Love Your Brain: Fostering Resilience through Community-Centered Yoga

By Sarah Thomson, Research Assistant, Center for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research, Kessler Foundation

After a traumatic brain injury (TBI), it's common to feel isolated, misunderstood, and helpless. Survivors often face new physical, mental, and emotional challenges and struggle to find a truly sympathetic and supportive community. Thanks to the Love Your Brain Foundation, people who have experienced a brain injury now have access to a welcoming community with resources to improve well-being

Caregiver Corner: A Brother's Call for Action

By Daniel George

My name is Daniel George, and I am 15 years old. My brother, Jacob, sustained a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) 10 years ago while on a Halloween hayride. He was an average 8-year-old when the accident happened. Because of the injury, Jacob has quadriplegia, cannot see, cannot speak, cannot eat, and requires around-the-clock care. But that does not mean he cannot communicate. Jacob smiles and laughs when we make jokes and spend time with him. We know he can hear us and comprehend the environment because he reacts to things by laughing. He enjoys our company, so I watch TV with him, take naps with him, tell him jokes, and try to help my parents take care of him as much as I can.

(Photo above: Daniel George (left) enjoys quality time with his brothers

There’s No Place like Home

In this episode of Kessler Foundation's podcast, Uri Adler, MD, at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, presents “There's No Place like Home.” This podcast will focus on communication, motivation, spatial neglect, sleep issues, bowel and bladder management, and community integration. 

This is part one of an eight part series. Listen to the series as it's posted. 

Listen to the podcast, view the transcript and download this episode and others for free on 

You Can Become A Champion

On Tuesday, December 3, 2019, Kessler Foundation will participate in #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving and making an impact. Your generosity will return people with disabilities to their homes, their communities, and the workplace.

This year, our goal is to build an army of champions to change the lives of people with disabilities. We invite you to join the movement in support of Kessler Foundation.

When you champion rehabilitation research and employment this Giving Tuesday, you make a direct and profound impact on people with disabilities in need now. 

Giving is easy. Visit our

Your Support Jumpstarts Natalie’s Future

Four years ago, Natalie was driving to Newark Airport with her dog, Dutchess. Her car was struck from behind. Seriously injured, she was rushed to University Hospital. Doctors saved Natalie's life, but she was paralyzed from the waist down. Dutchess was put in foster care.

Transferred to Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, Natalie started her journey to recovery. Determined to get her life back, she began participating in spinal cord injury research led by Gail Forrest, PhD, director of the Center for Spinal Stimulation at Kessler

Helen Genova on Cognitive Issues in the Brain

In this episode of Kessler Foundation's podcast, we are talking with Helen Genova, PhD. She is the assistant director at the Center for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research. She spoke about cognitive issues in the brain. 

Listen to the podcast, view the transcript and download this episode and others for free on Apple Podcasts, 

Mayor Mac Café Trains Special Needs Students for Workforce

By Nicky Miller

In October, Woodbridge, NJ mayor John E. McCormac and township officials, gathered at the newly renovated Cypress Recreation Center for the grand opening of Mayor Mac Café. They welcomed guests and students from R.I.S.E (Reaching Individual Student Excellence), part of Woodbridge Township School District’s special services program. The café, housed inside the Cypress Recreation Center, is unique. It was designed to train young adults with special needs for careers in the food service industry while serving as a place for the public to purchase food during activities at the center. The students learn cooking and customer

Targeting Financial Stability for Jobseekers with Disabilities

By Carolann Murphy, PA

In the current climate of full employment, people with disabilities have achieved some success in finding their place in the labor market. As job gains begin to slow, however, the underlying problem looms large–the wide and persistent gap in employment between people with disabilities and without disabilities. This gap underlies the association between disability and poverty in the U.S.; 40% of people with disabilities live in poverty. The grip of poverty is difficult to elude, even for those who succeed in finding jobs.

According to

Returning to Work After Spinal Cord Injury: Research Raises Expectations for Newly Injured

By Carolann Murphy, PA

For people with disabilities, the value of being employed goes beyond the financial gains afforded by salary and benefits. They view employment as important to their personal identity and self-esteem, and as a pathway to inclusion in society as well as the workplace. The majority are striving to work, according to Kessler Foundation's 2015 National Employment and Disability Survey, including people disabled by spinal cord injury, a group with employment rates

You'll Be Inspired By This Wounded Warrior

On Veterans Day, we are proud to share how your support of Kessler Foundation helps our veterans with disabilities transition to the civilian workforce and gain meaningful employment. Imagine the frustration of serving your country, then returning home to find that you can’t get a job. This is a reality for many veterans, and the challenge is even greater for veterans with disabilities.

Thanks to friends like you, Kessler Foundation is a sponsor of the Jackson Drysdale Veterans Center, New Jersey’s first one-stop center offering assistance with employment and entrepreneurship. The Center

The Right Talent, Right Now: Expanding Opportunities in Filmmaking for People with Disabilities

By Carolann Murphy

October is Disability Employment Awareness Month, and the theme for 2019, "The Right Talent, Right Now," is a fitting one for industries fueled by the creative arts. Every year, the disparities in hiring in the entertainment industry take the spotlight during the Hollywood awards season, and the film industry’s lack of diversity makes the headlines. There is interest in stories involving disability, however, and support for inclusion of people with disabilities in casts and crews is growing. To provide that talent, programs such as Joey Travolta’s Inclusion Films are helping people with disabilities take advantage of the broad range of opportunities in creative

Exploring Ways of Providing Seamless Care for Veterans with Spinal Cord Injury

By Carolann Murphy, PA

In this episode of Kessler Foundation's podcast, learn about “Best of Both Worlds: Establishing Fruitful Partnerships between VA Spinal Cord Injury/Disorders Care and SCI Model System Centers." 

Listen to the podcast, and download this episode and others for free on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Podbean, or where ever you get your podcasts.

On October 24, 2019,

Elaine Katz on Grantmaking

In this episode of Kessler Foundation's podcast, we are talking with Elaine Katz. She is the senior vice president of grants and communications at Kessler Foundation. She spoke about grankmaking. 

Listen to the podcast, view the transcript and download this episode and others for free on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, 

Do You Know A Stroke Survivor?

In honor of World Stroke Day (October 29) we are sharing this video about spatial neglect, and how Robert Vroeginday overcame his neglect thanks to Kessler Foundation's research made possible by our donors.

Every year, more than 650,000 Americans face the challenges of recovering from stroke. As many as 30% to 50% of stroke survivors experience spatial neglect, a hidden disability that complicates rehabilitation, hinders recovery, and increases the risks for injury and prolonged hospitalization.

Thanks to our supporters, people with stroke and spatial neglect like Robert receive the help they need to accelerate their recovery. 

Learn about

Helping Brain Injury Survivors Live Better Lives

By Lee Anne Mincolelli, Senior Nursing Assistant, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, West Orange

My journey as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) began in 2012 on the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Unit at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation (KIR). After managing a catering company for 20 years, I felt a calling to do something that would make a real difference in people's lives. Upon completion of my certification, my CNA instructor, who happened to be a registered nurse at KIR, recommended that I apply for a position on the TBI Unit.

To be honest, I was nervous. I had studied brain injuries, but to physically care for these patients was a whole different story. But I was an open book, ready to write a new