In her testimony, Anne highlighted the impact of People Inc.’s employment programs, including partnerships with more than 200 employers, a 94% job satisfaction rate, and an average employment tenure of seven years, while also sharing recommendations to strengthen disability employment supports across New York State.

Those recommendations included:

• aligning supported employment rates with the OPWDD rate increases
• promoting the tax credits to inclusive employers
• address the benefits cliff through counseling, education and the Medicaid buy-in
• addressing transportation challenges
• strengthen interagency coordination through a formal structure

“Employment is a pathway to dignity, independence, and full participation in community life. For people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the barriers to that pathway are real — but they are not mysterious, and they are not insurmountable. We know what works,” she said.

Watch her testimony.