Talk:Kessler Foundation

Untitled
1. According to the website www.kesslerfoundation.org--the official name of the company is Kessler Foundation--Hence, the article should start "Kessler Foundation..." not The Kessler Foundation..

2. Also, a suggestion for the first paragraph, in lieu of current paragraph, which discusses too many irrelevant facts, including the number of full-time staff

Kessler Foundation, a large non-profit in the field of disability, conducts rehabilitation research designed 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 also funds programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities.

http://abilitymagazine.com/kessler-foundation.html

Chester630 (talk) 16:07, 24 June 2014 (UTC)

Kessler Foundation Edit Requests – October 2022
Hi, I’m a Kessler Foundation employee and I’ve noticed that this page has some big problems with unsourced statements and vague or subjective language, and is in need of many updates. I have several suggestions for improvements to provide reliable citations, help bring the page up-to-date, and generally make it more useful and readable. I have reviewed and tried to follow all the major Wikipedia policies. Thanks! Note: ''Only Requests 4,5,6,7 and part of 3 and 8 remain to be answered. User: PK650 reviewed the others and left a note below that they were too busy to review the others.'' — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dogmomma529 (talk • contribs) 16:03, 14 February 2023 (UTC)

1. In the lead the first sentence has no source and is not strongly supported by the body of the article. It also doesn’t explain that the modern foundation has its roots in a major medical research and treatment institute founded in 1949. Here is a suggested replacement.

Current version (for reference): The Kessler Foundation was established in 1985 and is one of the largest public charities in the United States supporting people with disabilities.

Suggested revision: Kessler Foundation, established in 1985, is a public charity in the United States supporting people with disabilities. Kessler Foundation has its roots in the Kessler Institute, founded in 1949 to improve medical outcomes and employment of people disabled by brain or spinal injury 2. In the lead, the second sentence has no source and is not supported by the body of the article. I found a source that supports most of the information and also includes the update about employment research. Please change: Current version (for reference): Kessler Foundation Research Center has research programs designed to improve function and quality of life for persons with spinal cord and traumatic brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis and other neurological and orthopedic conditions. Suggested revision:

Kessler Foundation conducts rehabilitation research with the goal of increasing function for cognition, mobility, and long-term outcomes, including employment, for people with neurological disabilities caused by diseases and injuries of the brain and spinal cord.

3. In the lead section, please remove the third, fourth, and fifth sentences. The third and fourth sentences have no sources. The contents in the fifth sentence are nowhere represented in the source. Current version (for reference): Kessler Foundation has also distributed millions of dollars to programs that promote the employment of people with disabilities through its "Transition to Work" Signature and Community Employment grants. The Foundation's Special Initiative grants also support related community programs like ThinkFirst, an injury prevention program for children. Kessler Foundation has a full-time staff of 90 individuals, divided between two locations in West Orange, NJ. 4. The first paragraph of the present “History” section has no sources. I suggest removing unsource-able claims and replacing them with historical information supported by highly reliable secondary sources. (All new sources are New York Times).

Current version (for reference):

History

Over sixty years ago, Dr. Henry H. Kessler founded the Kessler Institute of Rehabilitation; a hospital dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with physical disabilities. Following World War II, the institute served disabled veterans and civilians. In 1951, it received a grant from the State of New Jersey toward a pre-vocational diagnostic unit. The vocational education program for people with physical limitations matched interest and abilities with previous work experience and assisted patients in job placements. Responding to an increased demand for services, in 1961 the Institute expanded from 16 beds to 48 beds. Through the 1970s and 1980s, the institution continued to expand both in terms of patient capacity as well as outpatient facilities.

Suggested revision:

