Congressman Andy Kim Visits ACI

ACI was honored to host a disability issues roundtable with Congressman Andy Kim. Congressman Kim represents the 3rd congressional district, which includes Burlington County and parts of Monmouth and Mercer counties. He is currently running for the U.S. Senate.

Ten advocates participated in the discussion and provided personal perspectives on various issues affecting the 1.7 million people with disabilities in New Jersey. Among these topics were transportation, employment, and disaster preparedness. Congressman Kim shared his concerns and expressed his eagerness for ongoing dialogue to discuss solutions to these issues.

A thank you also goes out to Made with Love: ACI Catering for the delicious breakfast!

Access Link Evaluation Survey

Senator Vince Polistina, Assemblyman Don Guardian, and Assemblywoman Claire Swift of Atlantic County are seeking honest and personal responses about the quality of service provided by Access Link since 2021. These responses will help inform concrete policy changes that enhance the accessibility and functioning of Access Link.

Your responses will be kept confidential and are for informational purposes only.

Take the survey at the link below.

ACI Celebrates the 34th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

A message from Carole Tonks and Nybil Ghanem about the ADA

The Americans with Disabilities Act is a ground-breaking civil rights law that protects the rights of those with disabilities and enables 61 million Americans to be fully included in society.

Today marks the 34th Anniversary of the signing of the ADA by President George H. W. Bush.

The ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in many areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and many public and private places that are open to the general public. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.

Join ACI in celebrating the ADA and recognizing the hard work of 100s of advocates throughout the country to make this law possible. ACI also calls upon the disability community to keep the spirit of the ADA alive by advocating for greater enforcement, pointing out discrimination, complaining when faced with barriers, both attitudinal and physical, as well as spreading the word about the importance of this law, our civil rights law.

ACI is committed to ensuring that the promise of the ADA is realized and advocating against those who wish to weaken it.

For more information about the ADA, visit adata.org/learn-about-ada

Day of Mourning Vigil 2024 🕯️

ACI joined dozens of organizations throughout the county for the 12th annual Day of Mourning, sponsored by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN). This vigil remembers individuals with disabilities who have been murdered by a family member or caretaker. Participants held candles as they read names of the victims. Personal reflections were also shared.

The Power of the Disability Vote! 2023

On September 14th, individuals with disabilities from across New Jersey gathered at the Statehouse in Trenton to showcase the power of the disability vote!

The event was sponsored by REV UP NJ and the Alliance Center for Independence and took place during Disability Voting Rights Week, a national effort by REV UP to get those running for elected office to listen to the concerns and issues of their disabled constituents. The event also featured many great speakers including NJ Assembly Speaker, Craig Coughlin and a live performance by musician, Cory Singer.

REV UP NJ is a chapter of REV UP, a national effort of the American Association of Persons with Disabilities (AAPD).

For additional information, please contact Luke Koppisch at lkoppisch@adacil.org or visit adacil.org/voting

Day of Mourning Vigil 2023

On the night of March 1st, ACI joined disability advocates across the nation in a Day of Mourning Vigil in Edison. The vigil remembered and honored disabled victims murdered by their parents or caretakers. The emotional ceremony included speeches, poems and reading the names and ages of the 550 victims who were murdered between 2021 and 2023. This adds to a growing list of 1600+ names.

The national Day of Mourning is a time for the disability community to commemorate the many lives cut short. By honoring disabled victims and celebrating the lives they lived, the vigil sends a message that disability is not a justification for violence and disabled lives are valued.

ACI would like to thank Eugene Meyers of NorthJersey.com and USA Today Network and Della Crews of News12 for their recent reporting on this important issue.