YAI: Seeing Beyond Disability
Founded in 1957 as the Young Adult Institute, YAI has since grown to be a leader in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). YAI’s 4,000 employees provide supportive housing, education; medical, dental, and mental health care, job training, community integration, and social enrichment to more than 20,000 people with I/DD throughout downstate New York, eastern New Jersey, and Northern California. YAI offers more than 300 person-centered programs and services that work together to improve independence and quality of life for people of all ages with autism, Down syndrome, and cerebral palsy traumatic brain injuries, and all other types of intellectual and developmental disabilities.   

YAI is committed to seeing beyond disability, providing opportunities for people to live, love, work, and learn in their communities. YAI and its network of affiliate agencies uphold this mission by providing a safe and healthy environment in which every person’s rights are respected and upheld, no matter their ability. People who receive support from YAI are empowered to make informed decisions about their own lives, choose and realize their own goals, express themselves, and to lead more independent and self-determined lives. YAI upholds the right of every person, no matter their disability, to be connected to and active within their communities to the degree that he/she/they desire. Throughout its programs, YAI and its network of agencies supports connections to friends, family, and consenting intimate partners.

History 
YAI launched as a pilot program at a small school in Brooklyn, New York, in February 1957. The pilot program was run by co-founders Bert MacLeech and Pearl Maze and served seven people with I/DD.

Services 
YAI and its network of affiliate agencies offer children and adults with I/DD a comprehensive range of services, providing opportunities for people to live, love, work, and learn in their communities.The YAI Network of affiliate agencies includes Premier HealthCare, The International Academy of HOPE (iHOPE), Manhattan Star Academy (MSA), and the New Jersey National Institute for People with Disabilities (NJ/NIPD).

As of October 2019, YAI provides permanent supportive housing to 789 residents, community habilitation to 1,750 people, medical and dental care to 14,500 patients, comprehensive education to 172 students, family services to 2,500 people, employment training and support to 400 people, and crisis intervention to 250 people.

Partnerships