HOUSE ON THAT.

BUT STAYING NOW WITH NEW YORK'S WORKFORCE.

IT'S NO SECRET THAT IF YOU HAVE A DISABILITY, WORK CAN BE HARD TO FIND OR NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE, AND WE SEE THAT REFLECTED IN DATA.

JUST LAST YEAR, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WITH NEW YORKERS WITH A DISABILITY WAS 11.9%.

THAT'S ACCORDING TO THE STATE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE AND THAT'S MORE THAN SEVEN POINTS HIGHER THAN THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR NEW YORKERS WITHOUT DISABILITIES, AND ACCORDING TO DATA FROM THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU, ONLY ABOUT A THIRD OF THE ONE MILLION NEW YORKERS WHO HAVE A DISABILITY ARE EMPLOYED.

THAT'S WHERE DISABILITY SERVICE PROVIDERS COME IN, LIKE NYSID, WHICH STANDS FOR NEW YORK STATE INDUSTRIES FOR THE DISABLED.

THEY'RE A NONPROFIT MEMBER ORGANIZATION THAT CONNECTS NEW YORKERS WITH DISABILITIES WITH JOBS.

WMHT'S CATHERINE RAFFERTY HAS THIS REPORT.

[ THEME MUSIC ] SO NYSID WAS PUT INTO PLACE SHORTLY AFTER THE CLOSURE OF WILLOW BROOK.

THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ON THE RECENT ANNIVERSARY OF THE CLOSURE OF WILLOW BROOK.

IF AN INDIVIDUAL WITH AN INTELLECTUAL OR DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY WAS BORN BEFORE 1978 IN NEW YORK STATE, THERE WAS A HIGHER THAN USUAL LIKELIHOOD THAT THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN INSTITUTIONALIZED.

POST-1978, NEW YORK STATE CHANGED THAT TYPE OF CARE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AND HAVE PRIORITIZED THAT INDIVIDUALS BE ABLE TO BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY, WHICH THEY SHOULD, AND SO MANY INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES LIVE IN THEIR OWN HOMES, LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY, LIVE IN GROUP HOMES AND OUR PROGRAM CAME OUT OF THAT CHANGE SO THAT THEY WOULD ALSO BE ELIGIBLE FOR WORK AND BE ABLE TO FIND MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT THAT THEY ENJOYED AND THAT HELP SUSTAINED THEM ECONOMICALLY.

ALEX DEMITRASZEK IS THE CUSTOMER CARE MANAGER AT THE CENTER FOR DISABILITY SERVICES, A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZER THAT IS ONE OF NEW YORK STATE'S LARGEST PROVIDERS OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE DISABILITIES.

WE HAVE VERY LOW TURNOVER WHICH IS LIKE ALWAYS A GOAL OF OURS IS THAT ONCE WE HIRE AN INDIVIDUAL WITH DISABILITIES, WE LIKE TO MAKE A CAREER FOR THEM.

THE MAJORITY OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES HAVE BEEN WORKING HERE FOR 10, 15, 20 YEARS WE VERY SOME INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE JUST PASSED THEIR 40-YEAR MARK WORKING FOR US WHICH IS SOMETHING WE'RE VERY PROUD OF.

THAT'S TRUE FOR BOB TIMBRELIN.

TIMBERLIN HAS BEEN AN EMPLOYEE AT THE CENTER FOR DISABILITY SERVICES MAIL FULFILLMENT CENTER FOR 33 YEARS.

THE CENTER FOR DISABILITY SERVICES HAS A MAIL FULFILLMENT OPERATION WHERE ABOUT 70% OF THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.

THE FACILITY PROCESSES AROUND 200,000 MAILPIECES A DAY, A LOT OF PAPER NEEDS TO BE OPENED EACH DAY TO FULFILL THE PRINTING NEEDS, BUT THIS TASK PRESENTS A CHALLENGE FOR SOME EMPLOYEES.

PART OF OUR MISSION IS TO EMPLOY INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AND WHEN YOU HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE DEXTERITY ISSUES OR JUST OTHER SORTS OF LIMITATIONS WHEN THEY'RE OPENING PAPER, THEY OFTEN GET PAPER-CUTS OR JUST RIP THE PAPER OR JUST HAVE ANY SORT OF THING THAT CAN HAPPEN WHILE THEY'RE OPENING THAT PAPER THAT PREVENTS IT FROM RUNNING THROUGH HIGH-SPEED PRODUCTION PRINTERS WITHOUT JAMMING THEM OR JUST AT A LEVEL THAT CAN KEEP UP WITH OUR NEEDS.

WITH THE HELP OF A NEW INVENTION, AN AUTOMATED PAPER REAM OPENER, BOB HAS BEEN OPENING 150 REAMS OF PAPER A DAY.

THE MACHINE CUTS THE PAPER.

IT TAKES LESS TIME AND LESS HASSLE AND MAKES IT EASIER FOR ME.

IT'S DEFINITELY CUT DOWN ON THE AMOUNT OF PAPER-CUTS HE GETS AND IT'S A LOT MORE FUN WHEN YOU ARE JUST OPENING REAMS OF PAPER MANUALLY, IT GETS A LITTLE TEDIOUS, A LITTLE ANNOYING BUT NOW HE GETS TO BASICALLY PUSH A BUTTON AND THE MACHINE DOES IT.

INNOVATION CAN MAKE WORK ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES AND TO SPUR THOSE INNOVATIONS, NYSID FORMED CREATE, WHICH STANDS FOR CULTIVATING RESOURCES FOR EMPLOYMENT WITH ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY.

