New York Association on Independent Living

10/20/2026

Save the date! 🎉 Join us for an evening of community, connection, and support for independent living at RCAL’s 5th Annual Friendraiser! Enjoy hors d'oeuvres, pasta, live music, and a silent auction while supporting a wonderful cause. ❤️

Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Time: 5:30 PM
Location: Stonehedge Restaurant (1649 U.S. 9W, Esopus, NY)

Get your tickets and learn more at rcal.org/friendraiser!

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Flyer for the "5th Annual Friendraiser" hosted by the Resource Center for Accessible Living, Inc. (RCAL). The top features the RCAL logo and decorative blue ribbons. Text reads: "5th Annual Friendraiser. RCAL invites you to an evening of community, connection, and celebration at our annual Friendraiser, featuring hors d'oeuvres, pasta, live music, and a silent auction. Join friends and neighbors for a fun, feel-good night that supports independent living and creates meaningful impact across our community." Center text reads: "Wed. Nov. 4 | 5:30 PM. Stonehedge Restaurant, 1649 U.S. 9W, Esopus, NY." The bottom features an illustration of diverse hands clasped together inside a circle, framed by blue and orange autumn leaves, with a blue banner reading "Tickets: $55, rcal.org/friendraiser.

🎉 Save the Date! RCAL’s 5th Annual Friendraiser is Coming Up! 🎉

Join us Wednesday, November 4, for an evening of community, connection, and support for independent living! ❤️

📍 Stonehedge Restaurant
1649 Route 9W, Esopus, NY
🗓️ Wednesday, November 4, 2026
⏰ 5:30 PM

Enjoy a night out featuring delicious hors d'oeuvres, live music, and a silent auction, all while supporting RCAL’s mission to promote independence, choice, accessibility, and community inclusion for people with disabilities.

It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet our staff, learn more about RCAL’s programs and services, connect with others in the community, and help support the work that makes independent living possible for our neighbors throughout the Hudson Valley.

Bring a friend, enjoy a great evening, and be part of something that makes a difference! We hope to see you there! 🥂🎶

🎟️ Tickets and event information:
👉 www.rcal.org/friendraiser

10/20/2026

Celebrating inclusion, opportunity, and the power of an inclusive workforce! 💙💚

Join Mayor Mike Spano and the Disability Advisory Board for the Disability Flag Raising Ceremony (11-Year Anniversary) in recognition of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)! Together, we celebrate the valuable contributions of people with disabilities in the workforce and the importance of creating opportunities for everyone.

Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: Yonkers City Hall, Unity Fountain

Let's continue building a more inclusive community!

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Flyer for the Disability Flag Raising Ceremony 11-Year Anniversary. The top features a disability pride flag design with brown, white, and gold horizontal stripes and a disability rights symbol in the center, alongside the City of Yonkers seal. Text reads: "Please join Mayor Mike Spano and Members of the Disability Advisory Board for a Disability Flag Raising Ceremony, 11-Year Anniversary, Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 1:00 PM, Yonkers City Hall, Unity Fountain." The bottom features the official seal of the City of Yonkers.

💙 Celebrating inclusion, opportunity, and the power of an inclusive workforce!

Join Mayor Mike Spano and the Disability Advisory Board on Wednesday, October 28, at 1:00 PM at Yonkers City Hall in recognition of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)!

Together, we'll celebrate the valuable contributions of people with disabilities in the workforce and the importance of creating opportunities for everyone.

💚 Let's continue building a more inclusive community!

10/14/2026

Here is a short, engaging post tailored for re-sharing this screening:

🎬 Upcoming Screening: The Ride Ahead

We are thrilled to help share this upcoming event! Join the University of Michigan Marsal Family School of Education for a free hybrid screening of the award-winning documentary The Ride Ahead, directed by Dan Habib and Samuel Habib.

The film follows Samuel as he navigates education, relationships, and what it truly means to live independently, offering a powerful look into disability culture, access, and belonging. The screening will be followed by a live discussion with the co-directors!

Date: Friday, October 16, 2026

Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Location: Zoom (Hybrid)

Zoom link! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeSdUt4DbC0osRWm7bP-5rfSZnlDtkXgvkvEz4LSvacGvx11w/viewform

Alt Text: Poster for the documentary "The Ride Ahead," a film by Samuel Habib and Dan Habib. In the foreground, a young man using a power wheelchair with specialized standing/support equipment raises his arm triumphantly against a stylized yellow background. Iconic landmarks such as the Empire State Building, the Gateway Arch, and Niagara Falls appear in the background, along with the title text at the top: "LOVE, TATTOOS, AND DISABLED THINGS" and the prominent film title at the bottom: "THE RIDE AHEAD."

