Alert: Urge Gov. Cuomo to Prioritize the Employment of New Yorkers with Disabilities #PWDConnectJobs

NYAPRS Note: The following comes from our friend, Brad Williams of the NYS Independent Living Council. Please join us in signing this petition today, urging NY Governor Cuomo to build on efforts to realize the goals of his groundbreaking Employment First policy for New Yorkers with disabilities. The petition urges Governor Cuomo to add resources to advance our efforts in this area, by giving the issue a state of the state level of importance and to appoint an “Employment Czar” whose sole job will be to move us forward in this area.
Please click on the following link today to sign the petition: http://www.change.org/p/governor-andrew-cuomo-prioritize-the-employment-of-working-aged-new-yorkers-with-disabilities-c3e14a93-cc9c-4d6e-ae5a-694c83664217.
This petition will be delivered to Governor Cuomo in the coming weeks. Thank you!
Prioritize the Employment of Working-aged New Yorkers with Disabilities
In September 2014, Governor Andrew Cuomo created an Employment First policy which provided a direction for competitive, integrated employment for New Yorkers with disabilities. Two years after he signed Executive Order # 136, the target dates for all the recommendations made by the Employment First Commission in their report have lapsed. Lots of hard work has occurred but the plan advanced at the November MISCC meeting lacks implementation specificity (timelines, responsibility, work priorities).  Read Employment First order here…
We call upon Governor Cuomo to take action on behalf of the 1.1 million working-aged New Yorkers with disabilities and:

1. Prioritize the employment of New Yorkers with disabilities in his upcoming state of the State address.

2. Actively support the Employment First policy and make a commitment to its full implementation.

3. Appoint an “Employment Czar” for people with disabilities with full-time staff to advance priorities identified in the Employment First report via the Executive Budget, including:

• Establish a small business tax credit for New Yorkers with disabilities.
• Include disability as a minority in the Minority Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) state procurement program.
• Hire a 55b/c Statewide Coordinator to oversee greater utilization of the program.
• Increase utilization of the Medicaid Buy-In for Working People With Disabilities Program (MBIWPD).
• Create a Medicaid service to support benefits advisement.
• Develop a policy for regional economic councils to target disability employment and business opportunities.

4. Fully support integrated, competitive employment – New Yorkers must earn minimum wage or higher for inclusive opportunities which comport with Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) rules.

This petition will be delivered to Governor Andrew Cuomo at gov.cuomo@chamber.state.ny.us
Click on the following link to sign a petition: http://www.change.org/p/governor-andrew-cuomo-prioritize-the-employment-of-working-aged-new-yorkers-with-disabilities-c3e14a93-cc9c-4d6e-ae5a-694c83664217
Please distribute and post to others. Thanks!
Brad Williams  New York State Independent Living Council