Disability Rights

Center Prompts Reforms in New York City's $200 Million Program for Services to Persons with Disabilities

After New York City announced that it would spend $200 million to hire private contractors to serve more than 135,000 welfare recipients with disabilities over three years, we discovered that the City was not contemplating any meaningful contract provisions to avoid a repetition of past ADA violations by the City and its contractors. We pressed our concerns in little-used contract hearings and won contract changes to improve medical assessment services for those with disabilities.

Additional Information:

Testimony-WECAREProgramNewYorkCityPublicAssistanceApplicantsRecipients-Disabilities-2007

Welfare Advocacy in the Privatized Era: A Case Study of Advocacy to Shape the Welfare Disability Assessment Process in New York City (from May, 2004 Welfare News)

Georgia Advocates Launch Website on Using Disability Rights Law to Improve Welfare Programs (from December, 2003 Welfare Bulletin)

Using the ADA to Protect the Rights of Individuals with Disabilities in TANF Programs (Center Training Outline) (July, 2002)

Center Files OCR Complaint Against NYC Welfare Agency

Complaint (April 2, 2002)

Press Release (April 2, 2002)

Welfare News Article (April, 2002)