ACCESSABILITY

Governor’s Proposed Budget Slashes and Restricts CDPA, Other Critical Services

By Jennifer Watson

My first editorial as Executive Director of STIC is on a topic very near and dear to my heart: Consumer Directed Personal Assistance (CDPA) Services, though I wish I weren’t writing about it in this context.

As many of you know, the roots of CDPA can be traced back to the disability rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s, which emphasized self-determination, civil rights and independent living for people with disabilities. Advocates pushed for policies that would allow people to manage their own care with dignity, rather than being institutionalized or relying solely on traditional home care services. Through further advocacy of people with disabilities in NYS, a pilot program was developed and CDPA was officially established in 1995.

Continue reading…

An Introduction

By John McNulty

I feel a little like the new head football coach at Alabama after Nick Saban; I have enormous shoes to fill, because Ken Dibble’s amazing work over decades, along with his deep knowledge and experience, has left an incredible legacy. I can’t replace him, but merely succeed him. I have no immediate plans to change the newsletter format with which readers have become familiar, though I’m sure in the course of time there will be some organic evolution. For now, I just want to do my best to meet the high standard that has been set.

Continue reading…

 

Budget Priorities for Independent Living

There’s a lot to say about the governor’s proposed budget, more than we have space for in this newsletter. As a summary, however, STIC itemizes below several priorities that we implore the legislature to include in its final budget. Thanks to the New York Association on Independent Living, which originally assembled and composed this agenda for New Yorkers with disabilities.

Independent Living Centers: Increase base funding for Independent Living Centers by $2 million to $18 million, and additionally add ILCs to the human services programs eligible for a cost-of-living-adjustment (A.8437/S.7793).

Continue reading…