Upcoming Screening: The Ride Ahead 🎬

We invite you to join The University of Michigan Marsal Family School of Education for a free hybrid screening of the Emmy Award winning documentary The Ride Ahead. The screening will be followed by a discussion with the film's co-directors, Dan Habib and his son, Samuel Habib.

The film follows Samuel, a young disabled adult, as he navigates questions about education, relationships, community, and what it means to live independently. Through conversations with disability advocates and leaders across the country, The Ride Ahead offers an honest and powerful perspective on disability culture, access, and belonging.

📅Friday, October 16, 2026
🕝1 - 3:00 pm
📍Zoom
Please register on the Marsal Family School of Education events website to receive the Zoom link and learn more!

10/14/2026

📢 ACTION ALERT: Help Raise Awareness About Accessible Voting!

🗳️ Early voting in New York begins October 24!

Did you know that ANYONE can request to use a Ballot Marking Device (BMD)at their polling place, not just voters with disabilities?

Ballot Marking Devices help ensure that people with disabilities can mark their ballots privately and independently.

NYAIL is encouraging disability advocates across New York State to reach out to elected officials and candidates and ask them to use a Ballot Marking Device when they vote—and share their experience to help raise awareness about accessible voting technology.

"Your voice matters!" Together, we can help ensure more New Yorkers know about their right to vote privately and independently.

🔗 Read the full action alert, access voting resources, and find a sample outreach letter: https://ilny.us/latestnews

📣 Please share this action alert with your networks!

10/08/2026

Community integration means living in our own homes and neighborhoods, with the supports we need, alongside everyone else. It does not mean living alone. It does not mean going without care. It means we make the choices about our own lives that most people never think twice about: where we live, who we live with, and how we spend our days.

Community living is a civil right. Disabled people fought for that right for decades, and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld it in Olmstead v. Lois Curtis. Recent federal actions have created fear and confusion, but your rights under Section 504, the ADA, and Olmstead have not changed.

Our new guide, produced with American Association of People with Disabilities, explains what community living is, what the law says, what has changed, and what you can do. Download it, read it, and share it widely. It was written to be passed along.

Read the guide and take action: https://dredf.org/community-living-is-a-civil-right-2026/

10/08/2026

Join Action Toward Independence as they celebrate their new home at 305 North Street in Middletown with a Ribbon Cutting & Open House Celebration!

Come tour their expanded facility, meet their team, and see how this new space helps them continue breaking down barriers and promoting independence for people with disabilities across Orange County.

What They Are Highlighting:
🔹 Children & Family Services: Vital support for youth and families, including Family Support Services through OPWDD.
🔹 Adult Drop-In Center: A welcoming, peer-led space offering peer engagement, life skills training, arts & crafts, and fun recreational trips!

📅 Date: October 22nd

⏰ Time: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

📍 Location: 305 North Street, Middletown, NY 10940

Whether you're a longtime partner or new to our community, we would love to connect and celebrate this exciting milestone with you. See you there! 💙

09/24/2026

This is a very disappointing ruling. We will be advocating closely with our federal partners to do everything possible to make sure people with disabilities can remain in the community and have the same long-standing protections before this ruling happened on September 23. 

NCIL Statement on Texas v. Kennedy Order Rescinding Community Integration Provisions of Section 504 Regulations

Dear Independent Living Community,

Yesterday afternoon, the federal judge in the ongoing case of Texas v. Kennedy issued a ruling.

For more information on this case, see DREDF’s explainer: https://dredf.org/protect-504/

The order approved by the judge was filed as counsel by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services and the states of Texas, Florida, Alaska, Louisiana, and Montana. It affects only certain parts of the 2024 rule. The case is now closed.

This order rescinds the regulations that enforce the community integration provisions of Section 504. This applies to all states, not just the states that sued. States may now choose not to enforce community integration.

However, Section 504, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Supreme Court’s Olmstead v. L.C. decision remain in place. We continue to have the legal right to community integration and to receive services in the least restrictive setting of our choice.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4xNJQwG

Image: Information ALERT – National Council on Independent Living Advocacy and Action Center graphic features two abstract letters A, reflected horizontally in purple and green.

09/24/2026

Statewide systems advocacy network (SSAN) annual training with presentation on community organizing by Julia Solow with New York Caring Majority !

The Statewide Systems Advocacy Network (SSAN) supports the Independent Living movement by helping build local partnerships and coalitions focused on community education and issues impacting people with disabilities.

Through SSAN, advocates and Independent Living Centers across New York State can strengthen community connections, increase awareness of Independent Living, and help create positive systems change in their communities.

Want to learn more about SSAN and the resources available?

Visit the NYAIL website to explore the Statewide Systems Advocacy Network and learn how it supports advocacy and community education across New York State.

Learn more about SSAN >> https://ilny.us/programs/ssan