Our mission is to build a world in which individuals with disabilities and other disadvantages realize acceptance, inclusion, and access. Our Vision is to be a community of program participants and staff making inclusion and access of individuals with disabilities or disadvantages a way for people, businesses, and communities to succeed together. Our network of services are designed to promote access, equity, and inclusion for individuals with disabilities and other disadvantages. Our programs connect individuals’ choices, strengths, and goals with options for employment, job training, skill-building, and community living. The result is a community of connection that is richer for all.
External link for VIABILITY, Inc
VIABILITY, Inc reposted this
Senior Manager of Operations focused on change management and process improvement while fostering an inclusive workforce
CT BRS has always been a great partner!
Businesses benefit when hiring individuals with disabilities. How? • Tax Benefits and Incentives • Wage Reimbursement • Improved Employee Retention Rates • Training Support If you are in CT, contact BRS and let one of our Workforce Counselors help you. https://loom.ly/P3R4Uiw
VIABILITY, Inc reposted this
Racism & discrimination tear at the fabric of our societies, harming us all. But each of us can take action by spreading compassion, tolerance & acceptance. Get ideas about how you can help #FightRacism: https://lnkd.in/dFhjvKF9
VIABILITY, Inc reposted this
Jan. 23 is Ed Roberts Day. He is considered to be the father of the independent living movement for people with disabilities. #EdRobertsDay
VIABILITY, Inc reposted this
📢 Governor Maura Healey Unveils $61.5 Billion FY '26 Budget Proposal! 📢 💬 "While this budget may have been challenging given the demand for limited resources, we are confident that our administration is putting forward a plan that makes life more affordable for people, protects our most vulnerable citizens, supports our employers and our economy, and smartly balances those needs against the imperative of fiscal discipline and sustainability," said Gov. Healey. 🔗 View the Full Budget Online: https://lnkd.in/eAiDCW9e
VIABILITY, Inc reposted this
It's not every day I get to do work so close to home. I'm proud to share our implementation study report of Western Mass MOMS, conducted under OPRE's NextGen Project. Learn about how VIABILITY, Inc implemented MOMS Partnership, that provides a course grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy to mothers and caregivers with low incomes who are experiencing stress. The MOMS Stress Management Course, along with other services, is designed to reduce depressive symptoms, improve social connections, and ultimately, promote labor market success.
Today October 29 we’ll be from 12-4pm at the Campus Center University of Massachusetts Amherst for the Government, Non-Profit and Social Impact Fair. Come meet our HR team and find your career with us at Viability! #ThriveBeyondLimits
Congratulations to all involved in the organization of this amazing event and thank you to all at The Caring Force for all the work to make this event, first in Western Mass a success!
I enjoyed an inspirational day yesterday in Westfield at Western Massachusetts Caring Force Rally where we welcomed members of The Caring Force to the event and thanked them for all their advocacy on behalf of human services programs. Five Western Massachusetts human services organizations -- 18 Degrees Family Services for Western Massachusetts, BFAIR, Gandara Center, Mental Health Association, and VIABILITY, Inc -- sponsored the event and did an amazing job of organizing a fantastic event that featured direct care workers, program participants, state and municipal officials and more than 100 attendees. This event was just one of a series of regional rallies The Caring Force has done this year. In addition to our State House Rally in Boston in May, we also participated in and sponsored events around the state, including those in Peabody, Taunton, Framingham and now Westfield. We've been excited to bring the rallies on the road this year, giving us an opportunity to connect with Caring Force members in their cities and towns and legislators in their districts. A huge thank you to event emcee Colleen Holmes, President/CEO of Viability, and it was amazing to see Gerry Wright, a founder of the Providers' Council, attend virtually on Zoom! We heard such inspirational, personal stories from workers and program participants at Viability and Gándara. Even a fire alarm halfway through the event couldn't stop it -- we simply took the rally outside and were thankful to hear from Senator John Velis who spoke loudly to the circled crowd about the important work done in the human services sector. Thanks, too, to Caroline O'Neill at Providers' Council (Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers, Inc.) for all of her work in pulling together all the moving parts that go into an event such as this one. It was a massive success -- and we're excited for our final regional rally in Worcester in mid-October! We're so thankful for these rallies that show the power of advocacy to so many in the human services sector who may not have had the opportunity previously to participate in a rally, and we look forward to making these a staple of our work for many years to come! #CaringForceRally
VIABILITY, Inc reposted this
On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, let’s celebrate the Indigenous communities in the U.S. Plains Indian Sign Language is an example of Indigenous culture and history. Swipe to learn more about this language – and how you can help to preserve it. #IndigenousPeoplesDay #IndigenousCulture #IndigenousPeoples #DisabilityHistory #DisabilityCommunity
