Arleen Wolsiefer Probeyahn, an advocate for people with disabilities who had three autistic sons, passed away on October 19th. Her husband of fifty years, Roy Probeyahn, said the cause of her death was heart failure.
Probeyahn was born in Queens and raised in Merrick, Long Island. She met her husband at Wellington C. Mepham High School in North Bellmore, where both were students, and the two were married in Merrick in 1961. The three Probeyahn sons – Roy, Jr., Michael, & Glenn – are now in their 40s.
Judy Record, a longtime member and former chair of the Suffolk County Handicap Advisory Board (now known as the Suffolk County Disabilities Advisory Board), has passed away. She was 69.
Her husband Gilbert Record said, “I’m still reeling from it. I miss her so much. We were so close for 41 plus years. It’s just very hard to get used to it. Judy always had a smile – always – and I never heard her say a bad word about anybody. She was just an upbeat positive person especially so even with all her aches and pains. I think I was very lucky to have her and I wish I had her longer.”
On December 2nd, the United Nations (UN) celebrated the 19th annual International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a tradition started by the General Assembly in 1992. The theme of this year’s event was: Together for a better world for all: Including persons with disabilities in development.
The day included a discussion of the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), a human rights treaty establishing international legal standards for governments and international governmental organizations to promote equality in the areas of health, education, international cooperation, gender equality and standard of living.
Nineteen months after being struck by a car while riding his bicycle, Andrew Rosa is coming home.
Rosa, 16, suffered Severe Traumatic Brain Injury and multiple bone fractures on May 17th, 2010 while riding his bike home in Selden, New York. Since then he has had multiple brain surgeries and remains in a “minimal conscious state,” according to the Stay Strong Andrew Foundation.
Please visit www.ablenews.com for the latest news on taxi accessibility.
Legislation to allow livery cabs to pick up street hails in the outer boroughs and increase the number of accessible medallions has been stalled.
The legislation was passed in June but Governor Andrew Cuomo said he will not sign the bill until several issues have been resolved, including wheelchair accessibility.
The first Commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities has died.
Matthew Sapolin, 41, passed away on November 29th. The cause of death was cancer, which he had battled since childhood.
Sapolin was born in Islip, New York. He became blind at age five from bilateral retinoblastoma, a cancer affecting the optic nerve.
He held a BA in Philosophy from New York University (NYU), where he was co-captain of the wrestling team. Sapolin earned the University Athletic Association Athlete of the Week honor three times and received the President's Service Award for Volunteerism and Community Service upon graduating. He also held an MA in Public Health Administration from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service.
