Policy Advocacy

NCLEJ uses its expertise to identify and promote the adoption and proper implementation of creative and effective policies and programs to support individuals and families in their efforts to move out of poverty.

Recent efforts include:

• Working with Arizona, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and other states to modify state policies affecting public benefits for persons with disabilities. While the Americans with Disabilities Act requires a wide range of reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities, most public benefits programs around the country fall short. An example of the improvements we have made can be found in New Jersey’s ADA policy – county welfare agencies must review a client’s records and take other measures before closing a case or sanctioning benefits, to ensure that the agency is not taking action against a client with a disability who needed an accommodation that was not provided.
• Assuring that youth aging out of foster care in New York City are assured continuation of health care and other benefits required for them to safely transition into independent living – a result achieved after several years of advocacy. Work to improve access to housing and other benefits is underway.
• Assuring that mothers needing child care subsidies for employment will no longer have to take days off work in futile efforts in court to collect child support payments, by achieving a change in New York law enacted in 2009 after years of advocacy by many organizations.

Highlights of NCLEJ Advocacy:

Disability Rights

• Madison County, NY, Improves Policies for People with Disabilities (October 2011)
• Improving Automated Medicaid Eligibility Systems: NCLEJ Comments on HHS Proposals (January 2011) (pdf)
• NCLEJ and LS-NYC Provide Social Security Administration Extensive Comments on Conducting an Agency Self-Evaluation under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (December 2010) (pdf)
• NCLEJ and Advocacy Center of Louisiana Urge Major Improvements in FEMA's Draft Disaster Temporary Housing Operational Guide to Address Needs of Individuals with Disabilities (November 2010) (pdf)
• NCLEJ Urges Strengthening of Proposed Regulations to Increase Public Participation in the Review of Medicaid Demonstration Projects. (November 2010) (pdf)
• Health Reform Implementation: NCLEJ Comments to HHS on State Health Exchanges (October 2010) (pdf)
• The Closed Digital Door: State Public Benefits Agencies' Failure to Make Websites Accessible to People with Disabilities and Usable for Everyone (July 2010)
• Improving Remote Communication Between Public Benefits Agencies and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals by Cary LaCheen, 43 Clearinghouse Review 431 (Jan. - Feb. 2010) (pdf)
• NCLEJ Helps More States Develop Disability Rights Compliance Policies for their Benefits Programs (2009) (pdf)
• NCLEJ Testimony on Issues on New York City WeCARE Program for Public Assistance Applicants with Disabilities (October 2007) (pdf)
• New Provisions of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program: Implications for Clients with Disabilities and Advocacy Opportunities by Cary LaCheen, 40 Clearinghouse Rev. 490 (Jan. - Feb. 2007) (pdf)
• NCLEJ Addresses FEMA on Serious Barriers Faced By Many Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals (January 2007) (pdf)
• NCLEJ Letter to New York State Welfare Agency on Local District Self Evaluations of ADA Compliance (September 2006) (pdf)
• NCLEJ Secures Comprehensive Policy Reforms in Virginia and New Jersey (2004-2005)
• NCLEJ Addresses New York City Contracts for Welfare-to-Work (education and training) and WeCARE (for persons with disabilities) (2004)
• NCLEJ Report Exposes New York City Welfare Agency's Failure to Provide Home Visits to Individuals with Disabilities (June 2004)

Privatization and Modernization

• Improving Automated Medicaid Eligibility Systems: NCLEJ Comments on HHS Proposals (January 2011) (pdf)
• NCLEJ and Maximus:  Modernizing Public Benefits Programs:  What the Law Says State Agencies Must do to Serve People with Disabilities (August 2010) (pdf)
• NCLEJ Checklist for Advocates: Privatization Issues in Public Benefits Programs (June 2007) (pdf)
• NCLEJ and Colleagues Seek Improvements in Texas Call Center Initiative (2006)
• NCLEJ Comments on EBT Systems for Disaster Relief (August 2006) (pdf)

Health Care/Health Reform

• NCLEJ Comments on Health Insurance Exchanges (September 2011) (pdf)
• Improving Automated Medicaid Eligibility Systems: NCLEJ Comments on HHS Proposals (January 2011) (pdf)
• Health Reform Implementation: NCLEJ Comments to HHS on State Health Exchanges (October 2010) (pdf)
• NCLEJ Report on Barriers Childless Adults Face in Accessing Public Health Insurance (April 2010) (pdf)
• Issue Brief on New York Medicaid Spenddown Excess Income Program (June 2009) (pdf)
• Testimony - Needs of Youth Aging Out of Foster Care (October 2007) (pdf)

Supporting Employment

• NCLEJ Influences New York City Mayor Bloomberg's Low-Income Child Care Proposals (October 2005)
• Testimony Regarding the Role of Education in Helping Low-Income Families Become Economically Self-Sufficient (July 2005) (pdf)
• Testimony Regarding Child Support Requirements in New York State's Proposed Child Care Development Fund Plan (May 2005)
• NCLEJ and Colleagues Protect Medicaid for Working Parents in Texas (April, 2005)
• NCLEJ Promoted Child Care for Working Parents (2005)
• NCLEJ and Colleagues Supported Access to Education and Training in New York City (2003)