INCLUDEnyc 2023 Annual Report by INCLUDEnyc

2023 Annual Report

OUR MISSION

INCLUDEnyc fosters positive futures and enhances the quality of life for young people with any disability, from birth to age 26, and their families in New York City. We promote access to educational, employment, and independent living opportunities for young people while advocating with families for meaningful inclusion in the broader community. In doing so, we empower families and youth—particularly those from low-income, immigrant, and/or BIPOC communities— through an array of programs (all free and multilingual) that create a network of support.

OUR VISION & VALUES

INCLUDEnyc envisions a world where there is love, equity, and access for all young people with disabilities. We believe that by empowering and educating young people with disabilities, adult caregivers, professionals, and the broader community, we can build an inclusive society that benefits everyone. At INCLUDEnyc, we hold ourselves to high standards and commit to a set of values that guide our work as individuals and as an organization. These embody core principles of teamwork, empathy, accountability, commitment, and honesty: TEACH. Additionally, our organization was founded on the tenets of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA), and these remain intrinsically woven into every facet of our work. INCLUDEnyc is a place where all youth and families can gain equal access to services, feel supported, and have their voices heard.

TO OUR FRIENDS, FAMILIES, PARTNERS,

AND SUPPORTERS,

Forty years of resources, referrals, support, services, and advocacy. Forty years focused on building a community that affords equitable access and inclusion for our young people with any disability, their families, and the professionals who support them. That's what we have done and will continue to do.

As we reflect on 2023, we celebrate many accomplishments and lessons learned. Last year, INCLUDEnyc touched nearly 450,000 lives and served over 16,000 individuals. We worked directly with over 2,000 young people, parents, family members, educators, and other professionals to build bridges of collaboration.

INCLUDEnyc's impact goes beyond numbers. For 40 years, we've provided families and professionals with expert guidance, evolving to meet the needs of young people with disabilities across NYC. Founded by three mothers, we've grown to 47 professionals, making a real difference in countless lives.

We are forever grateful to our resourceful founders who just wanted to help other parents like themselves, desperate to find information and support for their children with disabilities. The many successes we have achieved, large and small, have been possible because of the amazing support of our generous donors and supporters. With over 400 partnerships and counting, we continue to expand our reach and contacts through our compassionate, professional, and knowledgeable staff, the backbone of all we do.

As we step forward and reflect on 40 years of support, service, and advocacy, we thank you for being an integral part of this journey to a world where there is love, equity, and access for young people with disabilities.

With gratitude,

Cheryelle Cruickshank Executive Director Owen King Board Chair

OUR PUBLIC PARTNERS

INCLUDEnyc’s public sector connections are robust and include federal, state, and city partnerships that support our work with families and professionals.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

As a Parent Training and Information Center Collaborative member for New York City and Long Island, we provide free support and information on disability-related issues, rights, and resources. Authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Parent Training and Information Centers (PTICs) offer free services to families of children with any known or suspected disability.

Community Parent Resource Center (CPRC), a PTIC in the South Bronx and Northern Manhattan, offers direct support and training for families, youth, and partner organizations, primarily in Spanishspeaking communities.

REAL Transition Partners is one of five organizations leading a network of 26 PTICs and CPRCs across the Northeastern United States and the Caribbean, providing young adults with disabilities and their families with information and support as they transition to postsecondary education or employment.

NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

As the Family and Community Engagement Center (FACE) for New York City’s five boroughs, we promote meaningful family involvement within the educational system, building collaborative community relationships, and providing information and training about service options and systems for early childhood and school-age youth.

NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL

Autism Awareness Initiative is the leading provider of autismrelated programs, offering direct assistance, training, events, and information for families with a child on the autism spectrum.

