OUR HISTORY

    Overview

    Recognizing that the barriers to adequate treatment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered individuals and family members are formidable and often limit or completely restrict their access to quality care, Rainbow Access Initiative (RAI) was developed in 2000 to address the unmet training needs of health and human service providers in areas and issues affecting LGBT people and their families. Prior to this there were no LGBT training programs for health and human service providers in the Capital District.

    Through a series of grants from the New York State Department of Health, as a project of the Council of Community Services, RAI set out to address this need and has maintained its vision of eliminating barriers between health and human service providers and the disenfranchised communities of LGBT people. Scores of providers have been trained and consumers educated, especially those of the commonly under-served populations.

    In 2001, Arlene ("Ari") Istar Lev, our first Project Director, wrote the original proposal for the program and led the early efforts to develop our curriculum. An Advisory Board, representing a diverse membership from the Capital District LGBT community was formed. You can read a review of the accomplishments of RAI by selecting the year:

      /      /      /      /      /

      /      /      /   

    Rainbow Access Initiative Inc. is committed to equal opportunity in all aspects of employment. This includes recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, compensation, transfer and other terms and conditions of employment, of all persons regardless of race, age, religion, disabilities, national origin, gender or sexual preference.

    Discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, creed, religion, national origin, income status, disability, sexual identity, and gender expression is prohibited in the practices and procedures of Rainbow Access Initiative.