2010 Stroll NRoll Wrap-up

On a beautiful September morning, about 300 strollers and rollers gathered at the starting line of Kessler Foundation�s 9th annual Stroll �N Roll.

To see photos from Stroll'N Roll 2010 click here

On a beautiful September morning, about 300 strollers and rollers gathered at the starting line of Kessler Foundation's 9th annual Stroll 'N Roll. The North Jersey Navigators, junior athletes with disabilities, led the crowd. After a few opening remarks, they were off to complete a 5k, or three laps, around Verona Park. Families came out to enjoy the music, refreshments, face painting, and balloon artistry. They were joined by actor, producer, and disability advocate Daryl "Chill" Mitchell; Extra correspondent A.J.

New Kessler/NOD Issue Call to Hire People with Disabilities

HARRIS INTERACTIVE SURVEY FINDS LARGEST MINORITY GROUP FALLS BEHIND IN COMPANIES ATTEMPTS TO DIVERSIFY

Kessler Foundation/NOD Survey of Employment of Americans with Disabilities finds that largest minority group falls behind in companies' attempts to diversify.

NEW YORK (October 5th, 2010)  A new survey sponsored by Kessler Foundation and National Organization on Disability (NOD) finds that although corporations recognize that hiring employees with disabilities is important, most are hiring very few of these job seekers and few are proactively making efforts to improve the employment environment. These results, from the Kessler Foundation/National Organization on Disability 2010 Survey of Employment of Americans with Disabilities conducted by Harris Interactive, are

Kessler Foundation's Joel A. DeLisa, MD Award for Excellence in Research and Education in the Field of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Deadline for applications for this $50,000 award is December 15, 2010.

September 27, 2010 Kessler Foundation has established an annual award program in honor of the Founding Director of its Research Center, Joel A. DeLisa, MD, who retired from the Foundation this year. This $50,000 award seeks to identify and reward the physician or researcher who has demonstrated a significant impact on the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, particularly as it relates to the translation of research or education to patient care.

The first of these awards will be presented at the Kessler Foundation Awards Gala on May 12, 2011 in New York City. See links below to access the announcement, instructions for nominations, and the required cover letter. The deadline for applications

NBC Today Show Features Kessler Foundation/NOD Survey!

Bonnie St. John and Alana Wallace gave their perspective on the new Survey, as people with disabilities. St. John, who has a prosthetic leg, is a member of the board of National Organization on Disabi

July 26, 2010 Wallace stars in the public service announcements for www.ThinkBeyondTheLabel.com. Click here to see the NBC Today Show interview in its entirety.

Kessler Foundation Convenes Aphasia Summit

Opinion leaders from around the nation gathered to share their experiences with the latest in intervention.

Kessler Foundation Convenes First National Aphasia Summit

July 8, 2010  WEST ORANGE, N.J.—Kessler Foundation, in association with Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation (KIR), hosted the first national Aphasia Summit, entitled “Innovative Physiologic Treatments for Aphasia,” on Monday, June 21. The goal was to develop a plan of treatment for aphasia, encourage responsible innovation in rehabilitation, and develop a research agenda for this disabling complication of stroke.

Experts in the field of aphasia—physicians, researchers, psychologists and speech-language pathologists (S.L.P.)—gathered from around the country to share their

Finding Work After Spinal Cord Injury

 Kessler's June 18 Conference, Life after Spinal Cord Injury, provided a forum on employment issues for almost 100 attendees.  

June 23, 2010

WEST ORANGE, N.J.—Kessler Foundation, in association with Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, hosted another chapter of its Life after Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) conference, entitled "Empowering People with SCI to Compete in Today's Workforce," on Friday. The conference series is a part of the public outreach from the Northern New Jersey SCI Model System.

"This consumer conference gives us the opportunity to show how the work we do benefits people with disabilities," said John DeLuca, Ph.D., Vice President for Research at Kessler Foundation

Registration Closed for Aphasia Summit

Registration Closed for Aphasia Summit

Clinical Research Summit, Innovative Physiologic Treatments for Aphasia, June 21, 2010

June 21, 2010 Clinical Research Summit - Innovative Physiologic Treatments for Aphasia

Up to 6 Category 1 CME credits available ASHA, PT/OT credit pending Post-stroke communication disorders

Post-stroke communication disorders of speech and language (aphasia) affect 20-30% of all stroke survivors in acute recovery stages. Newly identified US stroke survivors with aphasia (159,000-238,000 annually) greatly outnumber people with acute spinal cord injury, brain and nervous system cancer, and newly diagnosed Parkinson Disease, but acute medical treatment options for

June is Aphasia Awareness Month!

