RAISE YOUR VOICE OR TAKE ACTION— EVERY MOVE ADVANCES ACCESS, EQUITY + BELONGING
DISABILITY POLICY + LEGISLATION TO WATCH
Policy shapes how we live. Decisions made at City Hall, in Albany, Washington, and within government agencies affect everything from home care and healthcare to housing, self-direction, community services, and independent living.
Here are six issues we’re watching—and ways to make your voice heard.
01 | MEDICAID + COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES
NYS Medicaid Provider Enrollment Moratorium
NYS Medicaid Provider Enrollment Moratorium
NEW YORK STATE | POLICY | IN EFFECT
WHAT’S HAPPENING
New York State has temporarily paused new enrollments, reinstatements, and changes of ownership for six Medicaid provider categories, including Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) plans and Licensed Home Care Services Agencies (LHCSAs).
WHY IT MATTERS
The effects can extend beyond the provider categories specifically named. Social Adult Day Care programs working within Medicaid rely on MLTC plans for contracting, authorization, reimbursement, and access to participants. Restrictions affecting this system can have downstream consequences for community-based providers—and ultimately for disabled and older New Yorkers who rely on their services.
WHO HOLDS THE POWER
New York State Department of Health • State Executive Branch • State Legislature through legislation, budget, and oversight
TAKE ACTION
Learn about the moratorium • Contact NYS DOH • Contact your State Senator and Assembly Member • Share how the policy is affecting you or your community
02 | HOME CARE + INDEPENDENT LIVING
NYC Intro 303 — Maximum Home Care Hours
NEW YORK CITY | PROPOSED LEGISLATION | IN COMMITTEE
WHAT IT WOULD DO
Intro 303 would generally limit home-care employees to 12 hours of work within a 24-hour period and 56 hours per week, with specified exceptions and opt-in provisions.
WHY IT MATTERS
The proposal raises important questions at the intersection of home-care worker protections, continuity of care, consumer direction, and the ability of disabled people with significant support needs to live independently.
WHO HOLDS THE POWER
NYC Council • Committee on Civil Service and Labor • Mayor if legislation passes the Council
TAKE ACTION
Read the bill • Contact your Council Member • Follow upcoming hearings • Submit testimony • Share your experience with home care
03 | ACCESS TO HOME CARE
NYS S.358 / A.1198 — Medicaid Home Care Eligibility
NEW YORK STATE | PROPOSED LEGISLATION | IN COMMITTEE
WHAT IT WOULD DO
This legislation would remove certain restrictions on Medicaid eligibility for personal care and home-care services tied to how much assistance an individual needs with activities of daily living.
WHY IT MATTERS
Eligibility rules can determine whether a disabled or older person receives support at home—or faces gaps in care that can threaten their ability to remain in the community.
WHO HOLDS THE POWER
New York State Senate • New York State Assembly • Governor
TAKE ACTION
Read the legislation • Contact your State Senator and Assembly Member • Follow the bill • Share how home-care eligibility affects you
04 | HEALTH EQUITY
NYC Intro 941 — Disability + Accessibility in Healthcare
NEW YORK CITY | PROPOSED LEGISLATION | IN COMMITTEE
WHAT IT WOULD DO
Intro 941 would require NYC to develop disability competency and accessibility training, clinical guidance, and educational resources for healthcare providers and patients.
Topics would include disability rights, accommodations, communication access, accessible medical equipment, informed consent, disability culture, and bias in healthcare.
WHY IT MATTERS
Getting through the door doesn't guarantee equitable healthcare. Disabled people continue to encounter physical, communication, attitudinal, and systemic barriers to receiving appropriate care.
WHO HOLDS THE POWER
NYC Council • Committees on Disabilities, Health and Hospitals • Mayor if passed
TAKE ACTION
Read the bill • Contact your Council Member • Submit testimony at future hearings • Share your healthcare access experience
05 | HOUSING + COMMUNITY LIVING
Accessible Housing + DRIE
NEW YORK CITY | MULTIPLE PROPOSALS
Several current proposals address the ability of disabled New Yorkers to remain safely and affordably in their homes.
Intro 230 would establish financial assistance of up to $10,000 for eligible low-income disabled adults and older adults to make accessibility modifications such as ramps, grab bars, stair lifts, shower seats, and handrails.
Intro 978 would increase the maximum income threshold for the Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) and SCRIE programs to $75,000.
WHY IT MATTERS
Accessibility and affordability are both essential to independent living. A home isn't truly accessible if someone cannot physically use it—or cannot afford to remain there.