Staten Island Fair

LOOKING BACK ON INCLUDEnyc’s HISTORY WITH JEAN MIZUTANI

As we celebrated 40 years of service at INCLUDEnyc, we turned to our roots in providing love, equity, and access to our families, professionals, and young people with disabilities. Jean Mizutani, Senior Education Specialist and INCLUDEnyc’s longest-serving staff member, came to the organization as a parent. Over the years, she has observed how the organization’s history parallelled and pivoted alongside legislation, advocacy, and technology. Jean shares her journey along with INCLUDEnyc’s milestones.

Jean’s Story: In Her Own Words

“The first time I called Resources for Children with Special Needs (RCSN), I was looking for help for my six-year-old whom I suspected of having a disability. It was 1995, so looking for help meant talking to teachers, social workers, doctors, and parents.

Among the many numbers I called, Helene Craner, a founder at RCSN (which later became INCLUDEnyc), called me back! Our conversations gave me the ability to identify my goals, and the understanding of which steps to take next. The special education process can be a long one, but knowing I had a place to call gave me confidence.

Eventually, I found a good program for my daughter. I was delighted to share the good news with Helene on our final checkup call. To my surprise, she said that I would make a good advocate and offered

me a volunteer position with training!

I wasn’t looking for work, but I did have time as my daughter was doing well. Like any parent of a child with a disability who has struggled through the system and come out on the other side, I was motivated to help others.

In 1998, I was warmly welcomed into RCSN. Karen Schlesinger and Helene Craner, founding co-directors, and a small staff were happy to train a newcomer. I felt like the luckiest person in the world to be able to provide support to families like mine.”

A Brief History of INCLUDEnyc

In 1975, the landmark Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), or Public Law 94-142 was passed. That benchmark launched the need for information and advocacy for special education, from the guaranteed right to education, to evaluation, special education process, and parents' rights.

In 1981, three determined mothers, Tondra Lynford, Helene Craner, and Karen Schlessinger, launched a tiny organization around a kitchen table in Brooklyn. They had already unraveled the complexities of the new Act for their children and wanted to support other families. With a paper Rolodex and the goal to establish a central source of information on special education, they built a sustainable organization for future generations of youth with disabilities and incorporated it as a nonprofit under the name Resources for Children with Special Needs (RCSN) in 1983. The founders provided one-on-one assistance for families and the professionals that served them. That first year, the organization served 129 people, a number that continued to grow to over 16,000 people served in 2023.

“Our founders knew exactly what parents and professionals needed to support young people with disabilities,” Jean said.

“Helene, Karen, and Tondra were trailblazers. They arrived at just the right time.”

From day one, RCSN provided a Help Line, which is still the gateway to our services. Parent workshops were held in every borough. In 1985, RCSN hosted its first Special Camp Fair with opportunities for young people with disabilities. That event would evolve into the INCLUDEnyc Fair, the organization’s cornerstone event.

“Following changes in special education policy on local and national levels, RCSN remained ahead of the curve and assessed what our community would ultimately need,” Jean said.

In 1990, amendments to the Education of Handicapped Children Act of 1975 were passed, and the law’s title was changed to the Individuals

2024 Jean Mizutani

with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

That year, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was also signed into law, prohibiting the discrimination of people with disabilities. Jean personally noticed the benefits of the new law. “Every student was now entitled to an environment that was free, public, and appropriate to their needs,” Jean said. “If that didn't exist, we wouldn’t have prevailed in my daughter’s case. After our first win, I was reassured that the system worked–and it could help other families too.”

In 1992, RCSN was designated as a Parent Training and Information Center (PTIC) by the U.S. Department of Education.

“That milestone is significant because it allowed us to build capacity as a parent and resource center,” Jean recalled.

Student dynamics were also changing. Jean noted,

“As expectations for young people with disabilities grew, we realized that as students moved into their late teens, they needed to be central participants in their education and future planning.”

Information about college access was sparse in 2013, and RCSN created an annual event, College is Possible. The events were held on CUNY campuses and represented a turning point. For the first time, families and their young people participated together in planning a postsecondary future.

The Project Possibility (PP) program began in 2014 to help young adults with disabilities advocate for themselves and reach their personal, educational, and career goals.

