Elected Officials, Spectrum Designs Foundation Raise New Neurodiversity Flag

The Flag was designed by Josh Mirsky, SDF employee and winner of Statewide Flag Contest

Spectrum Designs Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to creating job opportunities for individuals on the autism spectrum, raised the new neurodiversity flag at their headquarters at 366 Main Street. The event was attended by North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, District 6 Councilwoman Mariann Dalimonte, Mario Ferone representing Assemblywoman Gina Sillitti’s office, Councilman Robert Zimmerman, and PW Chamber of Commerce President Debbie Greco Cohen.

The flag, created by Spectrum employee Josh Mirsky, Lead Production Assistant, will serve as a symbol of acceptance and inclusion for people on the autism spectrum and other neurological differences. Mirsky is also an appointed member of the State’s Autism Spectrum Disorders Advisory Board.

“We are so proud of Josh and his advocacy work outside of his job at Spectrum,” said Patrick Bardsley, CEO and co-founder of Spectrum Designs. “At Spectrum Designs, we believe that everyone deserves a chance to thrive in the workplace, regardless of their neurological differences. By raising this flag, surrounded by elected officials, community members and supporters, we hope to inspire others to join Josh and all of us in promoting acceptance and inclusion for all.”

The neurodiversity movement seeks to celebrate the diversity of neurological differences, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and others. Rather than focusing on the deficits associated with these conditions, the movement emphasizes the strengths and unique perspectives that neurodivergent individuals bring to society.

“For far too long, neurodiverse people have fought insurmountable waves of intolerance and societal prejudices. For too long, we have felt alone. Not anymore,” said Mirsky. Upon describing his design, he explained, “In gold we see first place. In red, we see power. In the diamond, we see value. We have always known our value and now the world will as well.”

Mirsky’s winning design was the result of a contest held by the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). Senate Bill S5169 sponsored by Senator John W. Mannion (50th District), would establish it awaiting recognition as the official state flag for raising awareness of neurodiversity. Currently, this very symbolic flag was recently passed by the Senate Committee, “a massive win for the neurodivergent people,” emphasized Mirsky.

The raising of the new neurodiversity flag is just one of the many ways that Spectrum Designs is working to create a more inclusive society for neurodivergent individuals. Through their customized apparel and promotional products, Spectrum Designs integrates neurodiverse employees into all aspects of production. Now in its 12th year, with multiple locations and almost 50 employees on the autism spectrum, Spectrum Designs understands that for any grassroots movement to grow, the support of the local community is paramount.

“On behalf of the Town of North Hempstead, we congratulate Josh and recognize all his efforts and accomplishments.

This new neurodiversity flag is just one of them and we are proud to have Josh in this community,” said Jennifer DeSena, North Hempstead Town Supervisor. The enterprises include Spectrum Designs, a custom apparel printer and promotional products distributor, and Spectrum Suds, a boutique laundromat and dry cleaning service. Over half of SDF’s workforce has a developmental disability and it is one of New York’s largest employers of its kind.

—Submitted by Spectrum Designs

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Bill Cherry started teaching at Manhasset in 1976, and started his coaching career with Junior High School Boys Basketball, Wrestling and Lacrosse. He soon became the Junior Varsity Lacrosse Coach, and was an integral part of the feeder program known to Manhasset’s success. Bill was the Varsity Football Coach for 12 years, and won 121 games during that time. He led the Indians to Nassau County titles in 1994 and 1996 and was a five-time Coach of the Year selection. Under his guidance, the teams won 7 Big Four Championships, and were 2x Rutgers Cup Finalist.

Chris Peyser is a legend of his own as a scholar athlete while at Manhasset. As a three sport athlete, he earned 10 Varsity letters in Football, Track and Lacrosse. Track was his ‘minor’ sport as he used the time to stay structured, and focused. In Football, as a senior co-captain, Chris’s significant contributions led to All-County honors, and All-Long Island, also known as the Golden Eleven and Academic All-County. He loved Lacrosse and excelled in a sport that was easy to like in Manhasset. It’s not often that a High School Player is awarded 2x All-American honors, especially as a defensive player.

Unquestionably, the best and most awarded player to grace Manhasset’s baseball field is Danny Barnes. During his childhood, there were no youth leagues in Manhasset. He was urged to participate with Port Washington, and his career was started. With help from coaches Manny Alas and Al Durianti, he turned into a great pitcher at a young age. At MHS, he moved on to play 4 varsity years for coaches Rich Hess and Bruce Minerley. With a pitch at 91 mph, he brought Manhasset to a victory in the play-offs; the first time since 1986. He went on to win the 2007 Diamond Award given to the best pitcher in Nassau County, as well as the Capozzi Award, given to a standout scholar athlete, the MVP, All-County and All-League.

The induction is based solely on what the individual did at Manhasset High School. There is a basic threshold that the nominee has to reach in order to be considered. Said Anastasia, “we’ll do as much fact checking as we can and find out if (someone) is worthy of induction. We looked at all different aspects of it. It’s a little hard because most of our records unfortunately were lost years ago, So a lot of this is anecdotal stories, remembering by people who’ve been around for a while like me and a couple of others. It’s a potpourri of different people this year. “

Besides athletics, some aspects of character and behavior are also considered. A person who was exceptional on the field but did not carry themselves well off the field would not make a good nominee. “Good sportsmanship and character are somewhat intangible. They’re going to have to be done by memory because there’s no chart or anything that measures that. But we have memories of these people going in and know their character, and sportsmanship and how they were academically as well. You had to have a good standing academically and you couldn’t have been in any trouble throughout high school.”

Manhasset’s most famous athlete, the football player Jim Brown, was an early entry. Said Anastasia, “When we first started, we were looking to induct people who were just super outstanding athletes, like Jim

Brown. So there were people who just made a lot of sense right away.”

The next tier would be three sport athletes, something that is becoming rarer. And demographics are taken into account, in order to balance historically excluded groups. “We look to (include) people of color, obviously, different ethnic backgrounds, and different sports. You have to get some women in. They got an unfortunate late start in playing sports. We all know that. And that’s unfortunate. So you have to balance that in. There’s (also) a question of race, ethnicity,” acknowledges Anastasia.

The Hall is also trying to branch out beyond the traditional teams to include athletes from other, less well-known fields. “We’re not just going to stick with the major three sports. (As we start) covering other sports, you know, fencing and volleyball may not be mainstream sports at Manhasset high school right now, but they’re wonderful sports. They have a following. They’re growing, but they probably don’t carry the same weight today as lacrosse, basketball and football.”

The induction ceremony is open to the public. It is an opportunity to connect with neighbors and celebrate notable athletes and coaches who have contributed to the Manhasset community. Please reach out to Lauren Barrett at barrettkids@optonline.net for more information.