New York Disability Advocates – Fighting for Equity for New Yorkers with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Fighting for Equity for New Yorkers with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

New York Disability Advocates (NYDA) is a statewide coalition of more than 300 non-profit organizations providing vital services and support to more than 140,000 New Yorkers with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Across the state, hundreds of organizations provide comprehensive and individualized services and programs that support people with developmental disabilities in all areas of their lives.

Beyond providing physical and behavioral health services, they assist with activities of daily living, such as providing transportation, obtaining and creating meaningful employment opportunities, administering medication, cooking and feeding, and teaching personal care, community living and money management skills.

After years of chronic underfunding, this level of care is in jeopardy. More and more providers have failed in recent years, and others will continue to do so under the current system.

To stabilize the system, we need an annual 3% funding increase for the next 5 years to correct the shortage and allow organizations to continue to provide lifelong support and care and invest in innovations and upgrades to aging facilities.

This multi-year commitment from the state is crucial to the viability of the not-for-profit providers who, for the past decade, have had to do more with less.

Over 90% of provider organizations’ funds come from Medicaid. Each year, New York State determines the levels of funding to those organizations to support people receiving our services. Yet, in the last decade they have received only one funding increase of 0.02% and have missed out on nearly $8 billion in funding, including $2.6 billion in cuts.

Nearly half of them have only 40 days of cash on hand.

The impacts of chronic stagnant funding are severe.

Little or Outdated Technology

High Vacancy and Turnover Rates of Support Professionals

Facility Closures

Long Waiting Lists for Services

Provider organizations have an outsized positive impact on the lives of New Yorkers with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, and the communities we serve.

Provide High-Quality Care

Foster independence, support families and prioritize inclusion

Create Jobs

Employ more than 120,000 New Yorkers, mostly women and minorities

Stimulate Economies

Frequently one of the largest area employers, driving increased economic activity in communities

Prevent Future Costs

Addressing external health impacts and providing cost-effective delivery of care

For more than 30 years,

New York State has been mandated by law to provide people with intellectual and developmental disabilities with essential services.

Tell Governor Andrew Cuomo to do the right thing and grant all New Yorkers equal access to care and opportunities to lead independent, fulfilling lives.

News

Cerebral Palsy care providers brace for reimbursements

We broke down what the Governor’s proposed budget means for New Yorkers living with disabilities with Susan Constantino, President and CEO of the Cerebral Palsy Associations of New York State.

News

Capitol Insider: OPWDD budget increases; providers shoulder cuts

ALBANY — Although the overall budget for the state Office for People With Developmental Disabilities is expected to increase nearly 3 percent, those who provide direct services to people with disabilities say the cuts are falling on them. The latest cuts add insult to injury to a sector that has not seen a cost-of-living increase...

News

Advocates Speak Out Against Cuts to Programs that Support People with Disabilities

WIVB | Feb. 11, 2021

Show Your Support

Join the effort to win funding equity for New Yorkers with developmental disabilities! Send a message to Governor Cuomo in support of a 3% funding increase for 5 years.

Tweet #3for5