'Making the Change' on Capital News Tonight
More Jobs for Today's Market Urged
Corey Heritage, NYSID's senior manager of business development and governmental affairs, recently appeared on Spectrum News' Capital Tonight to discuss "MAKE THE CHANGE" and continued efforts to increase employment opportunities for New Yorkers with disabilities.
"MAKE THE CHANGE" is a grassroots movement to ensure both ongoing employment and new opportunities for workers with disabilities who face a 70 percent unemployment rate.
Its goal is to encourage Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature to implement changes in the Preferred Source law that would improve employment opportunities for New Yorkers with disabilities, without any negative fiscal impact on the State's budget.
View Corey Heritage's appearance on Capital Tonight.
Heritage emphasized the importance of modernizing the Preferred Source law, first enacted by the New York State Legislature in 1975 and made permanent in 2002.
"This was a cutting-edge law in 1975, but over 40 years ago, we couldn't anticipate how procurement and business would operate today," he said. "We're not fundamentally changing the Preferred Source Program, we're making it easier for individuals to get these opportunities."
Heritage credited NYSID's Preferred Source customers in New York State government for recognizing the capabilities of workers with disabilities.
"Our customers fully believe that individuals with disabilities can do the work," he said. "This program has helped hundreds of thousands of people over 40 years that gives them that first job. We have strong advocates in state government that want to use our services. Now it's just making sure that the rulebook which everyone has to approve and abide by is updated."
More than 1,700 letters have been endorsed and e-mailed by constituents statewide to Governor Cuomo and New York State legislators through the "MAKE THE CHANGE" website so far.
Visit http://makethechange-ny.com to endorse the letter and learn more about "MAKE THE CHANGE," including personal stories of Preferred Source workers positively impacted by the campaign.