Earlier today, Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara announced he helped pass a series of bills to support New Yorkers with disabilities. The package honors this year’s Legislative Disabilities Awareness Day, May 29, and includes measures to expand disability rights and ensure access to critical resources.

“Like all parents, I want my kids to have every opportunity to pursue the life they want to live,” said Assemblyman Santabarbara said. “People like my son, Michael, who live with autism, face unique challenges; however, that shouldn’t prevent them from realizing the American Dream,” said Santabarbara. “As a state, we must do more to ensure these individuals are treated with respect and equality, and are given every opportunity to live heathy, independent lives and work towards their goals.”

The New York Achieving a Better Life Experience (NY ABLE) Program helps New Yorkers with disabilities and their families manage some of the costs that come with living with a physical or developmental disability. To provide as much assistance as possible, Santabarbara helped pass a measure that would increase the allowable maximum account balance for the NY ABLE Program to an amount equal to the federally authorized level for the 529 College Savings Program (A.7473).

Additionally, Santabarbara supported a bill that would reauthorize the current law requiring publishers of printed materials for college students to provide them in electronic formats and make them available for purchase for students with disabilities at a comparable price to the printed version (A.7251).

“Getting through college can be a stressful experience for anybody, let alone those living with a disability,” said Santabarbara. “Making these adjustments will help ensure that all New Yorkers have a fair shot, regardless of physical or developmental disabilities.”

To ensure all New Yorkers with disabilities are treated equally, Santabarbara helped pass measures to re-establish the Office of Advocate for People with Disabilities (A.4737) and require public officers and bodies to provide interpreters and assistive listening devices for deaf or hard of hearing individuals at public hearings (A.3385-A). Santabarbara also supported measures to

• ensure individuals with disabilities are protected in case of an emergency by requiring counties with local emergency management plans to maintain a confidential, opt-in registry of people of all ages with disabilities who may require evacuation assistance and shelter during a disaster (A.3923);
• require the state Board of Elections to post a copy of a sample ballot, including electronically for use with a computer screen-reading program, on its website prior to each election (A.163);
• combat discrimination in the workforce by establishing a small-business tax credit for the employment of people with disabilities (A.7475); and
• keep New Yorkers with disabilities in their homes by creating a tax credit for either new or retrofitted principal residences that are universally designed to be accessible and adaptable housing (A.2493).

Santabarbara has long been a champion of disability rights. Earlier this year, he sponsored legislation to help law enforcement find people who have a tendency to wander, including people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alzheimer’s and other related conditions (A.1648). Further, he also authored and helped pass a law making a New York State Autism/Disability ID card available to families and individuals as a communication tool for emergency situations and interactions with law enforcement or first responders (Ch. 209 of 2018).