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Viability Celebrates Award-winning Staff Member Springfield, MA – September 26, 2024 – Viability Inc. congratulates Nicole Nelson, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Independent Living Services Program Director, as recipient of the 2024 Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers’ (ADDP), Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Award (DEIB). "Nicole has consistently been instrumental in connections to resources for ASL interpreters and educating our staff and communities to increase access for deaf individuals. Across the full spectrum of diversity, Nicole challenges anyone and everyone to recognize and remove barriers with an unshakeable commitment to valuing DEIB" said Colleen Holmes, Viability’s President and CEO. “I am deeply honored receiving this award and thank Viability leadership and colleagues as well as ADDP for this recognition. It demonstrates the power of inclusion, understanding and respect and inspires me to continue advocating for equality amongst marginalized individuals and fostering environments where everyone can thrive.” said Nelson. Some of the Nicole’s work that garnered this award includes her tireless efforts to recruit staff from across the country who were deaf or hard of hearing and fluent in ASL, so that deaf individuals could be well-served, staging a simulation exercise where participants had to conduct routine activities without being able to speak verbally, and helping to draft Viability’s DEIB Leadership Statement. About Viability Viability Inc. is a human services agency headquartered in Springfield, MA, which provides employment, job training and placement, vocational, life skill-building, and other community-based services to nearly 4300 individuals with disabilities or disadvantages annually. With a staff of 430+, Viability ensures individuals in our service areas in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma, and Rhode Island have opportunities to Thrive Beyond Limits. Our program models include community-based day and day habilitation services; supported living options; psycho-social clubhouses; transportation services; and a variety of pre-employment, vocational, internship and employment programs. Viability is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and Clubhouse International and certified by the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services and the Massachusetts Division of Medical Assistance. About ADDP As a prominent statewide association, the Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers (ADDP) represents 134 human service organizations that provide a wide range of services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities including autism, and to individuals who have brain injuries. For more information, visit www.addp.org. ### Media Contact: Ricard Torres-Mateluna, Vice President of Marketing and Communications communications@viability.org, 413.217.4587
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Viability Celebrates Ricard Torres-Mateluna's Community Recognition Springfield, MA – September 26, 2024 – Viability Inc., is proud to share that Ricard Torres-Mateluna has been recognized by MassLive as Massachusetts Leader in the Hispanic and Latino Community a recognition from community members throughout the Commonwealth. “Ricard’s exuberant way of celebrating diverse cultures everywhere, including sharing his own, melts down barriers on and off the job. As Vice President of Marketing Communications for Viability, Inc., Ricard uses his leadership to further Viability’s efforts to ensure culturally inclusive access for individuals with disabilities or other disadvantages seeking our services, jobseekers, and caregivers who speak Spanish. From major initiatives such as developing our new agency brand, translations of materials into Spanish, legislative advocacy, and serving on Viability’s DEIB Leadership Task Force, his work has been instrumental to increasing awareness and education of Hispanic/Latino culture within our agency and across our communities,” said Colleen Holmes, Viability’s President and CEO.” "I am deeply honored to receive this recognition from the community and MassLive. This affirms my steadfast commitment to building a more inclusive society that empowers and uplifts the Latino community, people with disabilities and other underrepresented groups. Through my work, I have dedicated myself to advancing Viability’s mission of expanding opportunity and ensuring that all individuals can fully participate and thrive” said Torres-Mateluna. About Viability Viability Inc. is a human services agency headquartered in Springfield, MA, which provides employment, job training and placement, vocational, life skill-building, and other community-based services to nearly 4300 individuals with disabilities or disadvantages annually. With a staff of 430+, Viability ensures individuals in our service areas in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma, and Rhode Island have opportunities to Thrive Beyond Limits. Our program models include community-based day and day habilitation services; supported living options; psycho-social clubhouses; transportation services; and a variety of pre-employment, vocational, internship and employment programs. Viability is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and Clubhouse International and certified by the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services and the Massachusetts Division of Medical Assistance. ###