Senate Resolution No. 2535
BY: Senator MAY
HONORING Sally Johnston upon the occasion of being
inducted into the 2022 New York State Disability
Rights Hall of Fame
WHEREAS, Individuals devoted to improving the quality of life for
others, enabling them to build lives of dignity and self-worth are
deserving of the highest praise and recognition; and
WHEREAS, From time to time, society calls upon these individuals to
be recognized for the significance of their contributions and efforts to
assist others in developing the skills necessary to be successful,
productive citizens; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Sally
Johnston upon the occasion of being inducted into the 2022 New York
State Disability Rights Hall of Fame to be celebrated at a Dinner
Ceremony on Thursday, May 12, 2022, at the Albany Marriott; and
WHEREAS, Established in 2018 by New York State Independent Living
Council, Inc., the New York State Disability Hall of Fame recognizes
individuals who have made life-long achievements which positively impact
people with disabilities in society; Sally Johnston is one such
individual; and
WHEREAS, Sally Johnston's accomplishments are many, but it was her
advancement of Consumer Directed Personal Assistance (CDPA) that stands
out the most; in the early 1990s, she persuaded a contingent from
Syracuse, including the Onondaga County executive and others from the
Local Department of Social Services, to visit New York City and examine
this new model of community-based support; together, they worked to
bring a demonstration program to Syracuse and Onondaga County; and
WHEREAS, As she worked to implement a pilot CDPA program in Onondaga
County, Sally Johnston changed it to increase its effectiveness and
attractiveness; she envisioned a CDPA program that could be implemented
statewide and allowed those who needed more in the way of support from
their Fiscal Intermediary (FI), to operate; and
WHEREAS, Through her tireless efforts, Sally Johnston changed the
nature of the FI's role, introducing a level of support for the consumer
that would forever alter the program and lead to the type of FI that
most people, particularly those upstate, utilize today; and
WHEREAS, Sally Johnston became a leader in CDPA, helping FIs
understand the program better and furthering both the program and its
goals through the collective work of a broader community, which she
brought together; and
WHEREAS, Sally Johnston then diligently worked to bring the
collective of fiscal intermediaries operating around the state together
under one umbrella, an organization that was officially founded in 2000,
and named the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Association of NYS
(CDPAANYS), which serves as the only statewide resource on CDPA,
advancing the program for both FIs and consumers; and
WHEREAS, For her steadfast and unremitting commitment to people with
developmental and intellectual disabilities, Sally Johnston was the
recipient of the 1988 Ralph E. Kharas Award for Distinctive Service in
Civil Liberties by the Central New York Chapter of the New York Civil
Liberties Union; and
WHEREAS, In addition, the organization she helped form named an
award in her honor; each year, the Sally Johnston Advocacy Award is
given to an individual whose work on behalf of CDPA was critical for the
success of the program and its grounding philosophy of independence and
control; and
WHEREAS, After four decades of dedicated service, Sally Johnston
retired in 2020; that same year, AccessCNY established the Sally
Johnston Advocacy Center to recognize the many contributions she has
made in advancing disability rights in Central New York; and
WHEREAS, Sally Johnston has truly played a leading role in removing
barriers to independent living at a national level, however, her
greatest accomplishments may be found in the hundreds of lives she has
impacted, one day and one life at a time; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those who
enhance the well-being and vitality of their community and have shown a
long and sustained commitment to excellence certainly have earned the
recognition and applause of all the citizens of this great Empire State;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Sally Johnston upon the occasion of being inducted into the 2022
New York State Disability Rights Hall of Fame; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Sally Johnston.
