View From the Chair

Déjà Vu: This column was originally published in the Journal-News, a newspaper distributed in Rockland County, New York, January 6, 1992. Jim Sinocchi I'm re-publishing this column as part of my online blog. I still believe the message is appropriate today and is an example of the activities many of us with disabilities can enjoy in the United States, and perhaps around the world. Photos may be added to this posting from my collection or the web. Some of the organization names may have changed or no longer exist in New York State as of this writing. I hope you find this column helpful and informative. If you are disabled and trying to get into or stay in the workplace, the local VESID ( Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities), may be able to help you. Unlike several state or federal agencies I've dealt with, the experiences I've had with VESID and its predecessor organization, the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, were positive.

 For Jim Sinocchi, Head of Disability Inclusion, Business is Personal By Mary Bailey Autism Advocate; Speaker; Co-founder Chase Yur Dreams Foundation; and Chase 'N Yur Face Media In matters of disability, diversity, and inclusion there’s no one better qualified to address and conquer obstacles than Jim Sinocchi. He’s the ambitious and accomplished Head of Disability Inclusion at JPMorgan Chase & Co., who’s also a C5-C6 quadriplegic. And his solution-oriented, no-beating-around-the-bush or pulling-any-punches approach makes him the perfect champion for working people with disabilities. “There are qualified people with disabilities working right now –contributing to the bottom line,” declares Sinocchi. “People with disabilities are in the workforce with the right qualifications and competing for the same jobs that able-bodied people are doing. We shouldn’t be just a diversity metric. We have the skills to build professional careers and want to be part of a thriving busines

Déjà Vu: This column was originally published in the Journal-News, a newspaper distributed in Rockland County, New York, December 9, 1991. Jim Sinocchi I'm re-publishing this column as part of my online blog. I still believe the message is appropriate today and is an example of the activities many of us with disabilities can enjoy in the United States, and perhaps around the world. Photos may be added to this posting from my collection or the web. Some of the organization names may have changed or no longer exist in New York State as of this writing. I hope you find this column helpful and informative. "If I became disabled, I could never handle it," is a comment I hear sometimes from people considering my disability. Coping with a disability is not easy. But there are many strengths, qualities and experiences that help people handle the hardships a disability brings on. One quality I've admired in some friends who are disabled is their ability to forget

  Déjà Vu: This column was originally published in the Journal-News, a newspaper distributed in Rockland County, New York, February 17, 1992. I'm re-publishing this column as part of my online blog. I still believe the message is appropriate today and is an example of the activities many of us with disabilities can enjoy in the United States, and perhaps around the world. Photos may be added to this posting from my collection or the web. Some of the organization names may have changed or no longer exist in New York State as of this writing. I hope you find this column helpful and informative. Change tends to creep up on you. Before you know what has occurred -- what was in is now out -- and what used to be out appears in at an antique shop in Nyack, New York . For example, I turned on my stereo the other day at the request of my two-year-old son Jimmy, who wanted to dance. As Jimmy "hopped" around the living room, I took an inventory of my stereo equipment: one rece

Déjà Vu: This column was originally published in the  Journal-News, a newspaper distributed in Rockland County, New York, March 16,1992.   I'm re-publishing this column as part of my online blog. I still believe the message is appropriate today and is an example of the activities many of us with disabilities can enjoy in the United States, and perhaps around the world. Photos may be added to this posting from my collection or the web. Some of the organization names may have changed or no longer exist in New York State as of this writing. I hope you find this column helpful and informative. Visiting relatives and friends in hospitals and nursing homes is difficult for many people. It's tough for me because I know what it's like living in an institution. But I also know how important visits can be to patients. I spent almost eight months at New York University's Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation , and I've been in and out of hospitals over the last 10 years since