In response to the changing times, Resources for Children with Special Needs rebranded as INCLUDEnyc in 2015 with the tagline “Love, equity, and access for young people with disabilities,” under the leadership of our second Executive Director, Rachel Howard. “Since then, many organizations have implemented inclusion and equity practices, but we may have been the first to focus on youth with disabilities,” Jean said.

Technology continued to grow at lightning speed, and in 2018 INCLUDEnyc developed a podcast, “Disability INC.,” to offer its community experiences outside the regular workshops. INCLUDEnyc also produced a live-streamed series with influencers in the disability community.

By 2020, the staff at INCLUDEnyc had grown. “Many have asked how we managed to pivot so seamlessly at the pandemic’s onset. The secret was we already had the technology in place,” Jean explained. “Our early experiences with remote presentations provided the building blocks that became crucial just a few years later. The innovative spirit that had served the organization so well over the years continued under the leadership of Barbara Glassman, INCLUDEnyc’s Executive Director at that time.”

INCLUDEnyc immediately produced a series of livestreams specifically related to COVID-19, such as Encouraging Young Children to Wear Masks, Understanding Remote Evaluations, and Participating in Remote IEP meetings, while continuing its regular programs and services. Jean also emphasizes an important lesson INCLUDEnyc learned from the pandemic: In-person activities are important, but remote access improves accessibility.

“INCLUDEnyc is a godsend for New York City families to have access to information that is independent of a huge, unwieldy school system,” Jean said. “INCLUDEnyc continues to play a role that no city-run organization can.”

With over two decades of service, Jean remains dedicated to INCLUDEnyc’s powerful mission. “I have watched INCLUDEnyc grow and mature, with a combination of held breath, pride, and amusement that is familiar to any parent,” Jean chuckled. “There have been enormous changes and significant growth, yet we maintain the heart of a Parent Center at our core, and return to it time and time again.”

As INCLUDEnyc heads into the next 40 years of innovation and services for young people with disabilities under the leadership of Executive Director, Cheryelle Cruickshank, Jean continues to contribute her knowledge of the special education process.

She’s quick to note the success her daughter has achieved through the support of INCLUDEnyc over the years. “I can’t end without sharing that my daughter is now an independent, self-supporting adult,” Jean said. “In a moment of insight at age 12, she said that if it wasn’t for her disability, I wouldn’t have been able to help all those other children. And that may very well be the secret sauce that, for 40 years, INCLUDEnyc keeps bringing to the table.”

INCLUDEnyc AT-A-GLANCE 2023

"The impact INCLUDEnyc's Parent Support Group has had on me and my family is immeasurable! I was anxious and scared but INCLUDE gave me support, information, and hope. I've found a sisterhood/bonds because this is a judgement-free zone and we understand each other like no one else can. Helps us feel less lonely."

- Parent Support Group member

393 Community Partners

16,602 People Served

430,384 Individuals Reached

Programs Statistics

Help Line

3,478 requests answered

4% increase

"INCLUDEnyc is an indispensable resource to all families and people who care about a kid with disabilities. I have received very helpful resources for my child when needed."

- Direct Assistance Parent

Information

141,027 print and digital resources accessed

"This was my first visit to the fair and I was thoroughly impressed with the ease of the online platform and organization. I found a few resources which I will definitely be using in the coming months."

- INCLUDEnyc Fair Participant

11,405 Workshop Attendees

763 Sessions delivered

"La parte más valiosa fue que nuestros hijo y nosotros pudimos compartir tiempo con personas que estamos en el camino de aprendizaje y sentir que nuestros hijos son libres." ("The most valuable part was that our son and we were able to share time with people who are on the learning path and feel that our children are free.")

- Outdoors for Autism Participant

INCLUDEnyc PROGRAMS

PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT provides the guidance, tools, and assistance caregivers need to best support and advocate for their child.

HELP LINE delivers individualized direct assistance by skilled staff who provide information, guidance, referrals, and support in English, Spanish, and 200+ other languages on wide-ranging disability topics.

