Disability advocates rally at state Capitol over staffing shortages

ALBANY – Employees at the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities and other advocates are sounding the alarm. They say staffing shortages are putting the people they serve at risk.

Members of the New York State Public Employees Federation rallied outside the state Capitol on Tuesday morning.

This comes as the state Senate Standing Committee on Disabilities is set to hold a hearing to discuss the widespread effects a shortage of staff is having on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, especially those that live and attend group homes and services.

People at the rally are calling for more state funding to increase the workforce and their wages, saying the Cuomo administration ignored the needs of this vulnerable population, and they hope the Hochul administration will do better.

They say direct support professionals haven’t been given a cost of living wage increase since 2011.

There are currently more than 25,000 job vacancies in the field.

Hear from a mom who has an adult son with autism, and why she calls the staffing situation an emergency, by watching the video.