Note from our Executive Director

Musical magic came to JSDD’s WAE Center on Tuesday, May 3, in the form of the legendary Peter Yarrow, who will be performing for us again at JSDD’s 20th Anniversary Celebration on Nov. 6 at the Bickford Theater. It was a dreamy afternoon for members and staff alike. We were all inspired and enchanted.

It’s hard to believe we’re less than two months away from the premier of Chairs of Inclusion at the WAE Center’s Anniversary Gala, November 2.  Our staff has been working diligently on both the Chairs project and the Gala, and their efforts are really showing results. Here’s a peek at what’s happening: Our Chairs are attracting a lot of attention. Several are already on exhibit at the Rutgers NJ Medical School Fall Arts Festival in the school’s first floor gallery, 185 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ. This exhibit features two of Lisa Ficarelli-Halpern’s“Dialogue of Four Chairs” paintings along with Yvette Lucas’ “Care Chair.” If you are near the Medical School, stop by and check the exhibit out. It is open Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm, and […]

To honor the 10th Anniversary of JSDD’s WAE Center, I am so pleased to announce that we have a large scale collaborative art project underway called Chairs of Inclusion. We commissioned ten professional artists to create a piece about INCLUSION.The artists employedvarious mediums to show their interpretation as a full-scale chair.  Each artist brought an idea of what they wanted to produce and worked with the WAE Center member-artists to realize that vision. That’s when amazing things started to happen:Creating these bright, beautiful, joyful chairs was as transformative for the professional artists as it was for the contributing member-artists. These chairs are wonderful examples of how people with disabilities can make meaningful contributions in every aspect of life, and in doing so, […]

We are delighted to be launching our new website.  This more dynamic web presence will allow us, at JSDD and the WAE Center, to provide you with more timely information regarding recent and upcoming events, new products and news pertaining to systems changes for both residents and WAE members. Product offerings will continue to grow and evolve to highlight the extensive talent of the men and women participating at the WAE Center, JSDD’s alternative learning program. Updates with respect to changes in eligibility for program participation (Community Care Waiver – CCW) will be included in this note from the Executive Director as information becomes available.  Opportunities for additional resources to individuals and their families will be posted here, as well. […]