Students with special needs welcome holidays with festive performance

Students at the New York Institute for Special Education gave a warm welcome to the holiday season with a festive performance.

News 12 Staff

Dec 29, 2022, 1:28 PM

Updated 723 days ago

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Students at the New York Institute for Special Education gave a warm welcome to the holiday season on Thursday with a festive performance.  
The annual winter concert at the institute was extra meaningful, as it was the first time in three years that parents and guests could attend.  
Students shared their talents with the crowd, something Dr. Bernadette Kappen says is often overlooked.  
“All of the children in today's performance were all blind and visually impaired. So, I think often times their abilities are underestimated,” said Kappen, who is the executive director of the institute. “People think 'well, you're blind, what can you do' type of thing … they can do whatever any other child does." 
While the talent display is great, it’s all about spreading holiday cheer this season. 
“The music brings them lots of joy,” said Naum Shulman, music teacher at the institute. “This is what it’s all about.”.