Inclusive Services

05/14/2026

Inclusive Kids’ Art Workshops with Colorful Minds
Saturday, 1 pm – 2 pm
May 16, 2026
Rugby Library
1000 Utica Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11203

Join a sensory-friendly arts and crafts session, presented by Colorful Minds (a group of high school students from Brooklyn Tech) and Inclusive Services.

Let’s get creative with a fun craft with lots of textures to explore! All materials will be provided.

This workshop is neurodivergent-friendly and welcoming to children with and without disabilities.

Advance registration is recommended but not required. For more information, call 929-549-0814 or email: inclusiveservicesevents@bklynlibrary.org.

Language spoken: English, Mandarin.

This is an accessible event. Please do not wear perfume, cologne, or other scented products while using this space.

05/14/2026

Author Talk and Book Launch with Eduardo Halfon
Fri, May 15 2026
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Hybrid: Virtual / Brower Park Library
155 Brooklyn Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11213

Join us for a special book launch event featuring Eduardo Halfon, author of The Green Otter, a gentle, timeless story about unexpected love, childhood devotion, and the quiet magic of everyday moments. Through a reading and conversation, Halfon will share the origins of the story and talk about bringing this intimate narrative to young readers.

Inspired by the short story “The Green Otter” by Guatemalan author Eduardo Halfon, this picture book is brought to life through the warm, textured illustrations of Argentinian illustrator María José de Tellería.

Eduardo Halfon is a Guatemalan writer born in 1971. Named one of the best young Latin American writers by the Hay Festival of Bogotá, he is the author of several internationally acclaimed works of fiction, translated into fifteen languages. His many honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship, Guatemala’s National Prize in Literature, and recent awards such as the 2024 Berman Literature Prize, France’s Prix Médicis étranger, and Spain’s Premio de la Crítica. The Green Otter, published in both English and Spanish, is his debut children’s book. He lives in Berlin with his family.

Tapioca Stories, a New York-based publishing house with Latin American soul, introduces young English readers to the finest Latin American children's books, originally written in Spanish and Portuguese.

All ages are welcome, but children younger than six must be supervised.

This is a hybrid program, online registrants will be sent a zoom link and in person seating is maxed out at 50 people.

Join us for a special book launch event featuring Eduardo Halfon, author of The Green Otter, a gentle, timeless story about unexpected love, childhood devotion, and the quiet magic of everyday moments. Through a reading and conversation, Halfon will share the origins of the story and talk about brin...

05/14/2026

05/14/2026

Caregivers play a crucial role in the lives of millions of Americans with developmental disabilities, yet they frequently find themselves without the essential resources, guidance, and support that they need and deserve.

A group of federal lawmakers if pushing to establish a first-ever national hotline for caregivers of those with developmental disabilities.

05/14/2026

We have found that the lack of accessibility standards has left individuals with disabilities without access to essential services and programs.

Just as they were set to take effect, federal officials are delaying new requirements meant to make healthcare more accessible to people with disabilities and signaling that additional changes are likely.

05/14/2026

Arts and Crafts with KEEN!
Saturday, May 30th, 2026
10:30-11:30 am
Brooklyn Heights Library Children’s Craft Room
286 Cadman Plaza West,
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Join an adaptive Arts and Crafts session sponsored by KEEN!

Youth with disabilities and volunteers come together for one-to-one projects. Projects can range from coloring by numbers, friendship bracelets, and pom-pom, feather, or sticker masterpieces...whatever materials are available to bring your imagination to life! Open to all ages.

Let’s get creative and have some fun!

For more information, call 718.253.4948 or email inclusiveservicesevents@bklynlibrary.org

This is an accessible event. Please do not wear perfume, cologne, or other scented products while using this space.

05/13/2026

Developmental Disability Resource Fair
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
10:30 am - 1 pm
Flatbush Library
22 Linden Blvd at Flatbush Ave,
Brooklyn, NY 11226

Do you have questions about services and programs for people with disabilities? Join Inclusive Services and the Brooklyn Family Support Service Council to get answers. Each fair will have different exhibitors.

