A BIG PART OF INDEPENDENCE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE COMES FROM HAVING A JOB.

THAT'S WHERE NYSID COMES IN.

THEY'RE A STATEWIDE NETWORK THAT CONNECTS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WITH JOBS, AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR MORE SUPPORT FROM THE STATE.

FOR MORE ON THAT, I SAT DOWN WITH MAUREEN O'BRIEN, PRESIDENT OF NYSID.

[ THEME MUSIC ] THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY, MAUREEN.

I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

OF COURSE.

NYSID WAS PUT IN PLACE AFTER THE CLOSURE OF WILLOWBROOK AND FOLLOWING THE CLOSURE OF WILLOWBROOK AND THE EXPOSE ON THE EGREGIOUS CONDITIONS, I'M CURIOUS WHAT THE TRAGIC LEGACY OF WILLOWBROOK HAS HAD ON YOUR ORGANIZATION, NYSID?

I DO THINK THERE'S A POSITIVE LEGACY OUT OF WILLOWBROOK OUR ORGANIZATION.

IT'S DIFFERENT THAN MANY OF THE OTHER LEGACIES THAT EXIST, WE CAME INTO EXISTENCE POST-WILLOWBROOK BECAUSE GOVERNOR HUGH CAREY AT THE TIME FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO COME UP WITH WAYS IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES COULD BE INTEGRATED INTO COMMUNITIES AND THE WORKFORCE, AND THAT'S WHERE NYSID CAME FROM.

I DO THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WILLOWBROOK REGULARLY.

WE HAVE TO REVIEW IT EVERY YEAR.

WE FORGET WHAT HAPPENED THERE AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO LEARN FROM IT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

YEAH.

ABSOLUTELY.

AND AS YOU TOUCHED ON BEFORE, IT'S AN ONGOING FIGHT AND THERE IS STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE.

SO WHAT ROLE DO YOU SEE YOUR ORGANIZATION HAVING IN THE YEARS TO COME AS YOU CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR RIGHTS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?

SURE.

WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT EMPLOYMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.

RIGHT NOW IN NEW YORK STATE, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, IF YOU ARE DISABLED, IS 67%.

CLEARLY, WE AREN'T DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED TO DO TO ENSURE THAT INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES HAVE ACCESS TO JOBS AND HAVE THE APPROPRIATE SETTINGS IN PLACE SO THAT THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE JOB.

WE DO THAT A LOT WITH SOCIAL ENTERPRISES THAT WE WORK WITH THROUGH NYSID AND PRIVATE CORPORATIONS THAT HAVE PUT THE ONUS ON MAKING SURE AN INDIVIDUAL WITH DISABILITY CAN SUCCEED IN THE WORKPLACE.

WHAT I SAY ALL THE TIME IS INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES ARE REALLY, REALLY GREAT PROBLEM-SOLVERS.

BY THE TIME THEY GET TO WORK, PERHAPS AFTER TAKING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, PERHAPS AFTER GETTING DRESSED AND BACK IN A WHEELCHAIR, PERHAPS WORKING THROUGH ANY NUMBER OF ISSUES, THE EASY PART IS ONCE THEY'RE ON THE JOB.

YEAH.

ABSOLUTELY.

AND ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC INDUSTRIES THAT YOU'RE HOPING WOULD, YOU KNOW, EMPLOY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, AND HOW CAN YOU HELP TO ENCOURAGE THOSE EMPLOYERS TO HIRE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?

YEAH.

SO THE PROGRAM THAT WE RUN, THE PREFERRED SOURCE PROGRAM FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES THAT NYSID MANAGES, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT OCCUPATION AREAS AND INDUSTRIES THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO WORK IN WHERE WE CAN AUTOMATICALLY CONTRACT WITH THE STATE WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE BID PROCESS.

SO WE HAVE A GREAT NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS AT THE GOVERNMENT LEVEL WHO PROCURE FROM US EVERYTHING FROM JANITORIAL SERVICES TO DIGITAL ACCESSIBILITY TO DATA IMAGING, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

I THINK WITH AI AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THERE, THERE'S GOING TO BE IN THE TECHNOLOGY SPACE A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER PLACES WHERE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES CAN BE SUCCESSFUL AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE STATE ON THAT.

ARE THERE ANY SORT OF MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HIRING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THAT YOU HAD TO SORT OF, YOU KNOW, WORK THROUGH IN YOUR ROLE AND HOW HAVE YOU KIND OF COMBATTED THAT?

SURE.

ONE OF THE THINGS I ALWAYS SAY WHEN IT COMES TO HIRING, PARTICULARLY SOMEONE WHO IS NEURODIVERSE, WHAT YOU AND I WOULD TALK ABOUT AS IMPORTANT IN AN INTERVIEW PROCESS, SOMETIMES SOMEONE WHO IS NEURODIVERSE CAN'T DO IT.

