LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Abilities! upon the occasion of the
celebration of its 60th Anniversary

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize that the
quality and character of life in the communities of New York State are
reflective of the concerned and dedicated efforts of organizations and
individuals who devote themselves to the welfare of the community and
its citizenry and have made strong contributions to the disability
community; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern and fully in accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
Abilities! upon the occasion of the celebration of its 60th Anniversary;
and
WHEREAS, Abilities!, located in Albertson, New York is a nonprofit
organization dedicated to empowering children and adults with disabili-
ties to be active, independent, and self-sufficient participants of
society; and
WHEREAS, Through education, training, technology, research, leadership
and example, Abilities! seeks to provide the highest quality services
and to influence state and national attitudes, policies and legislation
in ways which will provide the greatest benefit for people with disabil-
ities; and
WHEREAS, Abilities!, originally Abilities, Inc., formerly known as the
National Center for Disability Services (NCDS) began in a garage in West
Hempstead, New York in 1952 and successfully demonstrated that people
with disabilities could be productive contributors to society; today,
Abilities! is a significant provider of community-based services to
thousands of people with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, Initially, staffed primarily by disabled World War II and
Korean War veterans, Abilities, Inc. provided assembly and factory work
for many defense contractors in the local area; the reputation of Abili-
ties, Inc. grew to the point where contracts were awarded to it from
such industry giants as Grumman, General Electric, IBM and the Depart-
ment of Defense; and
WHEREAS, It was the mission of founder, Dr. Henry Viscardi, Jr. to
show that disabled veterans had the skills and abilities to be success-
ful, productive employees who could bring great qualities and value to
the workplace; and
WHEREAS, In the early 1960s, Dr. Viscardi moved Abilities, Inc. to a
larger facility, its current home in Albertson, New York, and expanded
the National Center for Disability Services to include vocational train-
ing and job placement for all people with disabilities and, in 1962, he
established an accredited, independent school for children with severe
physical disabilities, now known as the Henry Viscardi School (HVS); and
WHEREAS, Abilities! is the umbrella agency for a network of non-profit
organizations, each with a specific area of expertise, all of which
serve individuals with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, In addition to the Henry Viscardi School, its programs
include Just One Break, Inc. (JOB), co-founded by Orin Lehman, Eleanor
Roosevelt, Bernard Baruch and Howard Rusk in 1947 to serve veterans with
disabilities; now, the National Business and Disability Council (NBDC),
NBDCJOB is a business-to-business membership organization providing
services to employers to assist them in recruiting, retaining and
advancing workers with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, Among Abilities!' other programs are the Global Institute
which works to identify, research and promote innovative and promising
practices in special education and rehabilitation for persons with disa-

bilities through the establishment of innovative collaboratives with
universities and other organizations both in the United States and
abroad; the Nathaniel H. Kornreich Technology Center which showcases
state-of-the-art assistive technology that assists children and adults
with disabilities to become more independent and self-sufficient; and
the Smeal Learning Center, a unique training facility which offers tech-
nology and multi-media resources including video and audio production
and captioning along with teleconferencing and accessible training
space; and
WHEREAS, In addition, Abilities!' National Business & Disability Coun-
cil, comprised of many Fortune 1000 corporate members, is a leading
national resource for the successful integration of persons with disa-
bilities into the workforce and consumer marketplace and, its Research &
Evaluation Center (REC) conducts research, provides training, and
supports the exchange of information so people with disabilities can
participate fully in community life; and
WHEREAS, Founded in 1952 by Dr. Henry Viscardi, Jr., Abilities!, now
ably led by President and Chief Executive Officer John D. Kemp, has
evolved into one of the world's foremost facilities for educating and
training people with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, The dedication, commitment, and significant accomplishments
of Abilities! and all those who have been associated with it over the
years truly merit the recognition of this Legislative Body and the
appreciation of all those who have benefited from its services; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor and commend Abilities! upon the occasion of the celebration of its
60th Anniversary; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Abilities!.