Advocate
Take Action in 2026
Protect Medicaid & SNAP
The “One Big, Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) Act was signed into law—bringing with it significant cuts to federal Medicaid and SNAP funding. Medicaid is a lifeline for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, making possible the services and supports that foster independence, inclusion, and quality of life.
Continue to share your support for Medicaid & SNAP.
If you or someone you know needs help finding meals, visit https://whyhunger.org/.
Advance Federal Recognition of the DSP Role
The U.S. Senate passed the “Recognizing the Role of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) Act” (S.3211, H.R. 6137), which requires the Office of Management and Budget to consider updating the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) and recognizing the DSP role as a distinct profession. This leads to data collection and ideally more robust funding. The bill now goes to the House Representatives.
Send an email to your member of Congress
The Impact on State Services
The deadline to finalize the New York State Budget is April 1. Now, we must advocate to Gov. Hochul, the state senate, and assembly to consider including our requests for FY27, specifically:
- A 4% Targeted Inflationary Increase (TII) to ensure funding accounts for the increased cost of living , with at least 2.7% for agencies to invest in the everyday costs of operating the agency.
- The Careforce Affordability Initiative to support affordable housing, childcare and healthcare for direct care staff.
Stay Connected
- Sign up for Regional Advocacy Groups―to connect with fellow advocates and educate candidates on both sides of the aisle about disability rights.
- Find out who your elected officials are. Get started.
- Check out Key Learnings from the In-Person Advocacy Workshop in January to help you get started advocating!
- Set up a “lobby visit” with your representatives. Tips available here.
- Share our social media posts (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn)
- Know your resources, know your rights. New York Department of State’s Office for New Americans has released “Know Your Resources, Know Your Rights.” This is a guide for all New Yorkers, including immigrants, to explain your basic rights regarding interactions with law enforcement, food and nutrition resources, health and wellness, and employment. Click here to visit the website.