Aretha Franklin’s iconic demand for R-E-S-P-E-C-T resonates today as a rallying cry for New York’s disability community— a field that has long been undervalued despite its critical contributions to our state.

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities — I/DD — remain insufficiently integrated into our health system, schools, and communities, while the dedicated workers who support them are denied the dignity of a living wage. These workers, whose salaries and benefits account for over 70% of the funding received by providers, are paid far less than their counterparts employed by the state. Meanwhile, the broader disability sector — a powerhouse that generates $14.3 billion in economic output, supports nearly 195,000 full-time jobs, and contributes $2.2 billion in tax revenue — must beg Albany year after year to increase rates to keep up with inflation.

On Nov. 19, hundreds of advocates, people with disabilities and the dedicated staff that support them rallied in Albany and called on Gov. Kathy Hochul to support a stable care system for New Yorkers with I/DD. That system has been hard hit by a workforce crisis compounded by our inability to offer a living wage and years of underfunding........

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