The Arc of Madison Cortland’s Board of Directors accepted the Self-Advocacy Association of New York State’s (SANYS) Agency of the Year Award. Michelle Wolfe, president of the Madison County Motivators self-advocacy group and Dan Flannigan, director of SANYS Central New York, presented the award to the Board of Directors with the help of several other self-advocates.
“We are humbled by this award, and we thank SANYS for giving people the resources and tools they need to succeed,” said Randy Schaal, board president of The Arc of Madison Cortland.
For more than 20 years, this award has been presented to an agency that supports self-advocacy and self-advocacy groups. The Arc of Madison Cortland provides meeting space, event support and promotes self-advocacy.
“The Arc of Madison Cortland was selected Agency of the Year as a result of the ample support they provide the Madison County Motivators and individual self-advocates,” said Flannigan. “There are 195 self-advocacy groups in SANYS and Madison County continues to have some of the largest representation of self-advocates in New York State.”
The Arc of Madison Cortland is a chapter of The Arc New York which formed 52 years ago in Cortland County and 50 years ago in Madison County. The Arc advocates for people with developmental disabilities and provides a range of programs and services: self-direction brokerage, residential, respite, family support, employment programs, day habilitation programs, guardianship and transportation. In addition, The Arc of Madison Cortland offers an article 16 clinic that provides: testing for the diagnosis of autism and other developmental disabilities, nutritional counseling, psychiatry, behavioral counseling, physical and occupational therapy, podiatry and nursing.