October is National Employment Disabilities Awareness Month (NDEAM). It is our annual recognition of employment equity, the value and talents that people with disabilities bring to all workplaces, and the employers who make inclusivity part of their daily mission. A commitment to employ people with disabilities benefits all involved, none more so than the employees themselves and their families. This NDEAM, we are proud to share this beautiful reflection from a parent of a young man employed through AHRC NYC’s Train & Earn program.
Dear AHRC leadership team,
My name is Dr. Nannan Liu, and I am the parent of Manny Langone, a participant in your agency’s Train & Earn program. I am writing this letter to express our family’s deepest gratitude for the opportunity for my son to participate in this life-changing program; but more importantly, for your incredible team at Train & Earn.Â
Manny has experienced many hardships throughout his life. Even though he is the kindest and gentlest soul, others have not been kind to him. Manny sought acceptance and belonging his entire life. However, what he faced was bullying throughout his childhood and adolescent years. Individuals with autism are often misunderstood and mistreated. I remember vividly that although Manny was extremely gifted in math, he was punished by his teachers in elementary school for always having the right answers but being unable to explain the steps. I cannot recount how many times during parent teacher meetings, I tried to tell the teachers that Manny has an incredible memory and he can access it to do mental math – he is a different thinker, but no one believed us. Then finally in middle school, we were lucky enough to have teachers who were trained to work with students with autism, and Manny excelled.Â
Unfortunately, shortly after Manny started high school, the COVID-19 pandemic began. The COVID-19 pandemic inflicted unimaginable losses for everyone around the world. For Manny, in addition to losing the stability of school, he faced persistent racism. Born and raised in NYC, Manny was confused why total strangers would call out racial slurs at us and told us to go back to where we are from. Manny would ask me, “But I am from New York City mom, where would I go back to?”
Throughout the past few years, I have been feeling very heartbroken. I am a specialist in psychiatry, but I cannot help my son to find a community that accepts and cares about him. Then miraculously, Access-VR connected us to the Train & Earn program. Within the first week, Manny came home with the biggest smile on his face. I had not seen that light in his eyes for a long time. He tells me how wonderful his teacher Tim is and what Tim is teaching him every day. He talks about Cristina Mapoy, the program director of DYCD Train & Earn, and how she is always smiling and saying hello to him. He tells me about Amanda, the program’s social worker, who is always available to talk to him. Lisbeth helped Manny enroll in the program. Enrique also provided me with a lot of information and parent support throughout the program.Â
The Train & Earn program has been more than a program to Manny. It is where he belongs and it has been life changing. Thank you for creating this amazing program. Our greatest hope is that you can find it in your hearts to allow Manny to stay connected to the program even post-program completion, whether it is volunteering or any future employment opportunities.
With our deepest gratitude,
Dr. Nannan Liu and family
Learn More about AHRC NYC’s Train & Earn Career Programs
TRAIN & EARN CEMENT POLISHING & MAINTENANCE PROGRAM
TRAIN & EARN GOVERNMENT PROGRAM
