Summary -Senate President Steve Sweeney Speaks to Disability Caucus
Summary provided by Monmouth County Democrats
Senate President Steve Sweeney joined with members of the Monmouth County Democrats’ Disability Caucus to discuss ways to address the needs of the disability community at the caucus’s Zoom meeting Tuesday evening.
Senator Sweeney chairs the New Jersey Legislative Disability Caucus, a 28-member group of state legislators who work with advocates, organizations and government agencies to promote policies that improve the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Monmouth County Democrats’ Disability Caucus was founded in 2018 to advocate for disabled citizens and give them a voice in politics.
“It is gratifying to join with the Monmouth County Democrats’ Disability Caucus in a cause that has long been important to me,” said Senator Sweeney. “We have a shared mission to meet the needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, a community that had been overlooked and shortchanged for too long. Your work – and our work at the state level – will help to ensure that their voices are heard, their needs are met, and they are provided equal opportunities to live full and rewarding lives.”
“People with disabilities have a voice as well as the right to vote. Elections are opportunities to use that voice to ensure that the officials of their choice are elected to represent them in Office.” said Anita Clavering, chair of the Monmouth County Democrats’ Disability Caucus.
Approximately 25 percent of adults in New Jersey identify as having some type of disability. Despite progress after passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act 30 years ago, people with disabilities in New Jersey continue to seek opportunities to be included and represented in all aspects of life as an integral part of the fabric of our society, Sweeney noted.
The New Jersey Legislative Disability Caucus serves as a forum to promote inclusion by ensuring lawmakers understand the impact on the disability community when shaping public policies and appreciate the complexities of the social service system and issues impacting individuals with disabilities and their families.
The caucus has met three times to discuss the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the disabled, employment challenges, and the accessibility and affordability of housing. The next meeting will focus on transportation needs.
Senator Sweeney referred to a number of actions taken by the Legislature to address specific needs:
S.3468, signed into law, established a Task Force on Maximizing Employment for People with Disabilities.
S.1255, signed into law, that appropriates $20 million from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to the Special Needs Housing Trust Fund.
S.1676, signed into law, that allows hospitals to construct housing and provide wrap-around services for individuals who are homeless or housing insecure, including individuals with disabilities.
S.1937, signed into law, to set up a Task Force to promote the employment by state agencies of people with disabilities.
S.3809, that would allow businesses to claim a tax credit equal to 10% of the salary and wages paid to an employee with a developmental disability.
S.3689, that would permit exemptions from certain civil service examinations for individuals with disabilities.