October 10, 2024 Thursday, November 14, 2024
Anderson Foundation for Autism Signature Reception
Honoring Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
@ The Harvard Club – Biddle Room, 35 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036
Time: 6-8pm
Cost: $500
To purchase tickets, visit AndersonCenterForAutism.org/Signature
Manhattan, New York and Staatsburg, New York…The leadership team and trustees of Anderson Foundation for Autism announced plans to honor the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey at their Signature Reception on November 14, 2024 at The Harvard Club in New York City. This will be the second year that Anderson hosts a Manhattan-based fundraiser which recognizes an individual, business, or organization that has helped further the nonprofit’s mission of “optimizing the quality of life for individuals with autism.”
Said Patrick Paul, CEO/Executive Director of Anderson Center for Autism, “The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey recently opened a ‘sensory room’ in Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport, helping to cultivate a culture of greater inclusivity and accessibility. Newark Liberty designed a space highly customized to support the needs of autistic and neurodivergent travelers and their families – and our professionals at Anderson Center Consulting and Training (ACCT) worked closely with the visionary team at the Port Authority of NY/NJ to ensure that the Sensory Room incorporated the features which most support people who experience feelings of sensory overload. This beautiful space has already opened worlds to families who previously found travel to be too challenging – and we applaud the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for making an investment for which the returns are priceless.”
Paul explained that Anderson Center Consulting and Training (ACCT), who worked directly with the Port Authority on this project, is an affiliate of Anderson Center for Autism. ACCT’s focus is to educate families/caregivers, educators, businesses and corporations large and small, community groups, and others on how to be more accommodating to neurodivergent and autistic individuals. In recent years, ACCT has helped over 150 businesses gain designation as Autism Supportive Environments, and Paul expects that number to continue to grow as companies prioritize DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) initiatives.
“The Sensory Room is incredible in and of itself, but also represents a larger commitment that the Port Authority has made to our cause. In addition to constructing this space, they also engaged the training services of Anderson Center Consulting and Training for their staff, who now have a deeper understanding of the communication styles and needs of autistic and neurodivergent people. They also have protocols in place to expedite check-ins, helping to mitigate the stress of long lines and wait times, and they are now developing a second sensory room in the same terminal,” added Eliza Bozenski, Chief Development Officer of Anderson Foundation for Autism. “Anderson Foundation’s upcoming event honoring the Port Authority is a small token of our big appreciation for their work, and we hope that sharing the Terminal A story will inspire other transportation centers, companies, and community groups to work with our team at ACCT so that they can launch their own initiatives.”
The initial sensory room at Newark’s Terminal A is located pre-security, and the second room will be just beyond security, offering “bookends” that are intended to make travel easier for neurodivergent and autistic individuals. Both are part of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Cares Program, which extends the opportunity for expedited check-ins for eligible travelers who have made requests in advance. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey notes on its website that JFK, Newark, LaGuardia, and Stewart all offer accommodations such as outdoor and indoor service animal relief areas, airport “rehearsals” for workers and travelers, and the option of obtaining a sunflower lanyard (part of the “Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard” program), which allows a traveler to discreetly notify airport staff of his/her/their neurodiversity/disability.
In addition to the pre-security sensory room in Newark Liberty’s Terminal A, a post-security as well as a meditation room will be completed this year.
“We thank the Anderson Foundation for this honor and Anderson Center for their strong partnership in increasing inclusivity and accessibility at our facilities,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “The input from Anderson Center helped inform decisions we made at Newark Liberty International Airport’s new Terminal A by providing guidance on how to make our sensory room accessible and sharing best practices for communicating with travelers who are autistic or neurodivergent and their families. We’re excited to continue our work with Anderson Center as we incorporate sensory rooms in all our new developments, drawing inspiration from the successful implementation at both Newark Liberty and LaGuardia airports.”
Anderson Center for Autism (ACA), founded 100 years ago in 1924, offers evidence-based educational, vocational, residential, and consulting/training programs, drawing students and residents from all over the United States to experience its school and residential offerings.
The work, however, goes beyond our borders. Anderson Center International (ACI), an affiliate of ACA, has for many years hosted scholars from countries throughout the world for a 12-18 month training program at Anderson’s Staatsburg campus; today, that includes 26 scholars from 10 countries. During this experience at Anderson, scholars gain the education needed to improve schooling, workplace environments, and overall therapy and care for people with autism upon returning to their home countries.
Anderson also has two Early Learning Academy programs (Pine Plains, NY and Latham, NY) and runs The Anderson Center Clinic (Latham, NY).
Anderson Foundation for Autism’s November 14th event is open to the public; reservations must be made in advance. Tickets, which cost $500 per person, can be purchased online at AndersonCenterForAutism.org/Signature. Sponsorships are also available.
For more information about Anderson Center for Autism, visit andersoncenterforautism.org.
Learn more about Anderson Foundation for Autism at andersoncenterforautism.org/giving/.
About Anderson Center for Autism
Our mission at Anderson Center for Autism is to optimize the quality of life for individuals with autism.
About Anderson Foundation for Autism
Through grantmaking, fundraising, and marketing initiatives, Anderson Foundation for Autism helps support, sustain, and expand upon Anderson Center for Autism’s efforts to optimize the quality of life for individuals with autism.
