Annual Report Showcases Impact of Kessler Foundation

East Hanover, NJ, July 28, 2017 -- Kessler Foundation has released a new annual report, Changing Lives 2016, highlighting the impact of the Foundation on the lives of people with disabilities – through the discovery of better ways for individuals to recover from illness and injury, and through the funding of programs that expand job opportunities for people with disabilities. This interactive multi-media report details how research advances are improving rehabilitative care, the successes of employment initiatives, and the Foundation’s growth and activities in 2016.

Rodger DeRose, president and CEO of Kessler Foundation

“Focusing research efforts over the long-term yields results that change lives,” noted Rodger DeRose, president and CEO. “For example, in 2016 our scientists were awarded a five-year federal Spinal Cord Injury Model System grant – one of only 14 in the United States. For nearly 30 years, Kessler Foundation has participated in this national network of care and research, contributing to national efforts to improve the lives of thousands living with spinal cord injury.”  Research advances have also translated into improvements in treatments for the cognitive deficits caused by stroke, brain injury and multiple sclerosis. 

The report also shows how the scope of the Foundation’s research has widened, with scientists applying their expertise in new directions - to study disabilities in children, the challenges of rehabilitation for breast cancer survivors, and the development of the next generation of robotic exoskeletons.  

Four grant-funded programs – local and national - are highlighted, showing the impact of the Foundation’s support on the employment of veterans, high school students, artists, and athletes. On the national level, leaders in policy, education, and government are gaining valuable insights from the Foundation’s disability research initiatives, including the 2015 Kessler Foundation National Employment & Disability Survey – the first such survey of people with disabilities and the workplace, and the Foundation’s monthly jobs report, National Trends in Disability Employment, a custom analysis of engagement of individuals in the labor market. 

In 2016, Kessler Foundation substantially increased its workspace and resources to accommodate the growth in personnel, up 60% since 2010.  The Foundation was once again ranked among the Best Places to Work in the U.S. and Best Nonprofits in New Jersey, and placed #5 in a popular new national survey − Great Workplaces for Recent Grads. 

To learn more about the impact of Kessler Foundation on the lives of people with disabilities, visit: https://kesslerfoundation.wixsite.com/2016-annual-report.

About Kessler Foundation:

Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research that seeks to improve cognition, mobility, and long-term outcomes--including employment--for people with neurological disabilities caused by diseases and injuries of the brain and spinal cord. Kessler Foundation leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

For more information on Kessler Foundation's research, visit KesslerFoundation.org.

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Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bffdc2cc-1ab5-4b7a-975b-81e1c05d2c32

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5f33bf5f-bbd6-44d1-8494-4f991244037a

Laura Viglione
Kessler Foundation 
973-323-3675
[email protected]