Aurora
A Message from our Director
Debra Chaiken, Executive Director
2013 promises to be one of the busiest years on record for AURORA as we gear up for some exciting new initiatives and expand existing programming. “Collaboration” is the key word for us as we enter into some wonderful partnerships to deliver our services.
We were awarded one of two grants in the state by the New York State Commission for the Blind to provide a summer College Preparatory Program for youth from across the state. We will partner with LeMoyne College to offer a four week, on-campus experience that will prepare youth for all aspects of college living and learning.
Our new Children’s Hearing Aid Program is up and running thanks to the support of a private donor and the Gifford Foundation. We have already heard from a number of families of the positive impact the program has had on their children.
We are also thankful to the Syracuse Host Lions Club for a donation that will enable us to provide assistive devices for individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing who can’t afford them.
During the school year, we will continue to collaborate with BOCES to provide pre-vocational programming for high school age youth who are Deaf or hard of hearing to prepare them for the transition to adulthood and the world of work.
AURORA continues to be a core partner of the Onondaga County Falls Prevention Coalition and we are now conducting In-Home Safety Assessments for seniors to increase knowledge of safety hazards in and around the home. We have also received additional funding from the Central New York Community Foundation to further fine tune this assessment and identify barriers to follow through for seniors as part of their Learning Community.
Technology if often the key to success for job seekers with vision and hearing loss and will be the focus of many new projects this year. As a result, we have linked our Adaptive Technology Center with Employment Placement Services to coordinate our efforts and combine our talents to create a comprehensive employment placement team to serve job seekers and employers.
In our 95th year of service, I am proud to continue the tradition of excellence in service by our dedicated staff. We thank you for your support, and look forward to another success-filled year.
Deb Chaiken
Executive Director
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