The Rev. Paul Feuerstein Receives Lifetime Impact Award

Paul Feuerstein (Recognizing (Y)Our PowerLifetime Impact Award)

Paul Feuerstein is the founder and President/CEO of Barrier Free Living located in New York City. Paul has worked for the past 40 years advocating and creating cutting edge programming for domestic violence survivors with disabilities and those who are Deaf. Paul’s first project was developing the first Transitional Housing Residence in the United States for severely disabled homeless individuals. As he worked with the residents he learned about the many forms of violence people with disabilities endured and the lack of accessible domestic violence services available. He advocated for the creation of domestic violence services for victims with disabilities when none existed. He opened Secret Garden, a community based domestic violence program serving people with disabilities and those who are Deaf. When he discovered the lack of accessibility in domestic violence shelters preventing survivors from seeking safety and fleeing their abusive home, Paul went on to develop Freedom House, the first totally accessible emergency domestic violence shelter in the country which has served survivors and their children with disabilities from over 40 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. In 2015, Barrier Free Living opened 120 units of Supportive Housing in the South Bronx providing safe, affordable permanent housing for homeless individuals and families with disabilities who have histories of domestic violence. Through his tireless efforts Barrier Free Living is the largest domestic violence program for people with disabilities in the country. Throughout his career Paul has noticed the gaps in services and injustices, bias, oppression, and discrimination towards people with disabilities and those who are Deaf. Paul has worked not only to create accessible programs but to create systematic change in the domestic violence community.