Human Rights Archives - Lifewire News

Save Our Services “SOS” Rally at CSI Advocated for Disability Services

Disability advocates gathered for a Save Our Services “SOS” Rally at the College of Staten Island on Friday, March 10. The location marks the beginning of the Willowbrook Mile, commemorating the site’s days as an institution serving people with disabilities. More than 100 people with disabilities, parents, direct service personnel, advocates and other supporters attended […]

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Grace Valdez, 56, enjoyed the good things in life: coffee, friends, a song, a prayer

Articles Wire / LifeWire

Grace Valdez will be missed by all her friends. Chorus or solo, she loved to sing. Little things like a cup of coffee or a soda would make her day.

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A Willowbrook Memoir Reveals Resilience with Humor

Articles Wire, Staten Island Advance / LifeWire

“Here’s ‘America’s Least Wanted,’” joked Henry Geller when he arrived at Lifestyles for the Disabled Willowbrook campus, recalling his days as a resident of the former state school.

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Life-Wire Podcast: It’s My Right!

Audio Wire, Podcasts / LifeWire

Gregory Perosi and Michael Smith discuss the rights of people with disabilities. For a list of these rights, visit the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities web page: It’s My Right.

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‘Off the Rails,’ Story of A One-Track Mind

Articles Wire, Video Wire / LifeWire

From the time he was a young boy, Darius McCollum was fascinated by trains. The trains were his hiding spot to get away from his troubles. But when he took it upon himself to steal trains, he became infamous.

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Willowbrook Mile Opening Day

Video Wire / LifeWire

Our crew was on-hand to cover the opening of this memorial self-guided walk with Geraldo Rivera, who was preeminent among the reporters who broke the story, and others who made this day possible.

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Willowbrook Mile Ribbon Cutting

Articles Wire, Photo Wire / LifeWire

“The problem wasn’t that people didn’t care.” Rivera continued. “The problem was that the whole notion that you could mass-produce care for the developmentally disabled the way you mass produce cars was very deeply flawed. It was doomed to fail.”

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Koko Gets Her PBS Closeup

Articles Wire, Video Wire / LifeWire

Koko, the gorilla, is the ‘lovable’ subject of new documentary, premiering August 3, 8 ET on PBS. (Check local listings.)
The PBS/BBC co-production about the ‘talking gorilla’ delves into her life learning sign language from her trainer, Penny Patterson.

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Great Kills Parents Rally for Expansion

Photo Wire, Video Wire / LifeWire

‘We need a new high school now,’ say Great Kills High School parents

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Murray Schneps, Willowbrook Parent, Speaks Out

Photo Wire, Video Wire / LifeWire

Murray B. Schneps relates the story of his daughter Lara, who resided at Willowbrook State School, at the recent Staten Island Developmental Disabilities Council Community Breakfast. The author of “I See Your Face Before Me: A Father’s Promise” spoke at the event at The Vanderbilt on Staten Island, February 26, 2016, in support of group

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A Voice For People With Disabilities

Human Rights