New York State Industries for the Disabled (NYSID) issued the following statement thanking Governor Kathy Hochul for including key legislation for persons with disabilities in her Executive Budget:
“On behalf of the thousands of New Yorkers with disabilities who have jobs thanks to the state’s Preferred Source Program, I want to give a huge shout out to Governor Hochul for including key modernization legislation in her Executive Budget,” NYSID President & CEO Maureen O’Brien said.
“By proposing to make the recent improvements to the Preferred Source Program permanent – instead of letting them sunset in October – Governor Hochul is again recognizing the critical contribution persons with disabilities make to life in our state. By making these statutory improvements permanent, the Governor is saying ‘yes’ to jobs, ‘yes’ to our state’s future, and ‘yes’ to treating persons with disabilities as fully integrated and valued members of our communities,” Ms. O’Brien said, adding:
“Given that both houses of the Legislature voted unanimously three years ago to enact these statutory improvements on a temporary basis, we’re hopeful the Governor’s proposal will make it into the final budget.”
Patrick Bardsley, President & Co-founder of Spectrum Designs and NYSID Board Chair, said: “Governor Hochul is to be applauded for her foresight in proposing to make these important changes permanent. This will continue to allow persons with disabilities to make even greater contributions to our state and position New York among the nation’s leaders in fully integrating this population into our communities.”
BACKGROUND
The Preferred Source Program (PSP) was created in 1975 after the Willowbrook scandal to provide vocational and rehabilitative training opportunities, living wages and both full and part-time employment to individuals with disabilities. In one fell swoop, then-Gov. Hugh Carey and the Legislature turned New York’s treatment of persons with disabilities from national disgrace to national model. From then until 2022, only minimal changes had been made in the program.
In 2022, the Preferred Source Modernization Act brought New York’s landmark program of job support for persons with disabilities into the 21st Century and marked the first significant updates to the PSP since its inception in 1975.
The 2022 modernization law opened the door to additional jobs by creating new permanent thresholds for what percentage of a Preferred Source contract must be performed by disabled, or otherwise qualified, persons to receive Preferred Source status.
The 2022 law also modernized multiple terms within the preferred source statute including outdated references to “workshops” and “severely” disabled. And it increased opportunities for competitive integrated employment. It’s these two provisions that the Governor wants to make permanent as well.
Importantly, on September 30, 2024, Governor Hochul issued Executive Order 40 committing New York to be an Employment First State and to increase Competitive Integrated Employment for New Yorkers with Disabilities.
In 2024, NYSID contracts were responsible for 6,419 jobs. Of those, 4,758 were held by individuals with disabilities, generating total wages of $82.7 million.
About New York State Industries for the Disabled, Inc. (NYSID)
NYSID is a 501(c)(3) with the mission of “advancing employment and other opportunities for individuals with disabilities.” Established in 1975, NYSID facilitates employment opportunities for nearly 6,000 New Yorkers with disabilities annually through New York’s Preferred Source Program and in the private sector. NYSID’s community rehabilitation member agencies and corporate partners are located throughout the state, providing jobs in the community and in production facilities. For more information, visit www.nysid.org.
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