“Invest in who? Invest in ME!”

The well of the Legislative Office Building in Albany was jam-packed with hundreds of cheering, clapping, and yelling people, all united in the call for adequate investment in the intellectual and developmental disability (I/DD) community as budget negotiations reach their final, most pivotal moments.

Our fight is not over yet!

At the rally organized by New York Disability Advocates, lawmakers, a direct support professional, and the father of an individual with a disability each approached the podium to share personal stories and energize the crowd. Senator John Mannion and Assemblymember Rebecca Seawright, chairs of the Senate and Assembly Committees on Disabilities respectively, were among those who made impassioned pleas for action.

We are advocating for a flexible, unrestricted 3.2% Cost-of-Living-Adjustment (COLA) increase, to help us keep us with a wide-range of expenses that have only gotten worse with inflation. To restrict the COLA,  is to ignore the complexities of running a service agency that has quality, up-to-date facilities and operations.

We also need the $4,000 Direct Support Wage Enhancement, which would provide funding to permanently increase the wages of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). DSPs are the workers on the front lines of our programs, providing essential, life-enhancing care. They put time and energy into building meaningful relationships with those they support, often acting as teachers, mentors, cooks, confidants, and true companions. They deserve far more than what they are earning now, which is only slightly above the minimum wage.

The final version of the FY 2025 State Budget was due on April 1, so Governor Kathy Hochul and leaders in the State Senate and Assembly are now in overtime as they negotiate the final sticking points. If you have not yet called or emailed your representatives, the time to do so is now! Let them know you support a flexible 3.2% COLA and the Direct Support Wage Enhancement to combat a crisis in care, impacting organizations across New York State that support individuals with disabilities.

You can find the NYS Senator who represents you here: https://www.nysenate.gov/find-my-senator

You can find the NYS Assemblymember who represents you here: https://nyassembly.gov/mem/search/

We appreciate your support and pledge that we will always fight for our employees and for the individuals who depend on us!