CREATE IS AN ACADEMIC CHALLENGE CREATED BY NYSID TO ENCOURAGE ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION IN ORDER TO REMOVE BARRIERS FROM THE WORKPLACE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

COLLEGE ENGINEERING STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE WITH NYSID MEMBER REHABILITATION ORGANIZATIONS DURING THEIR CAPSTONE PROJECTS TO WORK ON A SOLUTION TO A BUSINESS PROBLEM.

MAUREEN O'BRIEN, PRESIDENT OF NYSID, SAYS THESE INNOVATIONS HELP THOSE WITH DISABILITIES SUCCEED IN THEIR JOBS.

THIS PAST YEAR, OUR SYMPOSIUM HAD A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS.

THE WINNING PROJECT WAS WITH THE STATE UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY.

THE PAPER REAM OPENER CREATED EFFICIENCIES THAT WEREN'T THERE BEFORE.

IN ADDITION, WHAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT ABOUT CREATE IS THAT IT-- IT BRINGS ENGINEERING STUDENTS INTO OUR SPACE, INTO THE DISABILITY SPACE WHERE THERE IS ROOM FOR ALL KINDS OF EFFICIENCIES.

GREG SORRENTINO, PRESIDENT OF THE CENTER FOR DISABILITY SERVICES, SAYS THE INVENTION HAS HELPED WITH CREATING MORE WORK OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

WE DON'T LOOK AT SOMEONE AS DISABLED OR NOT DISABLED.

WE LOOK AT THEM AS EMPLOYEES.

THEY'RE ALL EQUAL, AND THEY WORK THAT WAY AND THE MORE THESE BARRIERS WE CAN GET OUT OF THE WAY, THE MORE THAT OCCURS AND OUR TURNOVER HERE IS ALMOST NONE ON BOTH SIDES.

SO PEOPLE WHO HAVE A DISABILITY AND PEOPLE WHO DON'T.

THEY LIKE WORKING HERE AND THEY LIKE WORKING HERE, I THINK, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TWO GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS THAT WORK AS ONE, AND THE WAY THAT WORKS WELL IS TO GET MORE INDIVIDUALS WORKING HERE, MORE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE CAN PUT TOGETHER AND WORK TOGETHER AND DEVELOP FRIENDSHIPS AND DEVELOP WORKING RELATIONSHIPS AND ALL THAT STARTS WITH THIS PROGRAM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, BREAKS DOWN THOSE BARRIERS AND ALLOWS THEM TO PARTICIPATE.

MAUREEN O'BRIEN WITH NYSID EMPHASIZES THAT EMPLOYMENT IS A KEY INGREDIENT FOR INDEPENDENCE.

INDEPENDENCE IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR EVERYBODY AND THERE'S NO REASON WHY AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A DISABILITY SHOULD NOT HAVE INDEPENDENCE AS WELL.

AND THAT IS WHY BEING FULLY ENGAGED IN THE WORKFORCE IS VERY IMPORTANT.

AT NYSID THERE ARE MANY INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES WHO COME THROUGH OUR CONTRACTS WHO ARE FIRST-TIME TAXPAYERS, AND THEY'RE SUPPORTED ON THE JOB WITH JOB COACHES THROUGH THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE WORK WITH AND IN DOING SO, IT ALLOWS THEM TO MOVE INTO OTHER OCCUPATIONS AND FLOURISH.

O'BRIEN SAYS DISABILITY ALSO NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE WORKPLACE DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION, OR DEI INITIATIVES.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PUTTING INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AS PART OF THAT FORMULA, AND WHAT I SAY TO MY STAFF A LOT AND IN TRAINING THAT WE'VE DONE FOR DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION IS THAT DEI MEANS THAT EVERYBODY FEELS INCLUDED AND PART OF THE WORKPLACE AND IS COMFORTABLE COMING INTO THEIR POSITION.

IN FEBRUARY 2022, THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF DISABILITY OFFICER WAS ESTABLISHED TO COORDINATE STATE AGENCY OPERATIONS TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT AND ENSURE THAT NEW YORKERS WITH DISABILITIES ARE GIVEN THE ACCOMMODATIONS NECESSARY TO HAVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT.

IN THE 2023 EXECUTIVE BUDGET PROPOSAL, GOVERNOR KATHIE HOCHUL PROPOSED INCREASING THE NUMBER OF STATE WORKFORCE POSITIONS DESIGNATED UNDER CIVIL SERVICE LAW 55-B FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES FROM 1,200 TO 1,700 AND GIVING THESE EMPLOYEES AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSFER INTO A COMPETITIVE CLASS POSITION.

BUT O'BRIEN SAYS THERE'S STILL MORE TO DO WHEN IT COMES TO SUPPORTING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN THE WORKFORCE.

DIRECT CARE WORKERS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE EQUATION, SAYS O'BRIEN.

SO THE DIRECT CARE WORKFORCE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

IN SOME CASES THEY ARE JOB COACHES AND IN NEW YORK STATE, WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR THE DIRECT CARE WORKFORCE TO BE PAID MORE THAN MINIMUM WAGE.

WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB AT PRIORITIZING INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AND INCLUDING THEM IN THE EQUATION, THE DEI EQUATION.

I THINK WE'RE LEARNING.

WE SHOULDN'T STILL BE IN THAT PHASE.

WE SHOULD BE BEYOND THAT.

THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT WAS A LONG TIME AGO NOW AND IT'S TIME THAT THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAVE HERE JUST BE PART OF EVERY DAY.

[ THEME MUSIC ] IF YOU HAVE A DISABILITY OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO DOES, WE'LL LINK TO SOME EMPLOYMENT RESOURCES ON OUR WEBSITE.

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