skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Monday, June 16, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

American Bar Association sues Trump administration over executive orders targeting law firms; Florida universities face budget scrutiny as part of 'anti-woke' push; After Hortman assassination, MN civic trainers dig deeper for bipartisanship.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Political tensions rise after Minnesota assassinations. Trump's DOJ demands sweeping election data from Colorado. Advocates mark LGBTQIA+ pay inequity, and U.S. and U.K. reach a new trade deal.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

EV charging stations are harder to find in rural America, improving the mental health of children and teachers is the goal of a new partnership in seven rural states, and a once segregated Mississippi movie theater is born again.

Advocates: NY lawmakers must do more for disability-rights issues

play audio
Play

Tuesday, February 4, 2025   

New York disability rights advocates want state lawmakers to focus on issues such as housing and health care.

In the budget, they want more funding for mental health crisis units and to grow the mental health workforce. New York is facing a shortage in all aspects of mental health care, which keeps people from being able to access necessary services.

Sharon McLennon-Wier, executive director of the Center for Independence of the Disabled New York, said they are also advocating for a bill creating accessible prescription labels.

"There's a bill right now for people that are blind or have print disabilities to make sure they are able to read and understand their prescriptions," McLennon-Wier explained. "A lot of labels are difficult for seniors as they have vision loss or people that have dyslexia or other reading disabilities to understand."

For now, at least 10 states have laws in place ensuring pharmacies provide accessible prescription labels. A handful of states such as New York are considering similar laws. Gov. Kathy Hochul's budget proposal also invests in mental health care.

McLennon-Wier feels the money should go toward life-changing treatment which is not forced on people who need help.

There could be challenges to ensuring the laws are passed and some programs are properly funded. Along with competing priorities, McLennon-Wier feels federal challenges could harm New York's progress on disability rights.

"If we look at our federal system, there's not enough compromise, I think," McLennon-Wier observed. "There's not enough funding. I mean, New York State has a rich budget, many, many, many billions of dollars. So, we need to be able to work together to address the problem and have some equity."

While lawmakers are addressing some priorities, McLennon-Wier feels it is not enough. She noted the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, which provides statewide oversight of nursing homes, is getting more funding but based on previous recommendations, it is not enough to be effective.

Disclosure: The Center for Independence of the Disabled New York contributes to our fund for reporting on Disabilities. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Griot Arts, a nonprofit in Clarksdale, Mississippi, plans to turn 32,000 square feet of vacant downtown property into a vibrant arts and cultural center.

Social Issues

play sound

By Susannah Broun for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Trimmel Gomes for Mississippi News Connection for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Col…


Environment

play sound

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Chrystal Blair for Missouri News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaborat…

Environment

play sound

By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient.Broadcast version by Terri Dee for Ohio News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboratio…


Social Issues

play sound

Minnesota and the nation are feeling the emotional weight of political violence after this weekend's assassination of a top Democratic state lawmaker …

Upgrades to the Arkansas Water Plan include structural analysis of flood mitigation infrastructure and programs, and proposed solutions to reduce the impacts of flooding. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Arkansas lawmakers passed several bills during this year's legislative session to upgrade and improve the state's water and wastewater systems…

Social Issues

play sound

Local Jewish advocates for Palestinians are joining forces to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They are calling on the U.S…

Social Issues

play sound

Washington's Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction has revised its public school discipline policies, and advocates for children said …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021