New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. with honorees and co-sponsors at his Disability Awareness Month celebration at City Hall on Tuesday, November 14, 2006. Pictured (back, l to r) are: Vikas Khanna, chef, restaurateur and activist; Father John Massari, Our Lady of Pompei, R.C.; Lawrence Joseph Seiler, host and creator, “Special People/Special Issues,” BRONXNET; Thompson; Tara Cortes, president, Lighthouse International; Brother Rick Curry, S.J., founder and artistic director, National Theatre Workshop of the Handicapped; Marco Damiani, director of clinical and family services, YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities Network; (front, l to r) Edith M Prentiss, first vice president, Disabled in Action; Rhoda Rousso, coordinator, Catholic Charities Deafness Services; and, Flerida Pena, Early Intervention Services coordinator, Volunteers of America.                                               Photo credit: Marla S. Maritzer

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New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. honored five New Yorkers and New York Lawyers for the Public Interest at his 2006 National Disability Awareness Month Celebration on Tuesday, November 14. The event was co-sponsored with YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities Network and Lighthouse International.

“We need to spread the word, and drive the message home: there is absolutely no limit to what can be achieved by people who are living with disabilities. Break down the assumptions, open the doors, make it possible for all people to contribute their talents, ideas, and leadership, and we all benefit,” Thompson said.

“We all know that victories, great and small, do not happen overnight. That’s why it is important to honor the hard work that has made progress possible, and pay tribute to the men and women who paved the way. After all, every right secured, every opportunity gained, is the result of the dedication and contributions of many, many people over the course of time. Let us draw inspiration from those who are setting a positive example today – the people who work every day to bring about meaningful change.”

The first honoree, Vikas Khanna, is a chef, restaurateur and activist. Born on the border of India and Pakistan, Khanna became a noted chef in India before moving to New York in 2000.

Khanna served as executive chef at Salaam Bombay Restaurant, and currently serves as a consultant to several restaurants, including Tandoor Palace, Saffron and Tamarind Restaurants. He also is the founder of Cooking for Life, a non-profit organization that brings together celebrated chefs for tasting events that raise funds for relief efforts around the world. 

“Vikas Khanna has reached great professional heights and made tremendous contributions to the life of our city,” Thompson said.

The next honoree, Edith Prentiss, is involved in numerous organizations and initiatives that are working to improve the lives of people with disabilities and the elderly.

Prentiss is first vice president of the group Disabled in Action, president emeritus of the Manhattan BoroughWide InterAgency Council on Aging, and chairperson of the Presbyterian Hospital Community Health Council. She also is a member of the Disability Network of New York City, the Washington Heights & Inwood Council on Aging, and the New York State Independent Living Council, and a leader in the “Taxis For All” Campaign. In her professional life, she has served as director of operations for the firm H & M Hecker Physical Therapy, and was a geriatric case worker at Selfhelp Community Services.
                                                                                                                                   
“Through her advocacy efforts and her professional work, Ms. Prentiss has made a positive difference in the lives of countless individuals,” Thompson said.

Next, Thompson honored the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest’s Disability Law Center.
The Disability Law Center is one of the leading legal advocacy organizations for people with disabilities in New York State. By providing a full range of services, the organization protects and promotes the civil rights of people with disabilities so that they can participate in all aspects of American life. 

“The Disability Law Center has provided advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities and contributed greatly to the quality of life in our City,” Thompson said.

The next honoree, Rhoda Rousso, is a social service provider and community advocate. Rousso currently serves as coordinator of Deafness Services at Catholic Charities of Brooklyn. 

Rousso also has served as an instructor to deaf students at New York City Technical College and LaGuardia Community College and worked at the New York Society for the Deaf, American Sign Language Institute and New York University. She is an honorary member of the Brooklyn Society for the Deaf and a former member of the American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association and the New York American Sign Language Teachers Association. 

“Rhoda Rousso has provided outstanding service on behalf of the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing,” Thompson said.

The next honoree was Flerida Pena, a service coordinator for the Early Intervention Program at Volunteers of America, where she helps families with special needs realize their full potential. 

Pena also participates in the City University of New York’s Youth Transition Demonstration Project, where she helps parents and their children with special needs prepare for their transition to adulthood. She also participates in a parent support group at Services for the Developmentally Challenged. 

“Ms. Pena has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to serving the needs of our children and our communities,” Thompson said.

The final honoree was Lawrence Joseph Seiler, creator and host of the acclaimed Bronxnet television program “Special People/Special Issues,” which addresses a wide range of issues and concerns affecting people with disabilities who live in the local community.

Seiler, who grew up in Co-op City, took studio production classes at Bronxnet, and started his work at the network as an intern in its journalism department. While working there, he developed the idea for the program, pitched it to the station leadership, and went on the air in 1998.

“Mr. Seiler is a pioneer, an innovator, and an inspiration to his many viewers. He has worked hard to address the problem of invisibility,” Thompson said.

The YAI Players/Theater of Dreams performed at the event. Brother Rick Curry, artistic director of the National Theatre Workshop of the Handicapped, gave the Invocation, and Father John Massari of Our Lady of Pompeii Roman Catholic Church offered the Benediction.
 

To receive photographs, please contact Marla Maritzer at (212) 669-2597 or at mmaritz@comptroller.nyc.gov.

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