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Alert: Urge Gov. Cuomo to Prioritize the Employment of New Yorkers with Disabilities (2)

by Chris Liu-Beers

Urge Governor Cuomo to Prioritize
the Employment of New Yorkers with Disabilities! 

Please join us in signing this petition today, urging NY Governor Cuomo to build on efforts to realize the goals of his groundbreaking Employment

First policy for New Yorkers with disabilities. The petition urges Governor Cuomo to add resources to advance our efforts in this area, by giving the issue a state of the state level of importance and to appoint an “Employment Czar” whose sole job will be

to move us forward in this area.

This petition will be delivered to Governor Cuomo in the coming weeks.
Sign on at https://www.change.org/p/governor-andrew-cuomo-prioritize
Thank you!

Prioritize the Employment of New Yorkers with Disabilities! 

In September 2014, Governor Andrew Cuomo created an Employment First policy which provided a direction for competitive, integrated employment for New Yorkers with

disabilities.
Two years after he signed Executive Order # 136, the target dates for all the recommendations made by the Employment First Commission in their report have lapsed. Lots

of hard work has occurred but the most plan lacked sufficient targets, timelines, responsibility, work priorities. 

We call upon Governor Cuomo to take action on behalf of the 1.1 million working-aged New Yorkers with disabilities to:  

1. Prioritize the employment of New Yorkers with disabilities in his upcoming state of the State address.

2. Appoint an “Employment Czar” for people with disabilities with full-time staff to advance priorities identified in the Employment First report via the Executive Budget, including:

  • Establish a small business tax credit for New Yorkers with disabilities.
  • Include disability as a minority in the Minority Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) state procurement program.
  • Hire a 55b/c Statewide Coordinator to oversee greater utilization of the program.
  • Increase utilization of the Medicaid Buy-In for Working People With Disabilities Program (MBIWPD).
  • Create a Medicaid service to support benefits advisement.
  • Develop a policy for regional economic councils to target disability employment and business opportunities.

3. Fully support integrated, competitive employment – New Yorkers must earn minimum

wage or higher for inclusive opportunities which comport with Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS)

Please distribute and post to others. Thanks!

Brad Williams, NYS Independent Living Council