Improving Employment in New York
The Yang-Tan Institute is a proud to partner with New York state to improve education and work experiences for people with disabilities. Over the past year, in addition to several grants and contracts with the state for specific project work (including the Consortium for Advancing and Supporting Employment and the Technical Assistance Partnership for Transition), funding from the state has allowed us to focus on improving opportunities for New Yorkers with disabilities to obtain competitive integrated employment. With this funding, YTI has provided training and technical assistance to over 1,250 people; this has included two no-cost conferences and several consultations with state policymakers. We have also partnered with community organizations, workforce development agencies, businesses and self-advocates to effect practices and policies that improve opportunities for New Yorkers with disabilities who want to work.
YTI has also supported the state’s efforts to become a model employer of people with disabilities. Here are a few examples.
- We have helped educators learn to design and implement high-quality, work-based learning opportunities for students with disabilities.
- We have taught businesses about the benefits of hiring people with disabilities, and how to effectively recruit, retain, and advance employees with disabilities.
- We have increased the use of disability data in policy decisions.
- We have promoted research-based strategies for improving services to job seekers with disabilities, and enhanced interagency coordination and the use of formalized agreements within the state’s disability service system.
We are currently working with the Office of the Chief Disability Officer to plan and provide several seminars for the 2025 Disability Rights and Employment Awareness Month (DREAM) Symposium, which will take place October 28 and 29 in the Empire State Plaza in Albany. Registration details coming soon!
About the Yang-Tan Institute
The ILR School’s Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability provides practical information to policymakers, educators and employers, and to specialists and practitioners who assist people with disabilities. The institute’s mission is to advance knowledge, policies and practices that enhance equal opportunities for all people with disabilities. Its research, training and technical resources expand knowledge about disability inclusion, leading to positive change.
The institute leads many grant-funded projects and receives funding via a New York state legislative appropriation to assist with a variety of disability-related initiatives.