WORKSHOPS AND TRAININGS

foster skill-building and knowledge in sessions (online and in-person) led by staff and guest presenters who have expertise in key disability topics.

PARENT SUPPORT GROUPS, in English and Spanish, offer caregivers the opportunity to provide mutual support, share resources, celebrate successes, and build a sense of community, while promoting awareness of and access to disability services.

EARLY CHILDHOOD INITIATIVE addresses the unique needs of parents with children age 5 and younger who have known or suspected disabilities and developmental delays. Through targeted workshops, Help Line, multilingual resources, and support groups, we increase knowledge and connection to critical support.

YOUTH AND TRANSITION SERVICES are designed to help youth with disabilities (ages 14-26) explore and pursue postsecondary goals while developing life and self-advocacy skills.

PROJECT POSSIBILITY provides intensive, individualized support to help young adults with disabilities draft and implement a personalized postsecondary action plan based on their strengths, skills, and aspirations.

HIGH SCHOOL LAUNCH works inside high need public schools to help youth with disabilities understand their learning needs, identify available accommodations, and build the selfassurance to advocate for themselves in IEP meetings and academic settings.

BRIDGES experiential workshops and activities build soft skills that are essential for success in college, employment, and independent living.

CAREER LAUNCH offers professional development and technical assistance to help staff at job readiness, college-based, and communityrelated workforce development programs more effectively support youth with disabilities.

PARTNER AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

builds a network of allies and collaborators who bolster our capacity to disseminate resources and connect with the community.

INCLUDEnyc FAIR is New York City’s oldest and largest resource fair of educational, recreational, and program service providers for young people with disabilities, where families can meet with representatives from more than 70 exhibitors in a single day.

OUTDOORS FOR AUTISM offers an afternoon of engagement, connection, and fun activities for families of children on the autism spectrum. This event brings families together in a supportive, welcoming environment.

COLLEGE IS POSSIBLE is an annual event that encourages young people and their families to consider college as a viable postsecondary option.

STATEN ISLAND CAMP,

RECREATION & AFTER-SCHOOL RESOURCE FAIR introduces families of young people with disabilities to local Staten Island programs, helps them learn about options, and receive information and answers on the spot.

MULTILINGUAL RESOURCES

provide up-to-date materials with crucial tools, information, and guidance. Navigator, Navegador, and ACCESS are comprehensive email roundups providing families and professionals with vital disability related news, information, and events.

Funders & Donors

Public Funding

New York City Council

Council Member

Carlina Rivera

New York City Council

Autism Awareness Initiative

U.S. Department of Education

New York State Education Department

$100,000+

Arabella Advisors

Citi Foundation

New York Community Trust

The Taft Foundation

$50,000–$99,999

Altman Foundation

Blanche T. Enders

Charitable Trust

The George Link, Jr. Foundation

J.E. & Z.B. Butler Foundation

$25,000–$49,999

Esther and Pedro Rosenblatt Foundation

Molly and Bill Ford

Sally Gottesman

Kawana King

Owen and Alison King

John and Elizabeth McGuire

Milbank Foundation

Nike NYC

$10,000–$24,999

American Eagle

Outfitters Foundation

Canute Dalmasse

Citigroup

Con Edison

The Hyde and Watson Foundation

Howard and Jamie Klein

Rite Aid Healthy Futures

Mark Scharfman

William J. and Dorothy K. O'Neill Foundation

$5,000–$9,999

Isha Atassi

Gareth W. Bater

Richard and Fran Hofstetter

Rebecca Kostyuchenko

John McGuire

John and Monica Sganga

David Morse and Catherine Trimble

Ellen Miller-Wachtel and Alan Wachtel, M.D.

$1,000–$4,999

Robert Doherty and Laurie Abramowitz

Timothy Anastasio

Ed and Renee Ciszewski

Alberto Estrella

Esther Fein

Dan and Kristen Forman

Joanne Franzel

Shon and Stefanie Glusky

Goldman Sachs & Co. Matching Gift Program

Google Matching Gift Program

Patrick Howell and Jane Heaphy

Henry E. Niles Foundation, Inc.