THEY CAN'T SIT ACROSS QUIETLY FROM YOU AND MAKE EYE CONTACT.

PERHAPS SHAKING YOUR HAND WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THEY WOULDN'T EMBRACE OR WELCOME.

IF SOMEONE HAS THE SKILLS TO DO THE JOB, THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO INTERVIEW FOR.

YOU DON'T WANT TO INTERVIEW FOR EYE CONTACT, HANDSHAKE, HOW THE INTERVIEW STARTS AND ENDS.

YOU REALLY WANT TO LOOK AT SOMEONE'S SKILLS AND SAY, CAN THEY DO THE JOB?

WILL THEY BE SUCCESSFUL ON THE JOB?

AND CAN WE GIVE THEM THE SUPPORTS AND STRUCTURE WHERE THEY WILL BE?

SOME OF THE BEST EMPLOYEES I HAVE IN MY ORGANIZATION ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD A BARRIER TO EMPLOYMENT BECAUSE THEY COME TO WORK EVERY DAY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT COMING TO WORK.

THEY COME TO WORK REALLY WANTING TO BE ON THE JOB BECAUSE THEY MOW WHAT IT'S LIKE NOT TO HAVE ONE.

YEAH.

YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, YOUR OFFICE-- YOUR ORGANIZATION IS DOING A LOT OF GREAT WORK AND THE WORK IS ONGOING, RIGHT?

YEP.

I'M CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR LONG-TERM GOALS IN THIS FIGHT FOR ALLOWING PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES TO REALLY BE IN THE WORKFORCE?

SO THERE'S TWO THINGS WE HAVE COMING FORWARD AT NYSID.

ONE IS THE LEGISLATION THAT ALLOWS US TO OPERATE WILL SUNSET NEXT YEAR.

SO WE'LL HAVE A BOOTS ON THE GROUND EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT THAT LEGISLATION IS RENEWED AND THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO OPERATE THE PROGRAM THAT WE'RE OPERATING.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE WANT EVERYBODY AND ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DO TO TALK TO US.

WE DON'T JUST HAVE TO SELL OUR GOODS AND SERVICES TO GOVERNMENT.

ANY PRIVATE SECTOR ENTITY THAT IS INTERESTED IN DIVERSIFYING THEIR SUPPLY CHAIN TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES CAN DO BUSINESS WITH US.

THIS PAST YEAR, WE'VE DONE A NUMBER OF THINGS WITH ALBANY MEDICAL CENTER AND WITH THEIR EXPANDED FOOTPRINT AND IT'S BEEN GREAT WORK FOR THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE HAVE.

YEAH.

AND WHAT HAS, YOU KNOW, THAT PREPARATION FOR NEXT YEAR'S FIGHT REALLY ENTAILED?

LIKE, ARE THERE ANY REALLY SPECIFIC ADVOCATES OR LAWMAKERS THAT YOU ARE WORKING CLOSE WITH AS YOU GEAR UP FOR NEXT YEAR?

YEAH.

SO RIGHT NOW IN THE SENATE AND THE ASSEMBLY, THERE IS A DISABILITIES COMMITTEE.

RIGHT.

SO AGAIN, THAT DID NOT EXIST A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO.

THE DISABILITIES COMMITTEE ROLLED UP UNDER THE MENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE.

HAVING OUR OWN COMMITTEE STRUCTURE IN THE ASSEMBLY ALLOWS US GREATER ACCESS TO ELECTED OFFICIALS TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT WE DO AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT.

I FEEL LIKE WITH THE CHIEF DISABILITY OFFICER, WE ALSO HAVE A GREAT VENUE TO HAVE A ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATION.

WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS GET THE WORD OUT.

WE NEED TO GET TO WORK.

WE NEED TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING AS SOON AS THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION STARTS.

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOUR OFFICE HAS BEEN DOING REALLY IMPORTANT WORK AND I REALLY HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT THE EXTENSION THAT YOU SO DESERVE.

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE ALREADY PREPARED FOR NEXT YEAR'S FIGHT.

PLEASE KEEP US POSTED ON HOW THE EXTENSION GOES AND HOPEFULLY, WE CAN HAVE YOU BACK HERE ON THE SHOW VERY SOON.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

OF COURSE.

THAT WAS MAUREEN O'BRIEN, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE NEW YORK STATE INDUSTRIES FOR THE DISABLED.

[ THEME MUSIC ] AND WE'LL LINK TO NYSID'S WEBSITE ON OUR WEBSITE.

AGAIN, THAT'S AT NYNOW.ORG.