Disability Advocacy Year in Review for 2021

Independent Perspective 1677 with guest Todd Vaarwerk giving a Disability Advocacy Year in Review for 2021

Host:  Welcome to Independent Perspective, a public affairs presentation of Western New York Independent Living (WNYIL). Our guest today is Todd Vaarwerk, Chief Policy Officer of WNYIL, and I'm your host Ernie Churchwell. Welcome to the program, Todd.

Guest:  Always good to be here.

Host:  As you are our primary person for all things legislative and political, you're the ideal person to talk about what 2021 looked like, in a disability advocacy Year in Review. What are some high points?

Guest:  Well, I think when we look back at the year in terms of disability issues, right, we got to remember that at the start of the year, we were still kind of coming out of COVID. So, a lot of our work involved, kind of getting people back into the swing of things and you know, people being able to get stuff before the thing in supplies. But I think, our big hump in disability advocacy comes in the mid-year, where we kind of see a change in the governorship. Governor Cuomo, while not necessarily an enemy to the disability community wasn't, isn't necessarily always a friend. So, a lot of our standard issues that we've been doing for years now have to kind of be refocused under a new governor. So, what are the kinds of things that we keep talking about? We're talking about accessible and affordable housing. We're talking about accessible and affordable transportation; we're talking about jobs for people with disabilities. We're talking about being able to make sure that they can access the services that they need, independent living services, services provided by the O agencies, OMH, OPWPD. All of those things are still in play. But we're talking about a brand-new governor this time, a Governor from Western New York, with a Western New York sensibility. So, we're busy kind of retooling those things to deal with an entirely new governor's office and bureaucracy. But as we're approaching the end of the year, and we're talking about these issues, the two things that I want to highlight that are really big advocacy issues that we're dealing with now and we're carrying in to 2022 are fair pay for home care, which is the agency's effort to work with people to make sure that people providing home health services are getting paid a living wage. And I hope she enjoys hearing her name in the media the Stephanie Speaker Paratransit Expansion Bill, which is a bill to set a state standard that is larger than the federal standard in terms of the paratransit service area. Both of those bills have both a Senate and Assembly bills and we are advocating for people to sign on to them. So that at the beginning of the year in 2022, we always start with a budget, because it always starts with the governor's budget. And can we get these issues carefully and fairly inserted into the governor's budget? Well, what do we care about carefully and fairly? We need to get them into the governor's budget.

Host:  Todd it occurs to me that there probably some people listening that aren't really familiar with what Paratransit does and who it's for if you could just mention that.

Guest:  Sure, Paratransit is a service required by Title V of the Americans Disabilities Act, to allow people who can't use regular fixed route public transportation in order to get around and the current federal level is three quarters of a mile on either side of a bus route. The Stephanie Speaker Expansion Bill would take that to three miles on the side.

Host:  Well, that would be marvelous if it can be done. And in the last half minute of the program, do you have any other points, or do you just want to tell people how to call you to get more information if they have questions?

Guest:  I want people to call me to get more information they can always call my office 716-836-0822 extension 101

Host:  Marvelous. Well, sounds like you've got plenty in your portfolio to deal with before the end of the year. And we thank you for all of your efforts ongoing all the time. And happy holidays.

Guest:  The reality is I’m only as good as the community I work with and happy holidays to you too, Ernie.

Host:  Thank you. You've been listening to Independent Perspective, a public affairs presentation of WNYIL. Our guest today was Todd Vaarwerk, Chief Policy Officer of WNYIL and your host was yours truly, Ernie Churchwell.