Committee on Disabilities meeting
May 5, 2026, 10:00 AM
The Committee on Disabilities held an oversight hearing on equal economic opportunity for New Yorkers with disabilities. No legislation was voted on.
What was discussed
- Call to order The Sergeant at Arms conducted a microphone check and opened the Committee on Disabilities hearing before the Chair gaveled in.
- Chair Hanif opens the oversight hearing on equal economic opportunity for New Yorkers with disabilities Chairperson Shahana Hanif framed the oversight hearing, noting that only 41% of working-age New Yorkers with disabilities are employed versus 81% of others, crediting the city's plan to advance career success while questioning whether investment matches need, whether programs reach people with
- Oath administered to the administration witnesses Committee Counsel swore in the administration witnesses before their testimony.
- MOPD opening testimony on disability employment Commissioner Nisha Agarwal of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities set the scene with employment gaps for New Yorkers with disabilities and described MOPD's decade-old NYC at Work initiative, which offers career services to job seekers and recruitment support to employers, and shared a
- SBS opening testimony on accessible Workforce One centers Chief of Staff Haris Khan of the Department of Small Business Services reported on efforts to make the Workforce One Career Centers accessible through the state-funded SCION program, including staff trainings, resource fairs, and embedding MOPD's NYC at Work program in the downtown Brooklyn center
- What is the administration's assessment of the inherited disability employment plan, and is it working? Chairperson Shahana Hanif asked how the administration assesses the plan it inherited and what is working; Executive Director Douglas Lipari said NYC Talent coordinates the citywide system and that the plan's 2,500-placement goal by July 2026 had already been surpassed with more than 3,800 people
- How is accountability structured across the five agencies when no single one owns the plan? Chairperson Shahana Hanif asked how accountability works across nine programs and at least five agencies and how many staff are dedicated to the plan; Executive Director Douglas Lipari, Commissioner Nisha Agarwal, Abby Mayerhoff, and Chief of Staff Haris Khan explained that each agency runs its own
- Can the city share placement, retention, and wage data, and why isn't tracking standardized? Chairperson Shahana Hanif pressed on whether placement, retention, and wage data can be shared publicly and why tracking is not standardized; Chief of Staff Haris Khan and Executive Director Douglas Lipari said each agency's distinct program collects data differently, while Abby Mayerhoff said NYC
- What is the cost per placement, and why isn't it disaggregated for people with disabilities? Chairperson Shahana Hanif asked for the cost per placement and how it compares to benchmarks; Abby Mayerhoff and Executive Director Douglas Lipari said costs vary with the level of wraparound services, and Chief of Staff Haris Khan gave a $1,314 Workforce One cost-per-placement for the general
- What are NYC at Work's retention rate, staffing, and budget? Chairperson Shahana Hanif asked about retention, staffing, and funding for NYC at Work; Abby Mayerhoff and Commissioner Nisha Agarwal said retention support engagement rose from 25% to 65% over three years with about 65% still employed at 12 months, that the team has roughly 6 staff, and that the
- How does NYC at Work serve participants who can't use a self-directed model, and how do career advisors work? Chairperson Shahana Hanif asked what supports exist for participants who cannot engage with a self-directed model and walked through how career advisors operate; Abby Mayerhoff said the program partners with Access-VR, the state Commission for the Blind, and 80+ community organizations, and
- How is the city doing outreach so New Yorkers know these programs exist? Chairperson Shahana Hanif asked how the city publicizes NYC at Work and the Workforce One centers, including a requirement that enrollees appear in person; Abby Mayerhoff and Chief of Staff Haris Khan described community events, library partnerships, LinkNYC and bus-shelter marketing in high-need
- What were the outcomes of NYC at Work's specialized hiring events, and how many employers became repeat partners? Chairperson Shahana Hanif asked about the 15 specialized hiring events since 2021, 90-day retention, and repeat employers; Commissioner Nisha Agarwal said about 10 of 15 events were ones MOPD led and tracked with at least 90-day retention, that roughly 20 employers became repeat partners, and that
- How was the 2,500 placement goal set, and is the city tracking which types of disabilities are being hired? Chairperson Shahana Hanif asked how the 2,500 goal was determined and whether the city records hires of people with intellectual, developmental, or psychiatric disabilities; Executive Director Douglas Lipari said the goal reflected 2023-era data and that disability-type is captured in some programs
- Do the programs give employers feedback, and are there sectors where people with disabilities aren't represented? Chairperson Shahana Hanif asked whether the programs give feedback to employers, how partners are recruited, and about sector gaps and skills gaps; Abby Mayerhoff said feedback is case-by-case, employer partners come through referrals, cold calls, and networks, and that skills and digital-divide
- Has the city assessed how many program participants are at risk from federal Medicaid, HCBS, SNAP, and SSI cuts? Chairperson Shahana Hanif asked whether the city had modeled the impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's Medicaid, HCBS, work-requirement, and SSI changes on program participants; Commissioner Nisha Agarwal and Executive Director Douglas Lipari said people with disabilities are theoretically
- What is MOPD's relationship with CCHR, and is there a referral pathway when participants face discrimination? Chairperson Shahana Hanif asked about the working relationship between MOPD and the Commission on Human Rights and whether discrimination or accommodation denials are referred and tracked; Commissioner Nisha Agarwal and Abby Mayerhoff said MOPD refers participants to CCHR and co-hosts Know Your
- What did SCION's accessibility walkthroughs of the Workforce One centers find, and how is that team staffed? Chairperson Shahana Hanif asked how 'served' is defined, what the 2024 SCION accessibility walkthroughs found, and about staffing; Chief of Staff Haris Khan said 'served' means a consumption of service, that behavioral and physical improvements were made across the centers, and that a 3-person SCION
- How does the Partnership for Inclusive Internships operate, and where do interns end up? Chairperson Shahana Hanif asked how the Partnership for Inclusive Internships works and whether it builds a city pipeline; Executive Director Douglas Lipari said the nonprofit AHRC runs the program, that NYC Talent funds staff while state VR agencies fund wages, and that since March 2024, 109 people
- How many people participate in the 55A program, and why hasn't it reached its 700-position ceiling? Chairperson Shahana Hanif asked how many employees are in the Civil Service Law 55A program and what keeps it below its 700-position ceiling; Assistant Commissioner Kadian Outar said 368 individuals participate across 36 agencies as of March, that the number fluctuates as participants are promoted
Agenda
1 item
- T2026-1646 Oversight - Equal Economic Opportunity for New Yorkers with Disabilities. Hearing Held by Committee