In THE SPOTLIGHT

NYU Capstone Graduate Program Update

By April Banerjee, PWDF Program Manager For Public Awareness and Education 

As reported in our Fall 2015 e-newsletter, People With Disabilities Foundation (PWDF) is excited to be selected as a beneficiary of a Capstone project from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service (NYU Wagner).  Completion of a Capstone project is a requirement for students in the NYU Wagner Master of Public Administration program.  “Over the course of an academic year, students in Capstone work in teams with faculty oversight to address challenges and identify opportunities for a client organization or to conduct research on a pressing social question.  [A Capstone project] provides students with both a critical learning experience and an opportunity to perform a public service.”[1]

To be selected for the program, PWDF submitted a proposal to the NYU Wagner Capstone Program, which was selected first by a Capstone professor, then by a team of graduate students.  In our proposal, we asked a Capstone team to research and make specific recommendations about increasing the reach and impact of PWDF’s Public Awareness and Education Program.

In the past, PWDF’s impact was in large part limited to our geographical area; our plan, however, is to reach the entire country.  The agency maintains very valuable subject matter expertise related to Social Security benefits and/or employment for people with psychiatric and/or developmental disabilities. Given the great need for destigmatization of these disabilities, we are eager to increase PWDF’s impact. We believe that changes in technology have brought opportunities to extend the reach of our Public Awareness and Education Program, allowing us to help more people with psychiatric and/or developmental disabilities achieve equal opportunities in all aspects of life.

We appreciate our NYU Wagner team for selecting PWDF for their Capstone project. Over the course of this academic year, we have been working with our Capstone team to provide them with the information and resources they need to make meaningful recommendations.  We are looking forward to receiving their recommendations at the end of this academic year.

PWDF Profile

Who We Are

People With Disabilities Foundation is an operating 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California, which focuses on the rights of the mentally and developmentally disabled.

Services

Advocacy: PWDF advocates for Social Security claimant’s disability benefits in eight Bay Area counties. We also provide services in disability rights, on issues regarding returning to work, and in ADA consultations, including areas of employment, health care, and education, among others. There is representation before all levels of federal court and Administrative Law Judges. No one is declined due to their inability to pay, and we offer a sliding scale for attorney’s fees.

Education/Public Awareness: To help eliminate the stigma against people with mental disabilities in society, PWDF’s educational program organizes workshops and public seminars, provides guest speakers with backgrounds in mental health, and produces educational materials such as videos.

Continuing Education Provider: State Bar of California MCLE, California Board of Behavioral Sciences Continuing Education, and Commission of Rehabilitation Counselor Certification.