ALLIANCE FOR DISABLED IN ACTION INC
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Mission Statement
The Alliance for Disabled in Action, Inc., (dba) The Alliance Center for Independence (ACI) founded in 1986, recognizes disability as a natural and beautiful part of human diversity. ACI is a 501(c)(3) community-based, grassroots organization that supports and promotes independent living for people with disabilities in Middlesex, Union and Somerset counties in New Jersey. With a population of approximately 1.5 million this region is the most populated of the state's 11 centers for independent living catchment area. Located in Edison, ACI currently serves 6,000 individuals with disabilities, and their families. ACI provides five core services free of charge to individuals with disabilities:(1) Information and Referral, (2) Peer Support, (3) Independent Living Skills Training, and (4) Advocacy. (5) WIOA, a fifth core CIL component added services that: Facilitate the transition of individuals with significant disabilities from nursing homes and other institutions to home and community‐based residences, and services and facilitate the transition of youth with significant disabilities, to post-secondary life. ACI is unique in that we work with individuals with all disabilities and of all ages. Over 50% of our employees and board members are individuals with disabilities. ACI has no waiting list for our services, does not impose any criterion or eligibility requirements, and charges no fee for our direct services.
About This Cause
The Alliance Center for Independence provides a variety of independent living services including: health and wellness programs; social recreation, transportation training, budgeting and finance and cooking skills. ACI prides itself on providing the skills needed for individuals with disabilities to obtain competitive employment. Our employment services include: • Volunteer Office Skills program • Office Etiquette/Social Skills • ACI works with transition age students to prepare them for life after high school. We are currently working with 4 schools under our ACI PETS grant to teach students with disabilities the necessary independent living and job readiness skills to succeed after high school. • Employment Transition Services, we have prepared students for competitive employment and post-secondary education. ACI is passionate about providing opportunities for individuals with disabilities who wish to take nontraditional paths towards employment. ACI has been approved to open up a sandwich shop, that will not only serve customers but also train individuals on food preparation, customer service, hand washing and hygiene, and money skills. This program will prepare individuals for a career in food preparation. ACI provides disability awareness and etiquette training for the community, including first responders, Middlesex county as well as local businesses. We work closely with the county/state in emergency preparedness, and have hosted several overnight shelter simulations for people with disabilities, shelter volunteers and local emergency managers to respond effectively during a disaster. Participating agencies have included the County Office of Emergency Management, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the American Red Cross, local social service agencies and other stakeholders. The purpose of the exercise is to familiarize members of the disability community with an overnight shelter experience while providing volunteers who may set up and staff shelters during a disaster an opportunity to understand and better serve the needs of individuals with disabilities when a disaster occurs. Finally, since 2011, the ACI has organized the New Jersey Disability Pride Parade and Celebration (NJDPP) to celebrate the talent and abilities of New Jersey’s citizens with disabilities in an annual free event every fall in Trenton, NJ. In 2020, this long-held event undergoes an exciting transformation: "Come As You Are: New Jersey Disability Pride in the Park" is, for the first time, an all-day community festival in New Jersey. It will take place at the Alvin P. Williams Memorial Park in Woodbridge, NJ on Friday, May 29th 2020 from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM and will be as before free and open to all. The new NJDPP festival will also feature activities commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) hosted by the NJ Association of Centers for Independent Living. There will be a table setup to register people to vote. The event is one of only a few in the country where all the entertainers, most of the prominent speakers on stage, and the virtually all of those organizing the NJDPP and doing the work behind-the-scene are people with disabilities. The NJDPP is a natural extension of ACI’s core mission to promote independent living for people with disabilities, and it is one of ACI’s most significant outreach efforts to the disabled community.