Joint Public Hearing: Examining barriers to employment for individuals with disabilities in New York and assessing the effectiveness of existing state policies in promoting equitable employment opportunities

Joint – Senate Standing Committee on Disabilities
Chair: Senator Patricia Fahy
and Senate Standing Committee on Labor
Chair: Senator Jessica Ramos
Public Hearing: Examining barriers to employment for individuals with disabilities in New York and assessing the effectiveness of existing state policies in promoting equitable employment opportunities
Place: Van Buren Hearing Room A, Legislative Office Building, 2nd Floor, Albany, NY
Time: 10:00 A.M.
Contact: Jake Egloff (518) 455-4225
Media Contact: Alex Flood (518) 455-2225
ORAL TESTIMONY BY INVITATION ONLY

NOTICE OF JOINT PUBLIC HEARING 

SUBJECT:      Disabilities and Employment 
PURPOSE:      This hearing will examine how effectively New York’s disability service, workforce development, and employer systems are supporting individuals with disabilities in obtaining and maintaining competitive, integrated employment. It will explore barriers within state programs, employer practices, and benefits structures, assess coordination across agencies, and identify policy solutions to improve workforce participation and economic mobility for New Yorkers with disabilities. 

ORAL TESTIMONY BY INVITATION ONLY 

This hearing will examine how effectively New York State’s disability service and workforce systems support individuals with disabilities in obtaining and maintaining competitive, integrated employment. Despite protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the integration mandate established in Olmstead v. L.C., significant gaps persist, including: 

• Fragmented service delivery across agencies such as the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), Adult Career and Continuing Education Services- Vocational Rehabilitation (ACCESS-VR), and the New York State Department of Labor; 
• Limited pathways from programs to employment; and 
• Structural barriers such as benefits cliffs, the subminimum wage, and inconsistent employer engagement. 

The hearing will bring together state agencies, providers, advocates, and employers to assess current policies and identify opportunities to improve coordination, expand access to meaningful employment, and strengthen economic mobility for New Yorkers with disabilities. 

Persons wishing to present pertinent testimony to the Committees at the above hearing should complete and return the enclosed reply form as soon as possible. It is important that the reply form be fully completed and returned so that persons may be notified in the event of emergency postponement or cancellation.