New York State Industries for the Disabled & New York Alliance for Inclusion & Innovation Applaud Rockefeller Institute of Government Report Outlining Strategies to Support Employment for NYers with Disabilities
Preferred Source Program Modernization Law of 2022 Sunsets Next Year;
Legislative Action Required “if the program and its benefits are to continue.”
“Legislature must ensure Preferred Source Modernization Law is not allowed to sunset.”
New York State Industries for the Disabled (NYSID) and the New York Alliance for Inclusion & Innovation applauded the new report, “Stepping Away from the Benefits Cliff: Policy Strategies to Support Employment for People with Disabilities in New York State,” released today by the Rockefeller Institute of Government.
In releasing the report, Rockefeller noted: “While significant barriers to employment exist for people with disabilities in the state, there have been successful efforts to mitigate them and promote employment…Those successful barrier mitigation efforts include the state’s ’Employment First’ initiative….and the Preferred Source Program Modernization Law of 2022. The modernization law was unanimously passed by the Legislature, sunsets in 2025 and requires legislative action ‘if the program and its benefits are to continue.’ ”
NYSID President and CEO Maureen O’Brien said: “The Rockefeller report highlights how important it is to continue moving forward to create meaningful employment opportunities for New Yorkers with disabilities.
“Since the Preferred Source Program Modernization Law was enacted, NYSID has been able to increase both its partnerships with public and private sector entities, and more importantly, the number of employed New Yorkers with disabilities. Last year, the average wage for these employees was more than $21 per hour. Letting the law sunset as scheduled in October would bring us back to the days of treating New Yorkers with disabilities as lesser than their neighbors. We cannot turn back the clock.”
New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation President & CEO Michael Seereiter said: “This report from Rockefeller reinforces the importance of being creative and focused as we – providers, advocates, the state, and most importantly the New Yorkers with disabilities seeking employment – strive to create and expand employment opportunities for a population that has historically had a way-too-high unemployment rate. They provide a roadmap that we will share with the Governor and lawmakers, and that advocates will be emphasizing with legislators heading into the 2025 session.”
The Preferred Source Modernization Law brought New York’s landmark program of job support for persons with disabilities into the 21stCentury and marked the first major modifications in the Preferred Source Program (PSP) since its 1975 enactment in the aftermath of Willowbrook.
In bringing the PSP more in line with other diversity and inclusion contracting initiatives, the Modernization Law not only expanded employment opportunities for people with disabilities, it made those opportunities more valuable for workers and businesses by increasing opportunities for persons with disabilities to work side by side with people without disabilities. And not incidentally, it rid our law of unfortunate and derogatory terms like “severely disabled” that deny these New Yorkers dignity and respect.
Since the Modernization Law was enacted, hours worked under the Preferred Source Program are up by 245,167 and jobs are up by 163. Jobs pay an average hourly wage of $21.78.
“These efforts are all aligned with the State’s ‘Employment First’ initiative. The law has worked and that’s why next session, the Legislature must ensure that the Preferred Source Modernization Law is not allowed to sunset and should in fact be made permanent,” O’Brien said.
Contracts facilitated through the Preferred Source program and NYSID have a massive impact on the state’s economy. In its most recent economic impact study of the program, the Rockefeller Institute found that New York’s nonprofit disability service providers generated $14.3 billion in economic output, supported nearly 200,000 full-time jobs and contributed $2.2 billion in federal and state tax revenue. NYSID alone generated $407.3 million in economic impact.
About New York State Industries for the Disabled, Inc. (NYSID)
NYSID is a 501(c)(3) with the mission of “advancing employment and other opportunities for individuals with disabilities.” Established in 1975, NYSID facilitates employment opportunities for nearly 6,000 New Yorkers with disabilities annually through New York’s Preferred Source Program and in the private sector. NYSID’s community rehabilitation member agencies and corporate partners are located throughout the state, providing jobs in the community and in production facilities. For more information, visit www.nysid.org.
About the New York State Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation
The NY Alliance is a statewide association representing nearly 150 not-for-profit provider agencies serving people with disabilities. The NY Alliance envisions a society where people with disabilities are contributing citizens with equal rights and the ability to live full, productive and meaningful lives. For more information, visit https://nyalliance.org/.
