Yesterday, on the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), The Arc New York's CEO, Erik Geizer, joined Governor Hochul and invited stakeholders for the signing of a package of bills focused on advancing and supporting people with disabilities.
To mark the occasion, Mr. Geizer stated, "We cannot thank our partners in the legislature and the Hochul Administration enough for their openness and willingness to listen and act." He went on to say, "For the Arc New York to be such an integral part of advancing these bills into law demonstrates our strength and ability to effectuate meaningful and positive change for the people we support."
Many of these bills were constructed and ushered through the legislature and to the governor’s desk by The Arc New York team and numerous advocates. Without the voices and participation of our grassroots network, these landmark pieces of legislation would not be possible.
The legislative package upholds and strengthens the rights of New Yorkers with disabilities, provides an additional tool in decision-making through a Supported Decision-Making Agreement, seeks to educate the public about the ways people with intellectual and developmental disabilities contribute meaningfully to their communities, and creates a campaign to reduce harmful stigma and stereotyping.
Also joining the governor from The Arc New York were Marco Damiani, Laura Kennedy, and Ray Ferrigno from AHRC NYC, and Stanfort Perry from AHRC Nassau. For the full list of bills, you can read Governor Hochul’s press release here and the proclamation she issued commemorating the ADA anniversary here.
Help mark this year's anniversary by sharing what the ADA has meant to you or how the law has positively impacted your life or the life of someone you love or hold dear. Be sure to use the hashtags #ADA32 and #ThanksToTheADA and tag us @thearcny.
Also, to mark the ADA anniversary, The White House will hold a closed press stakeholder call tomorrow, July 28, to update Americans with disabilities on the work that has been done by the Administration. You can register here.
