From DHR Director of Disability Rights John Herrion on International Day of Persons with Disabilities
NYS Division of Human Rights
Discrimination is illegal. If you see it, or experience it, call us. We're here.
ICYMI: This #InternationalDayofPersonswithDisabilities DHR joins the world in recognizing the “leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world.” Read on below from DHR Director of Disability Rights John Herrion:
December 3, 2021, is recognized by the United Nations as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The focus for this year is, “Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world.” A well-known theme that ensures the success of any initiative involving persons with disabilities is, “Nothing about us without us.” In recognition of the Day, the United Nations calls for inclusion of persons with disabilities not only at the participatory level, but at the leadership level as well. Indeed, many leaders are, or were, persons living with disabilities. Former United States Senators, John McCain, Bob Dole, and Bob Kerrey all served our country while living with disabilities. President Franklin D. Roosevelt led the United States for a significant portion of World War II while living with polio.
The other elements of this year’s theme call for an “accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world.” Accessibility for persons with disabilities means inclusion. If housing, businesses, and employment are inaccessible, persons with disabilities remain excluded and without equality and our world thus lacks true diversity.
The New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL) has long promoted inclusion for persons with disabilities for close to 50 years. In 1974, the NYSHRL added protections against discrimination for persons with disabilities in places that were open to the public, and in 1979 the New York State Division of Human Rights ruled that prohibiting wheelchair users from participating in the NYC Marathon was unlawful discrimination. Although this ruling would later be overturned on appeal, wheelchair users and hand cyclists are celebrated as participants and now have their own recognized division and winners in this race.
To ensure accessibility and inclusion, the NYSHRL prohibits discrimination because of one’s disability. The law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities that allow them to do the functions of the job and therefore remain employed. Housing providers are equally required to provide reasonable accommodations that ensure that people with disabilities can use and enjoy their homes. Housing providers include private landlords, public housing authorities, cooperatives and condominiums among others. Places that are open to the public are required to ensure that their goods and services are accessible to persons with disabilities. These requirements and the prohibitions of discrimination against persons with disabilities are intended to provide inclusivity and accessibility for persons with disabilities to participate and live in communities of their choosing.
The New York State Division of Human Rights joins the United Nations in its international celebration of persons with disabilities and is here to ensure that the right to inclusion and accessibility for persons with disabilities at all levels of society is accomplished. To that end, and in addition to the Division’s primary responsibilities of investigating, prosecuting, and adjudicating complaints of unlawful discrimination, the Division will be assembling an Accessibility Advisory Committee to further inclusion and leadership opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
Persons interested in filing a complaint or learning more about the Division and the New York State Human Rights Law are encouraged to visit the Division’s website at https://dhr.ny.gov or call us at 888-392-3644.
Real Estate Consultant
1 年The Human Toll of Bureaucratic Failure New York City's voucher distribution agencies illustrate a troubling systemic breakdown. Instead of assisting our vulnerable community members, they perpetuate despair. Voucher holders, already in dire straits, encounter an unresponsive bureaucracy that compounds their misery. Caseworkers, meant to help, vanish, leaving clients adrift in bureaucratic indifference. The toll is immeasurable, as voucher recipients remain ensnared in an unhealthy relationship with agencies that prioritize blame-shifting over problem-solving. Evasion of Responsibility and Distraction Tactics A closer look reveals a deliberate effort to shift blame onto landlords, creating smokescreens and distractions that divert attention from the agencies' core issues. Rather than addressing their internal flaws, these agencies engage in a blame game that undermines accountability and leaves voucher holders in limbo. Landlords, originally part of a functional system, unwittingly become pawns in a drama meant to hide bureaucratic inefficiency. This tactic worsens the challenges faced by voucher holders, who must navigate an already complex system made even more confusing by the agencies' refusal to confront their problems.