WHO HOLDS THE POWER
NYC Council • Relevant City agencies • Mayor
TAKE ACTION
Learn about DRIE • Read the legislation • Contact your Council Member • Testify • Share your housing accessibility experience.
06 | SELF-DIRECTION + CHOICE
NYS S.10307 / A.11657 — Self-Direction Funding
NEW YORK STATE | PROPOSED LEGISLATION | IN COMMITTEE
WHAT IT WOULD DO
This legislation would update funding limits within OPWDD Self-Direction to better reflect current costs and establish ongoing cost-of-living adjustments for certain self-directed services and supports.
WHY IT MATTERS
Self-direction is built around choice and control. When funding limits fail to keep pace with actual costs, the ability to choose services, activities, respite, memberships, and other supports can become increasingly limited.
WHO HOLDS THE POWER
New York State Senate • New York State Assembly • Governor • OPWDD
TAKE ACTION
Read the legislation • Contact your State Senator and Assembly Member • Follow the bill • Share your experience with self-direction
TURN INFORMATION INTO ACTION
You don’t have to be a policy expert to participate.
KNOW WHO REPRESENTS YOU
Find your City Council Member, State Senator, Assembly Member, and members of Congress.
CONTACT DECISION-MAKERS
A phone call, email, meeting, or letter can put your experience directly in front of the people making decisions.
TELL YOUR STORY
Explain how a policy affects your independence, care, work, family, health, housing, or community. Lived experience is part of the policy conversation.
TESTIFY
Public hearings give community members opportunities to provide oral or written testimony on proposed legislation and government policy.
FOLLOW THE ISSUE
Track bills, hearings, votes, regulations, budgets, and agency decisions. Policy can change at every stage.
ORGANIZE
Connect with other disabled people, advocates, organizations, and allies. Individual stories become even more powerful when communities organize around shared issues.
VOTE → PARTICIPATE → UNDERSTAND POWER → ORGANIZE → SHAPE POLICY → BELONG → ACT
Democracy is more than casting a ballot. It’s understanding where decisions are made—and knowing how to make your voice part of them.
Key Disability Legislation
Americans with Disabilities ACT 1990, As Amended
Signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H.W. Bush, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a landmark civil rights law prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and public/private places. It ensures equal opportunity and access, requiring reasonable accommodations, and covers physical and mental impairments.
Here is the text of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), including changes made by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. Congress passed the ADA as a “Public Law,” and it originally was in a different format than presented here. To make the law more widely available, the ADA was later reformatted and published in volume 42 (called “title 42”) of the United States Code. One small part of the ADA is found in title 47 of the United States Code. The text below mirrors the law as it is found in the U.S. Code. Because the numbering system is different in the U.S. Code, the headings provide in brackets the title numbers of the ADA as originally enacted.
Key Titles of the ADA
- Title I: Employment: Prohibits employers with 15 or more employees from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in hiring, firing, and promotions.
- Title II: State and Local Government: Prohibits discrimination by all public entities, including public transportation and services.
- Title III: Public Accommodations: Requires private businesses (restaurants, hotels, theaters) to provide accessibility to customers with disabilities.
- Title IV: Telecommunications: Mandates telecommunications services for individuals with hearing or speech impairments.
- Title V: Miscellaneous: Includes technical provisions and connects the ADA to other laws.
Important Information
- Definition of Disability: The ADA covers physical or mental impairments that substantially limit major life activities.
- Amendments (ADAAA): The ADA was amended in 2008 to broaden the definition of disability and expand coverage.
- Enforcement: Key agencies enforcing the ADA include the EEOC and the Department of Justice.
ADA Information Line
Talk to us at 800-514-0301 | 1-833-610-1264 (TTY)
Monday-Friday
Community Outreach Coordinator
Disability.Outreach@usdoj.gov
Affordable Care Act (ACA) 2010
The law has 2 parts: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act.
- Certified full-text version: Affordable Care Act (PDF – 2.41 MB)
- Certified full-text version: Reconciliation Act (PDF – 257 KB)
Summary and certified full-text version in HTML (web page) format:
Learn more about your rights and protections.
Together, these acts make up the codified law (Public Law 111-148) which amended the Public Health Service Act and other laws, primarily adding new provisions into Title 42 of the United States Code. [1]
Key Components of the Actual Legislation
The ACA was designed to overhaul the individual insurance market, expand Medicaid, and support new medical delivery methods. Key legislative pillars include: [1]
- Pre-existing Conditions: Insurers are prohibited from denying coverage or charging higher premiums based on health status (Guaranteed Issue).
- Essential Health Benefits: All plans must cover 10 essential benefit categories, including emergency services, maternity care, mental health, and prescription drugs.
