Rockefeller Institute Report 2024

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.”

Read the full Rockefeller Report here

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