History

In 1949, Henry H. Kessler, MD, founded the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, a hospital seeking to improve the quality of life for people with physical disabilities. Following World War II, the Kessler Institute served disabled veterans and used skills that Kessler developed as a captain in the United States Navy serving in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II helping handicapped civilians. In April 1956, Henry Kessler said it was important to match vocational education programs for people with physical limitations with their interests and abilities with previous work experience. This included determining whether people were best suited to technical, clerical, or industrial work, and whether they had the “emotional or mental” tolerance for stressful jobs. 5. The second paragraph in the current “History” section is severely out of date and missing any reliable source. I suggest a substantial update to the section, using reliable sources. I also rewrote, re-sourced, and moved several sentences from the Programs and Sponsorships subsections; these are more appropriate in the History section because they involve programs that no longer exist. Since the sources for two of the new sentences are behind a paywall, I have provided excerpts for them. ''Current version (for reference): In August 2003, the Henry H. Kessler Foundation sold Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation to Select Medical Corporation. The Foundation continues its focus on rehabilitation research, education and community programs. The Foundation continues to distribute funds to support the scientific research at the Kessler Research Center and employment programs that help people with disabilities return to work. Suggested revision: In August 2003, Kessler Foundation sold Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation to Select Medical Corporation. In 2007, Kessler Foundation merged with the Kessler Medical Rehabilitation and Research and Education Corporation. In 2008, the organization co-sponsored the International Conference on Behavioral Health and Traumatic Brain Injury focusing on addressing injuries of Iraq War soldiers. Excerpt's: Non-profit News, The Record (Hackensack, NJ), 6 March, 2007 The Henry H. Kessler Foundation has merged with the Kessler Medical Rehabilitation and Research and Education Corp., also in West Orange, to create one of the nation’s largest public charities focusing primarily on research, education, and programs and services for people with physical disabilities…The combined unit with assets of $270 million will have the resources, professional staff, and research talent to increase its service to the disabled community. International Behavioral Health Conference, The Record (Hackensack, NJ), 10 Jun 2008: Medical and behavioral health experts from around the world are coming to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center this fall to address what is called the signature infliction of the Iraq War veteran – traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder…the International Conference on Behavioral Health and Traumatic Brain Injury…Sponsors for the conference, which will run Oct. 12-15, include the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, and the Henry H. Kessler Foundation. 6. Please add the following sentences to the History section to make a new third paragraph. These provide well-sourced details that are highly relevant to the Foundation’s history and current operations: Suggested additions: In 2022, Kessler Foundation’s scientists’ work included researching the cognitive and physiological effects of neurological and musculoskeletal conditions, and new rehabilitation technologies (e.g. robotic exoskeletons) and virtual reality relevant to these conditions. In 2022, Kessler Foundation added a Center for Autism Research to its organization. Other research projects in 2022 included: robotic exoskeletons to assist with mobility for people with disabilities, memory rehabilitation for people with multiple sclerosis, and a study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on autistic children. 7. The Programs subsection is out of date and missing reliable sources. I suggest removing it. Any important details and reliable sources were put into Request 5 for adding to the History section.

Current version to remove (for reference): Programs

Think First

Kessler Foundation's "Think First" is a community health education program presented to New Jersey school children in grades K-12. The program serves to educate children and teens about safety and injury prevention and promotes greater respect for people with disabilities. The information is presented by a survivor of spinal cord injury who delivers safety messages and shares his or her personal experiences. The program is the state chapter of a national "Think First" network.

Wheelblazers

WheelBlazers is a wheelchair racing team for individuals with physical disabilities. The team gives participants the opportunity to be a part of a competitive, organized sports team. Throughout the summer and fall the team practices regularly and participants in regional races.

8. The content in the Grants section has no reliable sources. Please remove the current content and the subsection Current Grants. But I have found multiple reliable sources that provide examples of grants, s well as reliable primary sources detailing the financial information. Please add Current version (for reference): Grants Due to national trends among people with physical disabilities, Kessler Foundation decided to strategically focus the majority of its external grant allocation toward increasing the employment of people with physical disabilities. The Kessler Foundation's "Transition to Work" initiative seeks to support organizations and programs that serve people with physical disabilities through training, job placement and other support services. The Foundation does so through Signature and Community Employment Grants. Current grants The Signature Program Grants are multi-year grants supporting large initiatives that increase opportunities for New Jersey citizens with disabilities to obtain competitive employment. Grants amounts are $100,000 to $250,000 each per year, for maximum project funding of $500,000. The Community Employment Grant program supports projects, programs, pilot initiatives, and creative solutions that work toward improving the employment and career advancement of New Jersey citizens with disabilities. Grants are for one year and range from $25,000 to $50,000 each. Suggested revision:

Grants Kessler Foundation also distributes external grants. In 2008 and 2009, Kessler Foundation granted about $500,000 to the Arthur & Friends project, which trains developmentally disabled workers in how to grow produce in hydroponic greenhouses. In 2018, the grantmaking division of Kessler Foundation provided $2,186,673 in direct grants to various organizations. In 2019, it provided $2,689,734. In 2021, Kessler Foundation funded a cafe in Woodbridge, NJ, that trains young adults with special needs in food service industry work.