- Young Adult Coverage: Allows young adults to remain on their parents' insurance plan until age 26.
- Premium Subsidies: The law provides tax credits to help households with incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL) pay for insurance, with expanded subsidies through 2025.
- Medicaid Expansion: Originally, the act expanded Medicaid to cover all adults with income below 138% of the FPL. However, the Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that states could choose whether to participate.
- Individual Mandate ($0 Penalty): The original law required individuals to have health insurance or pay a penalty. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 reduced this penalty to $0 effective January 1, 2019.
- Employer Mandate: Employers with 50 or more full-time employees are required to offer affordable, minimum-value coverage or face penalties.
- Medical Loss Ratio (MLR): Insurers must spend 80-85% of premium dollars on health care services, not administrative cost or provide rebates.
The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) 1986
The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) is a 1986 U.S. law (49 U.S.C. 41705 - Discrimination against handicapped individuals) (read here ) prohibiting airlines from discriminating against passengers with disabilities. It mandates that carriers provide assistance, accessible aircraft features, and accommodations—such as wheelchair services, seating, and service animal access—on all flights to, from, or within the U.S..
Key Requirements and Rights Under the ACAA
- Assistance: Airlines must provide prompt, safe, and dignified assistance with boarding, deplaning, and connecting flights.
- Wheelchairs/Devices: Carriers must transport assistive devices (including electric wheelchairs) and have procedures to safely stow them. A 2024 rule makes mishandling wheelchairs an automatic ACAA violation.
- Accessible Seating: Airlines must provide seats with movable armrests, bulkhead seats, or extra legroom for specific disability needs.
- Service Animals: Only trained service dogs are recognized; emotional support animals are not protected and are treated as pets.
- Digital Accessibility: Airline websites, kiosks, and mobile apps must be accessible. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
Enforcement and Regulations
The Department of Transportation (DOT) enforces the ACAA. Passengers who experience discrimination can file a complaint with the DOT. The Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights outlines these protections. [1, 2]
Recent Updates (2024–2026)
New regulations require improved on-board wheelchairs (OBWs) on twin-aisle aircraft by 2026, with full fleet compliance by 2031. Training for employees handling mobility devices is also mandated, though enforcement of some 2024 rules was delayed in early 2025.
What to do/where to go for help
Contact the airline with which you are traveling. Many employ designated disability customer service agents. When possible, speak with someone at the airport Speak with a Complaint Resolution Officers (CRO) who will have disability related procedure and resolution training and are available in all US airports in person or by phone 24/7 Follow-up any ACAA violation by filing an incident report with the Department of Transportation or with the airline. Click here for more information on the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Civil Rights Enforcement and Awareness Click here for more information on travel tips and more information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Click here to visit the United Spinal Association website for information on reporting transportation issues.
The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) of 1986
The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) is a 1986 U.S. law (read here) prohibiting airlines from discriminating against passengers with disabilities. It mandates that carriers provide assistance, accessible aircraft features, and accommodations—such as wheelchair services, seating, and service animal access—on all flights to, from, or within the U.S..
Key Requirements and Rights Under the ACAA
- Assistance: Airlines must provide prompt, safe, and dignified assistance with boarding, deplaning, and connecting flights.
- Wheelchairs/Devices: Carriers must transport assistive devices (including electric wheelchairs) and have procedures to safely stow them. A 2024 rule makes mishandling wheelchairs an automatic ACAA violation.
- Accessible Seating: Airlines must provide seats with movable armrests, bulkhead seats, or extra legroom for specific disability needs.
- Service Animals: Only trained service dogs are recognized; emotional support animals are not protected and are treated as pets.
- Digital Accessibility: Airline websites, kiosks, and mobile apps must be accessible. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
Enforcement and Regulations
The Department of Transportation (DOT) enforces the ACAA. Passengers who experience discrimination can file a complaint with the DOT. The Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights outlines these protections. [1, 2]
Recent Updates (2024–2026)
New regulations require improved on-board wheelchairs (OBWs) on twin-aisle aircraft by 2026, with full fleet compliance by 2031. Training for employees handling mobility devices is also mandated, though enforcement of some 2024 rules was delayed in early 2025.
What to do/where to go for help
Contact the airline with which you are traveling. Many employ designated disability customer service agents. When possible, speak with someone at the airport Speak with a Complaint Resolution Officers (CRO) who will have disability related procedure and resolution training and are available in all US airports in person or by phone 24/7 Follow-up any ACAA violation by filing an incident report with the Department of Transportation or with the airline. Click here for more information on the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Civil Rights Enforcement and Awareness Click here for more information on travel tips and more information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Click here to visit the United Spinal Association website for information on reporting transportation issues.