Tommy Xu and Marie Hill

The John N. Blackman

Sr. Foundation

M&T Charitable Foundation

Suilan Mo-Escowitz

Michael Monteleone

Heather Mutterperl

Jamie Ordower

Drew and Andrea Raphael

S&P Global Matching Gift Program

Dan and Angela Taylor

Ben and Tracie Trinder

$500–$999

Diana Breen

Brooklyn Community Foundation

Steve Clayton DataDome Solutions Inc. Matching Gift Program

Anthony J. Demarinis

Gary and Leslye Katz

Seth Kramer

Alan and Chantall Lowe

Moody's Investors Service Matching Gift Program

Debbie WattenbergRosen and Brett Rosen

John Ross

Sarah Shannon

Misha Sharp

Jeanne Straus

Mariam Subjally

Richard and Catherine Thabit

Robert and Susan Tofel

Trooper Foods Inc.

Ray and Joyce Vastola

Vanessa Wilson

$100–$499

Michael Abbott

Adam Nussenbaum and Shari Abramowitz

Eduardo Alves Apple Matching Gift Program

Laura Arellano

Jesse Aversano

Lisa Babus-Wagemann

Sandro Badame

Gregory Bajgier

Ryan Bardach

Mark Weidenbaum and Lisa Berke

Barry Rutcofsky and Mindy Birnbaum

Alison Boncha

Carlos Borges

Genevieve Brennan

Lovisa Brown

Kaitrin Callahan

Corinne Cammalleri

David and Robin Carlin

Brooke Carney

Kaitlyn Cashman

Chi Yuan Chang

Brandy Chen

Winnie Cheung

Michael Chiavaro

Chorok Sally Chung

Alvin and Melanie Cocco

Elizabeth Cohan

Marty and Jeffrey Cokin

Galen Corey

Lindsay Creedon

Sterling Sightler and James Crowell

Cheryelle Cruickshank

Robert and Judith DeIasi

Kate DelPizzo

Matthew DelRe

Matthew DePasquale

Jennifer Desser

Ronuel Diaz

Bob Dillulio

Allison Do

Brad Dubler

Kim Elphinstone

Hadley Elsenbaumer

Sarah Escowitz

Michael and Ann Faber

Matthew Fair

Jodie and Ronald Fischer

Fleur Noire Tattoo

Caroline Bourdeau

de Fontenay

Chengwen Fung

Michael Dirzulaitis and Janice Gabrilove

Meybol Geramita

Michael Zweig and Michelle Gersen

Joy Gibson

Elizabeth Golini

Arin and Daniel Gornstein

Jessica Gregoretti

Yelena Gribov

William and Nancy Grimes

Paul and Victoria

Berger-Gross

Jeffrey and Paula Gural

Dagmawi Haile

Laura Harris

Dana Hearty

Sharelle Hicks

Kathy-Ann Hicks

Dr. Nina Hill

Stacey Allam AmazonSmile Foundation

Craig Anderson

Matthew Kaplowitz and Suzanne Auerbach

Rion Austin

Jessica Lee Wan Rong Lin Donna McGowan

Kim Mccoy-Freeman

Frank Mercado

Vaishnavh Nagarajan

Caroline Pagano Eric Pease Giselle Pinard Lori Podvesker Gayle Rife

Generosa Rodriguez

Ronis Salesforce Matching Gift Program

Maggie Sandor

Elizabeth Schires

Melissa Schultz Christina Seib

Basil Williams and Heather Shamsai

Marylin Silverman

Jill Sopa

and Florence Tannenbaum

Michael Weinstein

Jesse and Shazdeh

Zeigler

STAFF

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Cheryelle Cruickshank PROGRAMS

