13 Feb Hundreds turn out to rally for investment in disability services

Hundreds of advocates for people with disabilities rallied in Albany on February 12  to call for a permanent investment in direct care staff alongside the annual cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) increase in the Senate and Assembly One House Budgets. They were joined by elected officials, non-profit provider agency executives, Direct Support Professionals, self-advocates, and family members who rallied to raise awareness of the catastrophic impacts of historic underfunding and the resulting workforce crisis that is severely hampering the I/DD service sector.

Advocates call on Assembly and Senate legislators to include two solutions in their respective One House Budgets this year:

1. Direct Support Wage Enhancement (DSWE) for direct support salaries to help recruit and retain essential staff and counteract the workforce crisis.
2.  A 3.2% COLA increase to counter the annual cost of inflation from this previous year and allow provider agencies to maintain operations.

Governor Hochul’s 2025 Executive Budget only included a 1.5% COLA increase, which is less than half of the minimum required to meet the annual rise of inflation for this year, and no Direct Support Wage Enhancement at all.

Senator John W. Mannion (SD-50), Chair of the Senate Committee on Disabilities said, “Every individual with a disability must have the opportunity to thrive, and dedicated care workers must be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. We need real investments in the system including a 3.2 percent COLA and a $4,000 wage enhancement to attract and retain workers and maintain services. Building a New York where everyone, regardless of ability, can reach their full potential begins with proper funding.”

Rebecca Seawright (AD-76), Chair of the Assembly People With Disabilities Committee said, “Disability advocates filled the Capitol today because we are on the precipice of a crisis. Not-for-profit providers are hemorrhaging workers because of unfair wages and a soaring cost of living. We are renewing our fight for these Direct Support Professional workers who are a lifeline for people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Without them, people would be in danger and lose their right to autonomy. Together, we will fight for a 3.2% COLA and the Direct Support Wage Enhancement to support the recruitment and retention of this vital workforce.”

“For over a decade now, non-profit provider agencies have struggled to meet the rising costs of inflation and an ongoing staffing crisis that consistently negatively impacts our organizations,” said Mike Alvaro, President and CEO of CP State and President of NYDA. “A 3.2% COLA increase and a DSWE to recruit and retain quality staff is absolutely necessary to help solve the crises New York’s care services sector faces. These two solutions will help ensure the long-term sustainability of the I/DD service field for years to come. As we saw today, hundreds and thousands of New Yorkers with I/DD and their families are depending on the State to finally hear their cries for help and Invest in Me.”

With rising costs due to inflation, coupled with a decade-long workforce recruitment and retention crisis and historic underfunding, the not-for-profit provider agencies that provide support and services to more than 85% of New Yorkers with I/DD are struggling with the operational costs that have drastically outpaced the funding, thereby threatening the future viability of the field.

The results of a recent New York Disability Advocates survey found that non-profit provider agency staff vacancies remain in excess of 17% in 2024, and one in three Direct Support Professionals leave their jobs every year. Subsequently, high levels of staff turnover are costing New York’s non-profit disability service providers $100.5 million annually. This cost directly inhibits funding essential supports and services for New Yorkers with I/DD. Unfortunately, without adequate funding to offer competitive wages, agencies cannot recruit and retain staff to build a sustainable I/DD service system.

For more information on the New York Disability Advocates’ 2024 legislative priorities, visit nydisabilityadvocates.com.