1. The Importance of Advocacy at the Legislative Level
New York state disability services council fall 2018 meeting

2. A watershed moment for nys college students with disabilities
Greater numbers of students with disabilities are ready for and aspire to postsecondary education thanks to the IDEA
Students with disabilities have enrolled in NYS postsecondary institutions in record numbers
Yet, investments in postsecondary disability services and reasonable accommodations in NYS have been modest, at best

3. Growing enrollments, growing costs: one sector’s experience
CUNY Student Disability Enrollment at a Glance
More than 10,000 students with disabilities (29 percent increase over 25 years)
More than one-third are students with hidden disabilities
Large populations of accommodation-intensive students, i.e. Blind/Low- Vision & Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing
Exponential growth in neurodiverse students (200% increase over 7 years)

4. Growing enrollments, growing costs: one sector’s experience
The Problem
Investment in critical support services has not kept pace with enrollment growth of students with disabilities
In fact, because of inflation, investment in reasonable accommodations has actually declined
$2.5 million – no change since
Adjusting for inflation, it takes $4.27 million in 2018 to purchase the same accommodations & services that $2.5 million purchased in 1994 (an accumulated inflation rate of 70 percent)
The bottom line – CUNY is must serve a third more students with funds that, adjusted for inflation, buy 40 percent less
THE ABSENCE OF INVESTMENT HAS IMPACTED STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN ALL SECTORS!

5. Enhancing Supports & Services for Postsecondary Success of Students with Disabilities
May 2017, SED’s Advisory Council on Postsecondary Education for Students with Disabilities recommended a statewide funding program that would provide much needed enhanced supports and services to our over 61,000 identified students with disabilities in NYS degree granting institutions
Funding would supplement, not supplant, any other federal, state or local funding
$15 million program

6. Investment by Higher Education Sector
Enhancing Supports & Services for Postsecondary Success of Students with Disabilities
Investment by Higher Education Sector
SUNY with 38% of postsecondary students with disabilities would receive $5.7 million;
CUNY with 16% of postsecondary students with disabilities would receive $2.4 million;
NYS Independent Colleges with 44% of postsecondary students with disabilities would receive $6.6 million; and
NYS Proprietary Colleges with 2% of postsecondary students with disabilities would receive $300,000.

7. Oh, the things we could do!!! – Sector examples
SUNY System-wide Training
SUNY Transition Programming
SUNY Executive Functions Programming
Creation of a SUNY Accessibility Center
CUNY LEADS Expansion
Creation of a CUNY LD Assessment Project
Expansion of CUNY Media Accessibility Project

8. How are decisions made in Albany?
Three "men" in a room… no more!
Influence leadership (i.e. the decision-makers), directly and through the members of their respective "conferences“
What is “conference,” and why it's important?

9. Legislative leadership
Today’s “minority” is tomorrow’s “majority!”
Key committees:
-Higher Ed (both Senate and Assembly) -Finance and Ways & Means (Senate and Assembly, respectively) -Assembly Task Force on People with Disabilities

10. Timing is everything! State Budget Timetable
-NYS Board of Regents Adopts its Executive Budget Request in December
-Assembly Higher Education Hearing – December 5th
-Governor releases the Executive Budget Request in mid-January
-Late January through end of February is a critical period for legislative advocacy!
-30 Day Amendment period
-Decisions in each house made early March
-NYS Budget adopted by April 1st

11. Best practices is legislative advocacy
Meetings with legislators/staff
Importance of constituents
Politics is about relationships
Persuade, don't argue
Never lie or embellish
Be a sponge not a faucet

12. Best practices in legislative advocacy
Stay focused on the issue (politely bring conversation back to topic, if necessary)
Make clear requests. Try to secure some specific commitment(s)
Follow up & thank yous
Legislative Office Visit roles (e.g. team leader, information coordinator, testimony-providers)

13. Galvanizing moment – Rally on February 11th !
Monday, February 11th
“The Well” of the Legislative Office Building, Albany, NY
Sponsored by Assembly Member Harvey Epstein
Key Members of the Legislature to Speak
Student Leaders with Disabilities from All Four Sectors
“Happy Coincidences!” – SED-Hosted Workshops on Higher Ed & Disability and NYS Regents Meeting… ON THE SAME DAY!
We need your help to organize and mobilize!