New York State Assembly, Albany, New York 12248 | |||
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from the NYS Assembly Task Force on People with Disabilities |
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Kevin A. NYS Assembly Task Force on People with Disabilities
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A Message from the Chair... It is an exciting and productive time for those of us in New York’s disabilities community. From regulatory housing reform to improvement of health care under Medicaid to landmark legislation honoring the promise of community integration, this has been a most significant year in Albany for people with disabilities. Among our greatest successes was the creation of the Most Integrated Setting Coordinating Council. This landmark legislation was brought about by the hard work of community-based groups and legislative leaders representing a coalition of the interests of people with disabilities and senior citizens statewide. New York State now has the framework to provide a system focusing on each individual’s needs and abilities, not bureaucratic protocol. We finally have the tools – among the strongest in the nation – for complying with the 1999 United States Supreme Court Olmstead vs. L. C. decision, which declared that unnecessary segregation of individuals with disabilities in institutions is discriminatory and could be considered a violation of a person’s civil rights. The Assembly also saw agreement from the Senate and the Governor in our quest to allow people with disabilities to secure meaningful employment without the loss of essential Medicaid coverage. Under the new Medicaid Buy-In program, which takes effect in April 2003, workers with disabilities will be given the opportunity to pay premiums on a sliding scale for Medicaid coverage. We made inroads in the defense of existing disability rights as well. In their quest to conform the New York Fire Prevention and Building Code with the International Code, the New York Building Codes Council initially refused our pleas to retain existing standards, which assure that virtually all newly-constructed multiple unit dwellings are accessible and livable for wheelchair users and others. Disabilities activists and the Assembly Task Force kept up the pressure, however, and within a month of adopting the new language, the Codes Council restored our model standard. The Assembly Disabilities Awareness Day was a huge success, advancing a comprehensive disabilities agenda and providing valuable workshops and information to all. The Assembly Task Force hearing held in 2001 included important testimony which helped shape our goals in this new age of activism. While the information gathered had been put to work from the moment the hearing concluded, the final report has not yet been issued. The complete hearing transcript, findings and summary will be published and available in the near future. As we join together to face a new legislative session, our priorities are clear and focused. I extend thanks to all who helped us deliver our message and look forward to a productive new year. We welcome your questions, comments and suggestions regarding disabilities issues and the upcoming legislative agenda.
Sincerely,
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The New York State Assembly Task Force on People with Disabilities and the Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities co-sponsored the annual Legislative Disabilities Awareness Day (LDAD) on June 12, 2002 in Albany. Over 50 organizations that serve people with disabilities displayed exhibits to provide information and demonstrate the services and opportunities that are available. And for the first time, five seminars on issues of interest to the disability community were also held. Topics included: "Using State of the Art Technology to Accelerate Learning," "State Advocacy Techniques," "Work Incentives for People with Disabilities," "The Status of Olmstead Compliance in New York State," and "Adult Home Reform."
2002 LDAD Legislative Agenda
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Olmstead Legislation Signed Into Law |
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After months of intense advocacy from New York’s disability community, legislation (A.9913b - Cahill/S.7342a - Maziarz) creating the Most Integrated Setting Coordinating Council was signed into law on September 17, 2002 (Chapter 551 of the laws of 2002). Pursued by the Legislature as a result of the 1999 U.S. Supreme Court’s Olmstead vs. L.C. decision which states that the unnecessary segregation of individuals with disabilities in institutions is discriminatory and could be considered a violation of a person’s civil rights, this law will go a long way towards ensuring that people with disabilities are guaranteed the independence in our communities that they deserve. The Most Integrated Setting Coordinating Council will develop and oversee the implementation of a comprehensive plan to ensure that people of all ages with disabilities receive the services they need in the most integrated settings possible. Designed to encompass a fair and equitable representation of New York’s disability community, the Most Integrated Setting Coordinating Council will be comprised of the following individuals: the commissioners of the Department of Health, the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, the Office of Mental Health, the Department of Transportation, the Office of Children and Family Services, the Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services, the Department of Education, and the Division of Housing and Community Renewal. Also included are the director of the Office for the Aging, representatives from the Office of Advocate for Persons with Disabilities and the Commission on Quality of Care for the Mentally Disabled, three consumers of services for individuals with disabilities, three individuals with expertise in the field of community services for people of all ages with disabilities and three individuals with expertise in or recipients of services available to senior citizens with disabilities. All who worked so tirelessly on this measure agree that there will now be increased opportunities for people with disabilities of all ages who wish to live at home and participate in their communities rather than residing in institutional settings. It is time that New York State ends the assessment systems in New York which have inappropriately steered residents into nursing homes and other institutions. |
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Other Important Disability Legislation |
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The majority of the legislation related to disabilities passed the Assembly in honor of Legislative Disabilities Awareness Day. Other measures of interest to people with disabilities passed this session include:
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2002 Photo Gallery |
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