headshot of Thomas Golden

Honoring the Life of
Thomas P. Golden

July 5, 1963 - November 1, 2020

It is with deep sadness that the Yang-Tan Institute team shares that its long-standing Executive Director, Thomas Golden, died on November 1st at his home in Waverly, New York, from complications related to pancreatic cancer. Thomas is particularly beloved by the Yang-Tan Institute team, not only for his role in shaping disability policy at the state and federal levels, but also for his characteristic personal warmth and evident humanity, irreverent sense of humor, and multi-faceted personhood. Read the full tribute here.

Do you have a memory of Thomas to share? We are collecting stories for a memory book—both online and printed—to celebrate Thomas and his impactful professional career.

Visit the Memory Book

Advancing equal opportunities for all people with disabilities

For nearly 60 years, the Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability has advanced knowledge, policies, and practice to support people with disabilities in workplaces, schools, and communities.

Our Story

Our Impact

Grant Sponsored Project

PROMISE program delivers to students with disabilities

After participating in PROMISE, Capri is applying to college and planning a career.

Read Capri's Story
Related Project: NYS PROMISE
student and her case manager smiling
Cornell University Course

ILR grad and legislator makes disability a priority

A disability-related class taught by YTI faculty inspired Josh Lafazan to make accessibility improvements on Long Island.

Read Josh's Story
Related Course: ILR 4023: Disability and Employment Policy
josh lafazan walking
YTIOnline Course

WIP-C™ credentialing program impacts thousands of lives

As a trained work incentive practitioner, Milton Johnson assists people with disabilities with managing benefits while returning to work and gaining financial independence.

Read Milton's Story
Related Course: WIP-C™ Credentialing Program
Milton Johnson sitting at a computer

Our Work

Areas of Focus

YTI helps to progress equal job opportunities, inclusive workplaces, and economic well-being for people with disabilities. View Projects Related to Workplace Issues

Improving inclusive education and successful adult living, learning and earning outcomes for youth with disabilities Using innovations and coursework to support pre- and post-service learning in authentic environments both domestically and globally. View Projects Related to Education & Learning

Advancing person-driven practices to promote leadership development and social inclusion with individuals with disabilities. View Projects Related to Community Inclusion

Supporting quality of life across the life span, through work/life balance, health and well-being. View Projects Related to Health & Well-being

Providing accessible, usable, and relevant disability statistics to people with disabilities, advocates, policymakers, researchers, and others. View Projects Related to Data

We recognize that the world of work for people with disabilities is constantly evolving. Our research and outreach continues to adapt to meet emerging need. Also, see our COVID-19 Resource Page. View Projects on Emerging Topics
People of varied abilities working
Milton Johnson sitting at a computer
Community members marching in the streets
People of varied abilities participating in recreational activities
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YTI Academic Director speaking to an audience
Online Courses and Products

The Workplace Disability Inclusion course discusses the importance of inclusion for people with disabilities and the business case for aligning disability inclusion with a company’s strategic human-capital initiatives.

The Autism at Work course explores emerging Autism at Work employment programs; outlining implications for HR policies and practices in embracing a neurodiverse workforce. Learn More about the Courses

This YTIOnline course is the largest benefits planning program in the nation. Learn about work incentives and earn a WIP-C™ credential with our scientifically-validated curriculum. Learn More about the Credentialing Program

This YTI Online course explores ways to support the ideals of citizenship with and on behalf of people with disabilities who are vulnerable to social exclusion. Learn More about the Leadership Program

The Just-in-Time Program offers intensive training and a personalized toolkit to engage employees in implementing your organization's policies around disability inclusiveness. Learn More about the Toolkits

BenchmarkABILITY® is a self-assessment tool for organizations who are interested in the representation of people with disabilities in their workforce. Learn More about BenchmarkABILITY®
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collage of people at work
collage of people participating in their community
teams working together
collage of policy books and people at work talking
YTI Grant Funding

New Workability Innovation Lab

The Workability Innovation Lab is re-engineering the workplace and workforce by focusing on inclusion of diverse ability through policy, practice, research and evaluation. The Innovation Grant Program at the Lab funds cutting edge solutions to advance the world of work.

Visit the Workability Lab
Workability Logo

Our Team

The multi-disciplinary YTI team includes professional researchers, educators, technologists, media specialists, and designers.
Our Staff
Headshot of Thomas Golden
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Our Executive Director
Recognizing and embracing diversity in our abilities is central to understanding our common shared human experience.”
Thomas P. Golden
Executive Director
Watch Video
Audio-Described Video
Lisa Yang smiling with foliage behind her
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Our Benefactor
Everyone should have the opportunity to be able to work, to be treated fairly at work, and to have a support network.”
K. Lisa Yang
Institute Benefactor
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Audio-Described Video
Susanne Bruyere smiling
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Our Academic Director
We help make possible the full participation of people with disabilities in the workplace, the community, and society”
Susanne M. Bruyère
Academic Director
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Audio-Described Video

Still have questions? Contact us!