9. The Sponsorships subsection is out of date and missing reliable sources. Other statements are too minor to be encyclopedic. I suggest removing the whole section.

Current version to remove (for reference):

Sponsorships

Kessler Foundation sponsors the Telecommuting Pilot Project with $438,687. Run by the Jewish Vocational Service (JVS), the program matches individuals with severe physical disabilities who can work from their homes with employers who need services and support. More than 25 individuals have undergone job and vocational placement assessment and have received vocational counseling and technical support as well as job placement assistance.

On October 12–15, 2008, Kessler Foundation co-sponsored the International Conference on Behavioral Health and Traumatic Brain Injury hosted by St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center. The conference brought together medical and behavioral health experts from around the world to address the challenges of rehabilitating Iraqi war veterans with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. Attendees included experts in medicine, psychology, psychiatry, neuropsychology, neurosurgery, epidemiology, public policy and rehabilitation from the U.S., Europe and South America. The conference's objective is to formulate a report for Congress outlining steps the government should take to respond to the needs of individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Thank you for considering these edits! Dogmomma529 (talk) 16:09, 28 October 2022 (UTC) Dogmomma529 (talk) 16:09, 28 October 2022 (UTC)
 * Pictogram voting question.svg Question: This is a lengthy request. I'd be happy to expedite some of it if you can signal what's most important to you/the article. The rest can remain for other editors with extended editing windows. PK650 (talk) 02:40, 4 December 2022 (UTC)
 * Hi PK650, thanks so much for your reply! The proposals I feel are the most important to address are 1, 2, 3, and 8. If you’d be willing to have a look at those ones I’d really appreciate it. Thanks so much! Dogmomma529 (talk) 19:50, 7 December 2022 (UTC)
 * Hello again. I took care of those expedited requests. I did leave the last two terms in the lede, given Community grants are mentioned in the article, and while I couldn't verify the print source for the last statement, I gave it the benefit of the doubt. Merry Christmas, PK650 (talk) 01:08, 24 December 2022 (UTC)
 * Yellow check.svg Partly done: Closing as partly done per above discussion. WhinyTheYounger (WtY)  (talk, contribs)  00:41, 21 February 2023 (UTC)


 * Requests 4,5,6,7 and part of 3 remain to be answered. The editor above explicitly said they only had time to review a few and would leave the others for another editor to review.

Therefore I am relisting the unresolved items as a new request edit below. Dogmomma529 (talk) 16:05, 13 March 2023 (UTC)

Requests for changes, March 2023
Hi, I’m a Kessler Foundation employee. I have several additional suggestions for improvements to provide reliable citations, help bring the page up-to-date, and generally make it more useful and readable. I have reviewed and tried to follow all the major Wikipedia policies. Thanks!

1. In the lead section, please remove the fourth sentence, which has no recognizable source that can be checked:

Kessler Foundation has also distributed millions of dollars to programs that promote the employment of people with disabilities through its Community Employment grants. Kessler Foundation has a full-time staff of 90 individuals, divided between two locations in West Orange, NJ.

2. The first paragraph of the present “History” section has no sources. I suggest removing unsource-able claims and replacing them with historical information supported by highly reliable secondary sources. (All new sources are New York Times).

Current version (for reference):

History

Over sixty years ago, Dr. Henry H. Kessler founded the Kessler Institute of Rehabilitation; a hospital dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with physical disabilities. Following World War II, the institute served disabled veterans and civilians. In 1951, it received a grant from the State of New Jersey toward a pre-vocational diagnostic unit. The vocational education program for people with physical limitations matched interest and abilities with previous work experience and assisted patients in job placements. Responding to an increased demand for services, in 1961 the Institute expanded from 16 beds to 48 beds. Through the 1970s and 1980s, the institution continued to expand both in terms of patient capacity as well as outpatient facilities.

