On Feb. 13, a rally in the New York State capitol’s war room drew people statewide to demand that care workers get what they deserve in the New York State budget. Advocates and activists included those from the disability community, who are calling on lawmakers to increase the cost-of-living adjustment for those that care for people with intellectual and learning disabilities.

THANK YOU to all who joined us in Albany yesterday to show lawmakers that the I/DD community has a voice and we’re not afraid to speak up!

This rally has come to an end, but our work isn’t over. We’ll keep making noise until we secure the funding our community needs & deserves! pic.twitter.com/SamHb7wvPh

— New York Disability Advocates (@NYDisabilityAdv) February 14, 2023

For coverage of the rally, check out these stories:

Push to support caregivers for people with disabilities (news10.com)

Push to support caregivers for people with disabilities (mytwintiers.com)

New Yorkers Care About Care. The State Budget Should, Too. (inequality.org)

The Background

When New York Gov. Kathy Hochul gave her 2023 State of the State Address on Jan. 10, she neglected to mention the state’s disability community and workforce. Not surprisingly, then, the budget itself barely addresses the needs of New Yorkers with I/DD. To help make sure that changes, consider joining a rally being held in Albany on Feb. 13 to let our legislators know this is a community that counts. (See rally details below.)

“Earlier this month, Governor Hochul outlined her administration’s vision of the ‘New York Dream,’ a government that will uplift all New Yorkers,” said Mike Alvaro, president of New York Disability Advocates, in a statement. “Unfortunately, with the release of the Executive Budget … the ‘New York Dream’ for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and the individuals that provide life-supporting services to them is not fully realized.”

NYDA outlines two solutions:

• Establishing a Direct Support Wage Enhancement (DSWE) to increase hourly pay.
• Including an 8.5% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) to offset rising inflation costs so agencies can operate at a sustainable rate.

Photo: Beyond My Ken, creativecommons.org, via Wikimedia Commons