 The National Aphasia Assoc's Speaking Out! Conference! will be June 12, 2010,7:30AM - 4:45PM, at National Rehab. Hospital, 102 Irving St NW, Washington, DC.
Please visit www.aphasia.org/RegionalConference.html

10th Annual Wheelchair 10K to be Held on May 31

Life after Spinal Cord Injury conference

The title of this year�s conference is: "Empowering People with SCI to Complete in Today�s Workforce"

May 14, 2010 The job market is tough. For people with disabilities, the workforce presents a whole other set of challenges. The next chapter of the Life after Spinal Cord Injury conference series, entitled "Empowering People with SCI to Compete in Today's Workforce," will be held on Friday, June 18, 2010, at 10 am in the Kessler Conference Center —1199 Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange, New Jersey. Mingle at the continental breakfast, which will be served at 9:30 am.

The conference is expected to host 150-200 people, some of who are local employers. This is the time to network with employers and build connections. You will hear first-hand experiences from people with SCI

Tenth Annual Wheelchair 10K - Registration is closed!

The Tenth Annual Wheelchair 10K is the wheelchair division of the Ridgewood Run that is held annually on Memorial Day.  For the first time, this year�s race is the designated Wheelchair Track and Fi

April 12, 2010 The Tenth Annual Wheelchair 10K is the wheelchair division of the Ridgewood Run that is held annually on Memorial Day. For the first time, this year's race is the designated Wheelchair Track and Field USA (WTFUSA) Wheelchair 10K Championship.

At 8:40 am on Monday, May 31, 2010, wheelchair racers from around the country will kick-off the series of seven events that comprise the Fred d'Elia Memorial Day Ridgewood Run. With the support of the North Jersey Masters, the Kessler Foundation Wheelchair 10K has grown to one of the largest 10Ks in the country. Other event

Achieving Accuracy in Healthcare Research among the Aged: The Negative Impact of Clinical Coding Practices on Research Outcomes and Proposed Solutions

Denise Fyffe, PhD, and Anna Barrett, MD, from Kessler Foundation, and Mary Ann Brigante, RN, MSN, from Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, presented their perspective on the obstacles to conducting

February 8, 2010 Anna Barrett, MD, director of Stroke Rehabilitation Research at Kessler Foundation, delivered a presentation at the United Nations on February 9, 2010. Her presentation explained the importance of properly coding hidden disabilities that commonly occur after stroke but are often overlooked as obstacles to recovery. Coding is important not only for insurance reimbursement, but for identifying and tracking people who need evaluation and treatment.

The program, entitled, "Achieving Accuracy in Healthcare Research among the Aged: The Negative Impact of Clinical

8th Annual Estabrook Lecture Presented by Paul Wehman, PhD

 "Employment and Return to Work for Individuals With Significant Disabilities: How Far Have We Come." 

February 9, 2010

The 8th annual Kenneth L. Estabrook Distinguished Scientist Lectureship was held by Kessler Foundation on March 5, 2010. More than one hundred medical and rehabilitation professionals, as well as other interested parties, heard Paul Wehman, PhD, discuss "Employment and Return to Work for People with Significant Disabilities: How Far Have We Come?"

The Estabrook family sat in the front row. Kenneth Estabrook (1924-2003), a NJ lawyer, served as a trustee, vice president, and president of Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation from 1967-1986. From Dr. Henry H. Kessler, he learned how critical comprehensive rehabilitation was to recovery. Estabrook was

Registration closed for the 22nd Annual PM&R Board Review Course, 4/22 - 4/30

Kessler Foundation Trustees Approve $1,933,835 in Grants

Kessler Foundation approved an allocation of $1,933,835 through its �Transition to Work� initiative. Earlier this year, the Foundation awarded $423,742 to benefit grant programs that increase employme

December 17, 2009. WEST ORANGE, NJ – The Board of Trustees of Kessler Foundation has approved a grant allocation of $1,933,835 to benefit people with physical disabilities through Kessler's "Transition to Work" initiative. Earlier this year, the Foundation awarded $423,742 in grants to benefit grant programs that increase employment opportunities for this underserved population. The total amount awarded for employment initiatives during 2009 was $2,357,577.

"This year has been a challenging one for people with disabilities trying to seek employment," said Elaine Katz, Vice