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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by May DePierro, Policy Associate at Advocates for Children of New York
7:21:36
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134 sec
May DePierro, representing Advocates for Children of New York and the Arise Coalition, testified on the need for increased investments in preschool special education and school accessibility in New York City. She emphasized the urgency of addressing the needs of preschoolers with disabilities and improving school accessibility for individuals with physical disabilities.
- Called for at least $70 million additional funding for preschool special education to address waitlists for mandated services
- Highlighted that only about one-third of NYC schools are fully accessible to individuals with physical disabilities
- Urged the city to increase investment in school accessibility projects by $450 million, aiming to make at least 45% of school buildings fully accessible by 2030
May DePierro
7:21:36
Did I do it right?
7:21:37
Yes.
7:21:38
Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today.
7:21:42
My name is May DePiro, I'm a policy associate at Advocates for Children of New York and I'm testifying today on behalf of the Arise Coalition which is a group of over a 20 organizations and parents and professionals advocating to better support New York City Students with disabilities.
7:22:00
While we are pushing for improvements in a number of areas, I will focus my limited time today on the need for increased investments in preschool special education and school accessibility.
7:22:10
First, we are relieved that the executive budget maintains funding for the new preschool special education classes opened this year, but are disappointed that the budget does not include any additional resources to meet the needs of thousands of preschoolers with disabilities waiting for their mandated services.
7:22:27
The rise coalition joins with dozens of organizations in urging the city to add at least $70,000,000 for preschool special education.
7:22:36
We appreciate the city council's work to address these challenges.
7:22:40
Second, only around one third of New York City schools are fully accessible to students, parents, teachers and community members with physical disabilities.
7:22:50
More than three decades after being signed into law, the Americans with Disabilities Act still exists in name only for the child who cannot attend their neighborhood school because every entrance sits atop a flight of stairs, the parent who has to miss every concert because the auditorium cannot accommodate their wheelchair, or the social worker who can't work out of school due to the lack of accessible bathrooms.
7:23:14
Students without physical disabilities miss out on the chance to make friends with the student who uses a walker or to learn from a teacher with heart disease.
7:23:22
The twenty twenty five twenty twenty nine capital plan currently includes $800,000,000 for school accessibility projects, an amount that represents a decreased commitment once inflation is taken into account.
7:23:34
We thank the council for calling to increase this investment by $450,000,000 and strongly urge the city to include this funding in the adopted budget with the goal of making at least 45% of school buildings fully accessible by 02/1930.
7:23:48
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.