically-challenged/