Last week, the Office of the New York State Comptroller released a report showing that labor force participation among working-age people with disabilities in New York increased by 4.6 percentage points from 2019 to 2024. Despite this improvement, New York’s workforce participation rate for individuals with disabilities remains at 28.8%, which is below the national average of 32.3%. The national average itself rose by more than five percentage points during the same period.
Assembly Minority Conference members have introduced several legislative measures aimed at supporting people with disabilities in the workforce. These include proposals to raise wages for aides working with people with developmental disabilities, increase tuition rates for Special Act and 853 Schools, establish programs for students interested in disability services careers, review state transportation policies, and ensure proper planning when individuals transition between residential programs.
State Rep. William A. Barclay highlighted local organizations such as Oswego Industries Inc. and The Arc of Oswego County for their efforts to support the disability community, especially during challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. He emphasized the importance of partnerships between public and private sectors in strengthening communities and expanding opportunities for people with disabilities.
Barclay stated: “There is much to celebrate this week, and any progress is better than none. But there is still a lot of room to grow. We must continue to advocate for a stronger, more inclusive workforce. We must fight for the economic security and prosperity of all New Yorkers, and we must do it with compassion and vigor. I look forward to building on the successes enumerated in the comptroller’s report, and together, we will make New York’s workforce stronger and more productive than ever.”
He also noted research indicating that companies employing people with disabilities tend to perform better financially and are more productive per employee compared to those that do not have similar initiatives.
Barclay concluded: “Outside of the obvious intrinsic value of supporting the disability community, there are tremendous benefits to improving its workforce participation.”