Jane Heaphy, Deputy Executive Director

Jean Mizutani, Senior Education Specialist

DIRECT ASSISTANCE AND HELP LINE

Kpana Kpoto, Senior Manager

Victoria Laudat, Intake Associate

Issamar Lopez, Intake Coordinator

PARENT & FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, EARLY CHILDHOOD

Kimberly McCoy, Director

Sasha Bueno, Senior Family Educator

Melinda Burke, Family Educator

Aileen Camejo, Family Educator

Simone Martelle, Family Educator

Rosanna Garcia, Family Educator

Kathrina Stella, Family Educator

PARENT & FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, SCHOOL-AGE

Ruth DiRoma, Senior Family Educator

Colin Montgomery, Senior Family Educator

Evita Bullen, Family Educator

Kimberly Delgado, Family Educator

Maggie Downham, Family Educator

Laura Evans, Family Educator

Alzira Reis, Family Educator

PARENT & FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, SPECIAL PROJECTS

Alfonso Guzman, Director

Johanna Espinoza, Family Educator

Yulissa Garcia, Family Educator

YOUTH & TRANSITION SERVICES

ebony Innis, Director

Mia Greenidge, Senior Manager

Akira Carr, Youth Educator

Beth Harper, Youth Educator

Belinda Lin, Youth Educator

David Solano, Coordinator

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

Julianne Toce, Senior Manager

PARTNER & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Chantall Lowe, Senior Director

COMMUNICATIONS & OUTREACH

Jennifer Novak, Director

Carly Wolff, Senior Manager

Shantell Batista, Design Coordinator OPERATIONS & EVENTS

Rich Overton, Director

Robert Carabay, Data Manager

Kylie Balogh, Associate

Anthony Hasan, Assistant

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Lori Podvesker, Director

DEVELOPMENT

Steven Clayton, Senior Director

James Ciszewski, Manager of Individual Giving

Matthew Cocco, Coordinator

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION

Laura-Ann Pafundi, Senior Director

Jamar Devine, Senior Manager

Eric Pease, Finance Manager

Victoria Garwood Burton, Associate

Staff Photo

BOARD

Owen P.J. King, Chair

President and CEO, Stonehurst Management, LLC

Ellen Miller-Wachtel, Vice President

Retired Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Major League Baseball

Jamie Klein, Vice President CEO, North Fifth Services Retired Partner, KPMG, LLP

Alberto Estrella, Secretary President & CEO, Knowledge To Own Equities Technology Director, Evercore

Heather Mutterperl, Treasurer Principal, Investcorp

Eduardo S. F. Alves Head of Client Delivery, S&P Global

Isha Atassi Partner, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP

Alana Cheeks-Lomax Global People, Culture, & Strategy Executive

Yi Coogan Head of Life Insurance Product Development & Management, JPMorgan

Dan Forman Executive Director, JP Morgan Private Bank

Shon E. Glusky Partner, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP

Marie Hill Partner, KPMG LLC

Richard Hofstetter

Retired Partner, Frankfurt, Kurnit, Klein, & Selz, PC

Seth Kramer Vice President, Goldman Sachs, LLC

Dr. Monica Lallo

Senior Vice President of Prevention, Youth & Education Services, Acenda Integrated Health

Suilan Mo-Escowitz Associate Director, S&P Global

Andrea Raphael

Chief Communications Officer, Invesco

José Manuél Simian

Associate Director of Content Strategy, HUGE

Katya Sverdlov CEO, JelikaLite Corp.

Ben Trinder Managing Director, Goldman Sachs, LLC

Dr. Jonathan Wachtel Psychiatrist, Attending Physician, FamilyHealth Associates

JUNIOR BOARD

Albert Evans

Erica Klein

Babatunde Odubekun

Oscar Segal

Jesse Schwartzman

Jesse Zeigler

As of March 8th 2024

Resource for Children with Special Needs, Richard Murphy, First Boardmember 10th Anniversary

Concept by Jennifer Novak, Director of Communications

Design by Shantell Batista, Communications &

Coordinator