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NRCIL Joins New York’s Disability Community in
Calling on Governor to Reinstate State Office of the Advocate for People
with Disabilities
Published: December 16, 2021
at 01:00 p.m.
By: Press Release from Northern Regional Center for
Independent Living
NEW YORK’S DISABILITY COMMUNITY CALLS ON GOVERNOR TO
REINSTATE THE STATE OFFICE OF THE ADVOCATE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
The legislation now awaits Governor Hochul’s signature
Albany, NY – Earlier this
year, the New York State Assembly and Senate unanimously passed bills
A.3130 (Steck)/S.1836 (Skoufis)
to reinstate the Office of the Advocate for People with Disabilities into
the New York administrative structure of agencies.
Originally
established by Governor Mario Cuomo through Executive Order, the Office of
the Advocate was intended to provide a formal voice within state government
for New Yorkers with disabilities. The Office helped develop policies to
ensure the State met the access needs of people with disabilities. The
Office also served as the State’s coordinator for the implementation of
Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and compliance with
the June 22, 1999 United States Supreme Court
decision in Olmstead v. L.C. which concluded that unjustified segregation
of persons with disabilities constitutes discrimination in violation of
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Under Governor
Andrew Cuomo, the vital advocacy functions of this office were moved to the
Justice Center, then ultimately dissolved altogether. While there are state
agencies that address individuals with specific diagnoses, there is no
state agency charged with meeting the needs of the Disability Community in
general and large segments of the Disability Community are left without a
state agency addressing their needs and representing their interests in state
government.
A.3130/S.1836
addresses that problem. The Office of the Advocate will serve as the
state's coordinator for the implementation of the Americans with
Disabilities Act, coordinate state activities to ensure that state programs
do not discriminate against and are accessible to persons with disabilities, and ensure that such programs provide
services to individuals with disabilities in the most integrated setting
appropriate. Additionally, the Office of the Advocate for People with
Disabilities will represent the interests of the Disability Community in
state government by reviewing proposed legislation and regulations to
determine their impact on persons with disabilities.
This bill passed
in 2019, but was vetoed by Governor Cuomo. The
disability community is counting on Governor Hochul
to reprioritize the needs of the disability community in New York State
government once again.
Meghan Parker,
Director of Advocacy at the New York Association on Independent Living
(NYAIL) responded to news of the bill’s passage: “We have been urging the
State to re-authorize this office for several years now as a necessary
replacement for the advocacy and services that have largely disappeared.
Re-opening and funding the Office of the Advocate has been a top
legislative priority for the disability rights community and we are happy
the Legislature has recognized how important this Office is to New Yorkers
with disabilities and their families.”
Aileen Martin,
Executive Director of NRCIL stated that “The concerns of the disability
community have been largely ignored in Albany for the past few years
despite promises to recognize these concerns and level the playing field
for people with disabilities in employment, housing
and education. We hope that Governor Hochul will
sign this bill which would bring a renewed commitment to advocacy for
people with disabilities in New York.”
“We expect
Governor Hochul will recognize the needs of the
disability community has been largely ignored for the past decade and will
sign this critical legislation as a first step to righting this wrong,”
added Lindsay Miller, NYAIL’s Executive Director. “New York State can be a
leader in ensuring the rights and access needs of disabled people are fully
considered and addressed and signing this critical legislation is an
important first step.”
Chris Kubis, Statewide Systems Advocate for NRCIL has
encouraged many volunteers, NRCIL consumers and community members to get
vocal and be heard. “The time to act is now! With Governor Hochul at the top anything can happen. We have the best
chance if we all work together now and call the Office of Governor Hochul and our other legislators asking for their
support!”
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About NRCIL – The Northern
Regional Center for Independent Living (NRCIL) is “Your Disability Rights
and Resource Center”. NRCIL is a disability rights and resource center that
promotes community efforts to end discrimination, segregation, and
prejudice against people with disabilities, by working with community
partners to create an accessible, inclusive society. Through NRCIL, people
discover choices to live more independently, with enhanced dignity. We are
an Independent Living Center (ILC),with
staff and offices
in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties.
ILCs are controlled by, and largely staffed by, people with disabilities.
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