Suggested revision:

History

In 1949, Henry H. Kessler, MD, founded the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, a hospital seeking to improve the quality of life for people with physical disabilities. Following World War II, the Kessler Institute served disabled veterans and used skills that Kessler developed as a captain in the United States Navy serving in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II helping handicapped civilians. In April 1956, Henry Kessler said it was important to match vocational education programs for people with physical limitations with their interests and abilities with previous work experience. This included determining whether people were best suited to technical, clerical, or industrial work, and whether they had the “emotional or mental” tolerance for stressful jobs. 3. The second paragraph in the current “History” section is severely out of date and missing any reliable source. I suggest a substantial update to the section, using reliable sources. I also rewrote, re-sourced, and moved several sentences from the Programs and Sponsorships subsections; these are more appropriate in the History section because they involve programs that no longer exist. Since the sources for two of the new sentences are behind a paywall, I have provided excerpts for them. Current version (for reference): In August 2003, the Henry H. Kessler Foundation sold Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation to Select Medical Corporation. The Foundation continues its focus on rehabilitation research, education and community programs. The Foundation continues to distribute funds to support the scientific research at the Kessler Research Center and employment programs that help people with disabilities return to work. Suggested revision: In August 2003, Kessler Foundation sold Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation to Select Medical Corporation. In 2007, Kessler Foundation merged with the Kessler Medical Rehabilitation and Research and Education Corporation. In 2008, the organization co-sponsored the International Conference on Behavioral Health and Traumatic Brain Injury focusing on addressing injuries of Iraq War soldiers. Excerpt's: Non-profit News, The Record (Hackensack, NJ), 6 March, 2007 The Henry H. Kessler Foundation has merged with the Kessler Medical Rehabilitation and Research and Education Corp., also in West Orange, to create one of the nation’s largest public charities focusing primarily on research, education, and programs and services for people with physical disabilities…The combined unit with assets of $270 million will have the resources, professional staff, and research talent to increase its service to the disabled community. International Behavioral Health Conference, The Record (Hackensack, NJ), 10 Jun 2008: Medical and behavioral health experts from around the world are coming to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center this fall to address what is called the signature infliction of the Iraq War veteran – traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder…the International Conference on Behavioral Health and Traumatic Brain Injury…Sponsors for the conference, which will run Oct. 12-15, include the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, and the Henry H. Kessler Foundation. 4. Please add the following sentences to the History section to make a new third paragraph. These provide well-sourced details that are highly relevant to the Foundation’s history and current operations: Suggested additions: In 2022, Kessler Foundation’s scientists’ work included researching the cognitive and physiological effects of neurological and musculoskeletal conditions, and new rehabilitation technologies (e.g. robotic exoskeletons) and virtual reality relevant to these conditions. In 2022, Kessler Foundation added a Center for Autism Research to its organization. Other research projects in 2022 included: robotic exoskeletons to assist with mobility for people with disabilities, memory rehabilitation for people with multiple sclerosis, and a study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on autistic children. 5. The Programs subsection is out of date and missing reliable sources. I suggest removing it. Any important details and reliable sources were put into Request 5 for adding to the History section.

Current version to remove (for reference): Programs

Think First

Kessler Foundation's "Think First" is a community health education program presented to New Jersey school children in grades K-12. The program serves to educate children and teens about safety and injury prevention and promotes greater respect for people with disabilities. The information is presented by a survivor of spinal cord injury who delivers safety messages and shares his or her personal experiences. The program is the state chapter of a national "Think First" network.

Wheelblazers

WheelBlazers is a wheelchair racing team for individuals with physical disabilities. The team gives participants the opportunity to be a part of a competitive, organized sports team. Throughout the summer and fall the team practices regularly and participants in regional races.

Thank you for considering these requests. Dogmomma529 (talk) 16:07, 13 March 2023 (UTC) Dogmomma529 (talk) 16:07, 13 March 2023 (UTC)
 * Yes check.svg Done Johannes (Talk) (Contribs) (Articles) 20:13, 13 May 2023 (UTC)

Hi Johannes, thanks very much for your work on this! I’d also like to call attention to a small item that remains outstanding from the October 2022 request edit proposal. The current first sentence in the lead of this article begins with “The Kessler Foundation”, when it should actually be “Kessler Foundation”.

Press sources usually refer to the organization as Kessler Foundation, which is the proper name, as indicated by the title of the article. (See for example: and )

I looked at the Manual of Style and it seems to be in agreement: "Do not use articles (a, an, or the) as the first word (Economy of the Second Empire, not The economy of the Second Empire), unless it is an inseparable part of a name (The Hague) or title of a work (A Clockwork Orange, The Simpsons)."

Thanks again for your help improving this article! Dogmomma529 (talk) 13:15, 29 June 2023 (UTC)