Find out more about the Brooklyn Family Support Services Advisory Council at https://bfssac.org/
For more information about the fair, call 718.264.5084 or email: bfssac@yahoo.com

This is an accessible event. Please do not wear perfume, cologne, or other scented products while using this space.

05/13/2026

Thank you to the Inclusive Services team and the Yellow Tulip Project for this wonderful collaboration. We genuinely appreciate all the support provided in helping bring this important initiative to the Jamaica Bay community.

For the Young Men Moving Mountains program our TRS Christian 3D printed yellow tulips as giveaways. We welcomed 9 participants for a meaningful and engaging experience centered around mental health awareness, storytelling, and community conversation.

05/13/2026

George Gershwin International Piano Competition Warm-Up Concert
Thu, May 14 2026
11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Brooklyn Heights Library, Multipurpose Room
286 Cadman Plaza West
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Join us for the warm up concert for participants in this year's George Gershwin International Music Competition and get a sneak preview of these talented pianists.

The 6th Annual George Gershwin International Music Competition is a week, full of exquisite performances, master classes, and enlightening community outreach concerts, culminates with the competition Award Ceremony, when the winners will be presented with prizes and concert engagements. Named after George Gershwin, whose music had long been a part of the American consciousness, the Competition aims to discover talent, reward brilliance, and celebrate musical artistry. Truly a pioneer in his field, George Gershwin drew inspiration from European classical music, American popular music, and jazz to form a unique style that would come to define American music.

Along with monetary awards, finalists of the Gershwin International Music Competition 2026 will receive concerts in the United States and Europe, recordings on acclaimed music labels, appearances with orchestras, alongside with marketing/media promotion. Founded in 2013 by American pianist and composer Michael Bulychev-Okser, George Gershwin International Music Competition takes place every two years in New York, USA, and is open to talented musicians of all nationalities.


This year's participants include:

Olivia Li, 9 years old (New York)
Eduard Alexandru Gavril (USA, Texas)
MICHAEL XIAOPENG WANG (USA, New York)
Qinghong Lian (USA, Massachusetts)
Lisa Molinaro (Italy, Milan)
Gabriel Langstedt (USA, Connecticut)
Xiaolin Zhang (United Arab Emirates)
Philip Thompson (USA/New York)
Zeru Wang (China)
Letao Li, 11 years old (Special School at Kaufman Center, New York)
Cindy Hu, 10 years old (New York)
Noah Xia, 12 years old (New Jersey)
Sophia Popescu, 14 years old (Massachusetts)
Matthew Popescu, 12 years old (Massachusetts)
Daniel Liu, 13 years old (New York)

Join us for the warm up concert for participants in this year's George Gershwin International Music Competition and get a sneak preview of these talented pianists. The 6th Annual George Gershwin International Music Competition is a week, full of exquisite performances, master classes, and enlighteni...

05/13/2026

Play and Create Crew presented by Extreme Kids & Crew
Fridays, April 17th – May 15th, 2026
4:00 PM -5:30 PM
Gerritsen Beach Library
2808 Gerritsen Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11229

Welcome to Play and Create Crew, where fun meets growth through building, art, and sensory play! Our program invites kids ages 5-12 to explore their creativity, develop social skills, and build confidence in a supportive and inclusive environment. Through hands-on activities like building with Legos, exploring textures in sensory play, and unleashing imaginations through art, children will collaborate, learn, and flourish together.

Language(s): English, Spanish.

For more information, email cristina@extremekidsandcrew.org
or call (347) 410-6050. Registration is required.

This is an accessible event. Please do not wear perfume, cologne, or other scented products while using this space.

05/13/2026

Individuals with B.D.D. believe they are unattractive and fear rejection due to perceived flaws.

It may look like vanity, but it’s a debilitating mental health condition.