Dumbo NYC

Notes from the DUMBO, Brooklyn NY neighborhood


A Disability Friendly Dumbo

October 15th, 2009

The League Treatment Center

Did you know that over 1,200 adults with disabilities come to Dumbo Brooklyn every single day to receive support services? While many people are familiar with the League Artist Natural Design Gallery (aka the LAND) on 67 Front Street, not many people realize that it’s a small branch of The League Treatment Center located on 30 Washington Street. Also in the neighborhood is AHRC which has two Dumbo facilities, Dean O’Hare Adult Day Center on 113 Water Street and Stephen B. Siegel Adult Day Center at 18 Adams Street. Additionally, F.E.G.S. is around the corner at 199 Jay Street.

These organizations are united in providing services aimed at one thing, community inclusion. Across the country, programs are working towards “deinstitutionalization” which includes assisting people with disabilities to become full-fledged participants and contributors within their communities. Services frequently include money, social and vocational skills training in natural, everyday settings. People with disabilities shop, dine, visit galleries, volunteer and work – sometimes with staff assistance and sometimes independently.

We spoke with a psychologist who works with the adults with disabilities who provided some simple ways to make Dumbo more disability friendly:

There are three major ways to be more disability friendly. (1) Improve your awareness. Understand the different type of disabilities that exist. Learn how to communicate with people who are nonverbal. Befriend a person with a disability. (2) Two is about disability etiquette, such as when you can touch someone’s wheelchair? Or how do you politely avoid a well-meaning hug? And when is it ok to laugh? (3) Lastly, include people with disabilities in the community. Are you a gallery owner or a retailer in Dumbo? Mail invites to programs, or speak to a program supervisor. If you need volunteers (e.g. mailings, shreddings, set-up), call up one of the programs in the neighborhood.

If you work or live in Dumbo, please reach out to our community of people with disabilities. For more information, contact:


Related to this, a NY Times story in February, 2009, noted that Two Trees is not renewing the lease held by The League Treatment Center at 30 Washington Street and will expire in November 2010. No word yet on whether they have found a replacement location.

Filed in Dumbo People, Dumbo Residents, Dumbo Retail and Businesses at 3:36 pm
View Comments
  • Name
    rich people are assholes
  • My blog "Aspieadvocat" at www.carolgreenburg.vox.com discusses the importance of supporting neighborhoods that support people with disabilites.
  • whats in a name
    Carol,
    With all due respect, the best way to support this school is to NOT shop in the local stores. We should pray that they go out of business and have more vacant space at cheaper rent. The more successful the local businesses are the more rent Landlords will want for their spaces. Your logic escapes me.
    loose stool
  • Name
    I think some of you forget that these agencies where here way before anyone wanted to live here. Two Trees and Walentas (they are the same people) couldn't get anyone to to rent out theirs spaces back then because it was a dangerous neighborhood with no stores or any kind of life.

    A lot of the artists were in DUMBO because they could afford the rent and eventually they left because either they couldn't afford the rent or they got kicked out.

    The buses come in around 8:45 and are unloaded by 9:10 unless they are late usually because of traffic, break down or accident. What about all the traffic that was created by Two Trees? Not because of the buses mainly because of all the businesses and apartment buildings that exist now.

    If anyone that has responded negatively to this, how would you feel if your loved one had to go to an agency like this. We should be lucky that agencies like this exist and it is too bad that they have to leave.

    Once the school's lease is up this building will be turned into high end condos full of more rich people, more cars, more traffic and no parking spots. Once the middle school is built there will be more buses and more kids.

    It's too bad these non-profit agencies have to leave.
  • Johnson
    Bothered by idling buses? Good lord maybe you can get the MTA to stop running trains then reroute traffic on the bridges and the BQE. Maybe you can get street sweepers rather then the street cleaning vehicles. Maybe get rid of all children from the park because they make noise. MAybe get rid of all people. Then finally some quiet.

    I for one will miss the League and their buses filled with kids.
  • Ara
    Well put, Fosterhood ("So the real problem, why do 1,200 people have to sit, waiting on a bus 4-5 hours a day as they file one-by-one into building? That's the human rights issue that people should really be up in arms over. The sooner these folks are integrated into the community...").

    We shouldn't be discussing the group of people served by the centers as if they were an "other." They are a part of our community! The buses that you complain about are really your problem, too. Do something positive about it rather than wishing members of your community excluded because their services annoy you.
  • GT
    I welcome the disabled and the organizations that serve them in my neighborhood, but the daily hours of idling busses, horrible pollution, traffic, and rude drivers are not worth the trouble.

    Twice daily - from about 830AM to 1030AM - and again in the afternoon, about a dozen diesel busses idle on Plymouth, Adams, Water, and Washington Streets. Every morning they block traffic on Water Street between Adams and Main, causing upset drivers to honk and idle more.

    The bus drivers refuse to shut off their engines, even when they are politely reminded that idling is illegal. It's sad that these good organizations are having to move, but I have given up, and will be happy when the busses are gone.
  • Last comment, I promise. I'm still shuddering over your comment, GT, about folks with disabilities as "not worth the trouble". I'm sure you didn't mean it that way... however, it's worth mentioning that a lot of people with disabilities, especially autism, read this site.

    Here's a group that just had a show on MTV- www.howsyournews.com. They do an awesome job of showing people what they're missing out on as opposed to the typical sentimental portrait.
  • Just a note about the idling- usually there's at least one person with a disability who requires an exact room temperature (not too hot, not too cold)- as such, it's OMRDD regulation, and not against the law, that the bus engines remain on.

    So the real problem, why do 1,200 people have to sit, waiting on a bus 4-5 hours a day as they file one-by-one into building? That's the human rights issue that people should really be up in arms over. The sooner these folks are integrated into the community (like other major cities have exceeded us in) and out of an institution, the sooner this won't be a problem...

    If you think the bus drivers are rude to you, imagine how they're treating the disabled people on the bus. Go get somebody off of a bus and involve them in your life. Only then will the buses be gone for good.
  • Name
    I will not miss those buses !
    can't wail for November 2010 !
  • Unfortunately, we're all just one head injury away from riding those buses...

    It seems a shame that these folks are bussed into such an educated and resource rich community like ours but we still aren't progressive enough to incorporate them into our 'hood...

    Particularly now that so many of these guys are combat injured vets.
  • Name
    The name alone "Walentas" makes my stomach turn.
  • Johnson
    Two Tress and the Walentas have only one goal, to make as much money as possible.

    So much for community on their part.

    Only the richs are the ones they want.
  • Joe
    Why else would they not renew these leases for these poor people? They seem to be disabled friendly...got the ramps for wheelchairs in their buildings.
  • Name
    Two things Joe. All new construction/renovation is required to be ADA compliant. They're required by law to put ramps, etc. in.
    I think people who are criticizing the Walentas for kicking the school out are being disingenuous. All this bleating and hand wringing about these "poor people" would turn to NIMBY outrage if this school was looking to move in. This is just another handful of goat pellets for the Yuppie Walentas faux haters. I have no interest in defending them but you all are incredibly naive or if heaping scorn on them makes you hard then you need to check yourself into hospital for sexual deviants.
    The school had a good run at a reasonable rent. The Walentas are under no obligation or sword to keep them as tenants no matter what the guilty liberal Dumbo Nouveau Riche cry.
    faithfully
    loose stool
  • Name
    Hey Jed, is that you?
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