SUBJECT:

PURPOSE:

ALBANY
Tuesday, March 27, 2001
10:00 am
Assembly Parlor, Room 306
Capitol
Albany, NY 12248

The Task Force on People with Disabilities believes that it would be to our state's advantage, as well as to the many people with disabilities who would like to live in a less restrictive setting, to ensure that New York is in compliance with the ADA and the Supreme Court Olmstead decision. By integrating people with disabilities into the community, we can offer them increased opportunities to work, have social lives and become more active members of our communities. At the same time we can reduce spending on their health care costs (often times, integrated settings cost far less than institutional care). For that reason, the topics that we would like to discuss include, but are not limited to:

• the experiences of New Yorkers living in settings more restrictive than their needs require;
• what standards counties follow in establishing service levels for people with disabilities;
• the recruitment, retention and compensation problems facing agencies that employ direct care and other support staff members, including home care agencies; and
• recommendations for legislative response.

Persons wishing to present pertinent testimony to the Task Force at the above hearing should complete and return the enclosed reply form by Wednesday, March 21. It is important that the reply form be fully completed and returned so that persons may be notified in the event of emergency postponement or cancellation.

Oral testimony will be limited to 10 minutes' duration. In preparing the order of witnesses, the Task Force will attempt to accommodate individual requests to speak at particular times in view of special circumstances. These requests should be made on the attached reply form or communicated to Task Force staff as early as possible. In the absence of a request, witnesses will be scheduled in the order in which reply forms are postmarked. Ten copies of any prepared testimony should be submitted at the hearing registration desk. The Task Force would appreciate advance receipt of prepared statements. In order to further publicize these hearings, please inform interested parties and organizations of the Task Force's interest in hearing testimony from all sources.

In order to meet the needs of those who may have a disability, the Assembly, in accordance with its policy of non-discrimination on the basis of disability, as well as the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has made its facilities and services available to all individuals with disabilities. For individuals with disabilities, accommodations will be provided, upon reasonable request, to afford such individuals access and admission to Assembly facilities and activities.