WHYY: Will Remote Work Become More of a Long-term Option for Workers with Disabilities?

by Grady Chambers | Oct 15, 2021 | General

As we continue our celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we’re exploring the complex ways that the pandemic has impacted workers with disabilities.   This article from WHYY focuses on the massive shift to at-home work that has...

James Welcomes Philly Fans Back to the Ballpark

by Grady Chambers | Oct 12, 2021 | News, Participant Stories, Participant Stories - 2021

NDEAM is all about workers with disabilities helping power the recovery, and we can’t think of a better example than James and his job at Citizens Bank Park, working on behalf of America’s favorite pastime.When baseball came back, it brought some much needed levity...

Transition Pathways Helps Students Find Community in a Time of Isolation

by Grady Chambers | Oct 11, 2021 | Employer Focused, News, Participant Stories, Participant Stories - 2021

As we spend NDEAM honoring the role of people with disabilities to the economic recovery, we also want to bring attention to the communities that sustained people throughout the pandemic. One of them blossomed right here in Philadelphia, through Drexel University’s...

Diana Hochner wins 2021 Points of Transformation Award!

by Grady Chambers | Oct 8, 2021 | News, Participant Stories, Participant Stories - 2021

We are so proud to announce that our own Diana Hochner was honored with a 2021 Points of Transformation Award by Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services!   The annual awards celebrate direct support professionals who...

A Teacher’s Assistant, a Cook, a Mechanic: CIS Participants Begin an Array of Exciting Jobs

by Grady Chambers | Oct 6, 2021 | News, Participant Stories, Participant Stories - 2021

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, so we’re extra excited to share that 32 participants across Pennsylvania and Delaware began new jobs in September.   Fudia was hired at NEST, Philly’s all-in-one playspace and childhood education center;...

Tricia Shines at Her Job, and Finds Inspiration

by Grady Chambers | Oct 5, 2021 | News, Participant Stories, Participant Stories - 2021

It’s a great thing in life to bring together your passion and your career, and that’s exactly what Tricia has been able to do in her new position with JOANN fabric and craft stores.Tricia is an artist—she makes amazing creations in needle felting and doll making, with...

CIS Kicks off National Disability Employment Awareness Month!

by Grady Chambers | Oct 4, 2021 | NDEAM

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month!   NDEAM is a celebration of America’s workers with disabilities, and the tremendous contributions they make in the workforce. This year’s theme is America’s Recovery: Powered by...

Maddie Brings her Magic to the Kitchen at Strath Haven

by Grady Chambers | Sep 14, 2021 | News, Participant Stories, Participant Stories - 2021

School’s back in session, and Maddie is doing her part to welcome students back, helping with kitchen, cafeteria, and meal-prep for the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District. She was hired by The Nutrition Group, which seeks to bring a taste of home to the District’s...

CIS Celebrates Direct Support Professional Recognition Week

by Grady Chambers | Sep 13, 2021 | General

This week is a special one at CIS, as we join with organizations around the country in celebration of Direct Support Professional Recognition Week.This week, we take time to honor the work of those who day in and day out devote themselves to helping people with...

Superhero with Down Syndrome Flies High in New Children’s Book

by Grady Chambers | Aug 11, 2021 | News, Participant Stories, Participant Stories - 2021

Clark Kent, Wonder Woman, Black Panther, and now Joey in the red cape! The superhero pantheon is welcoming a brand face, thanks to Melissa Brown’s inspiring children’s book, “The Ups and Downs of a Very Special Superhero.”  The book tells the story of Joey, a boy...

A Big Role as ‘Big Bird’ for Nate at Sesame Place

by Grady Chambers | Jul 15, 2021 | News, Participant Stories, Participant Stories - 2021

In what certainly makes the top 10 of our Cool Jobs list, we’re celebrating Nate today and his role as Big Bird at Sesame Place. To Nate, being Big Bird is a big responsibility. Growing up, he was a frequent visitor to the Sesame Street-themed park, attending as often...

For Allan, a Job–and a Community–at Attic Brewing

by Grady Chambers | Jun 30, 2021 | News, Participant Stories, Participant Stories - 2021

As someone who wants to be a force for good in the world, Allan has found just the right fit in his job at Attic Brewing Company, in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood. The local brewery is believed to be the first in the area since the early 1900s, and pairs...