Assemblyman Al Stirpe (D-Cicero) announced that he helped pass legislation that increases access to services and strengthens anti-discrimination protections for New Yorkers with disabilities. This package recognizes Legislative Disabilities Awareness Day, which was held on May 30.

“Disabilities present many challenges and we need to ensure those who require support and services can access them,” Stirpe said. “While it’s impossible to eliminate every barrier, this legislation fights discrimination and increases accessibility so the thousands of New Yorkers with disabilities can lead a full life.”

The legislative package expands rights for New Yorkers with disabilities by allowing state employees to sue when laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) are violated – including the ADA’s access and accommodation standards (A.2546). A second measure re-establishes the Office of the Advocate for People with Disabilities to ensure New Yorkers with disabilities have the opportunity to exercise their rights (A.10706).

People with disabilities often face discriminatory hiring practices that can limit their ability to get a job and achieve financial independence, Stirpe noted. To help combat this discrimination, the legislation establishes a tax credit for small businesses that employ people with disabilities (A.1369-A). Another measure requires that social services districts consider a physician’s opinion when determining work requirements for public assistance (A.3045).

The package also includes a vital measure to cut red tape for Medicaid patients who need individually configured equipment, such as a customized wheelchair (A.10604). Helping people get the equipment they need can be the key to independence for those with disabilities, Stirpe noted.

To help protect people with disabilities from housing discrimination, the legislation clarifies that “reasonable accommodation” includes the use of a service animal (A.7283). The package also helps those with disabilities live more independently and stay in their homes by offering tax credits for qualified improvements like no-step entrances and grab bars in bathrooms and for renovations or new construction with universal visitability design features (A.5333-A, A.10668).

In case of an emergency, the legislation also requires owners of high-rise buildings to create an emergency evacuation plan for people with disabilities and requires counties to maintain a confidential registry of people with disabilities who may need assistance (A.10201, A.6865).

The package also establishes the New York State Interagency Coordinating Council for Service-Disabled Veterans to help connect veterans with disabilities to vital state and local resources (A.5931-A). The brave men and women who became disabled while serving our country should have every opportunity to receive the support and resources they deserve, Stirpe said.