06/9/15
Randolph, Mass. – Does someone you love have autism, brain injury, or other special needs? For an ever-increasing number of people in Massachusetts and across the country, the answer to this question is “yes.” The U.S. Census Bureau reports that nearly one in five individuals in our country has a disability; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that disability is one of the nation’s most important public health issues.
May Institute, a national nonprofit organization, is addressing this issue with a new awareness and education campaign on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) this month. The Institute provides critical services for children and adults with autism, brain injury, and other special needs in the Commonwealth and throughout the country.
The organization is expanding its annual autism awareness campaign, now in its seventh year on the MBTA, to focus on individuals across the lifespan. This year’s campaign includes images and stories of children and adults with brain injury and other special needs, as well as those on the autism spectrum.
“We’re excited to more fully reflect the breadth and depth of our services in this year’s campaign on the MBTA,” said Eileen G. Pollack, M.A., Senior Vice President of Communication and Public Relations.
View campaign images here.
Throughout the month of June, nearly 1,000 eye-catching posters and car cards will feature the faces of seven children and adults with a variety of disabilities alongside messages from loved ones or the individuals themselves, and contact information for those seeking help. These posters and cards will be displayed in subway stations and on subway cars, buses, and commuter trains across the MBTA system.
Thousands of daily commuters will also be able to see the campaign’s images and messages on the MBTA’s digital screens at high traffic stations in Boston and Cambridge. May Institute estimates that nearly 1.3 million commuters will have the opportunity to access the campaign every day this month.
“This campaign is part of a yearlong celebration of our 60th anniversary,” said Pollack. “Over the course of the year, we are carrying out a variety of public campaigns and initiatives, and are sharing the stories of 60 people whose lives touched and were touched by May Institute. Some of those individuals are featured on the MBTA this month.”
To learn more about these special individuals, view ‘Faces. Voices. Lives. – 60 Years at May Institute’ at http://mayinstitute60years.org/facesvoiceslives/
About May Institute
May Institute is an award-winning nonprofit organization with 60 years of experience in serving children and adults with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities, brain injury, mental illness, and behavioral health needs. The organization provides educational, rehabilitative, and behavioral healthcare services to individuals, as well as training and consultation services to professionals, organizations, and public school systems. At more than 150 service locations across the country, highly trained staff work to create new and more effective ways to meet the special needs of individuals and families across the lifespan. For more information, call 800.778.7601 or visit www.mayinstitute.org.
Find a
Sign Up
Contact Us
Donate