Author Archive | Joe Rappaport

March 3, 2020 Good morning. My name is Jessica De La Rosa. I am the systems advocate of the Brooklyn Center for the Independence of the Disabled (BCID). We advocate and provide services to people with disabilities, and our mission is to promote the independence of all New Yorkers with disabilities. We’re pleased to be… read more →

We applaud efforts to make transit more reliable, accessible and affordable for all New Yorkers, including late-night commuters underserved by current subway and bus routes and schedules.  However, the MTA’s “late-shift” proposal lacks a commitment to serving individuals with disabilities. Federal, state, and local laws require the MTA to make any new transportation program fully… read more →

Do you have a disability and want to help other people with disabilities live a better life? BCID wants you! We’re looking for outgoing, empathetic people to fill six part-time community health worker positions. You’ll be trained to work with other New Yorkers who have disabilities, offering them emotional support by phone. You’ll also help… read more →

I appreciated Andy Byford’s energy, his unprecedented inclusion of subway accessibility as a core principal at NYC Transit, and the access we’ve had to him and his staff.  But President Byford’s resignation makes it even clearer that we need  legally binding settlements in our subway accessibility lawsuits. The disability community can’t depend on the vagaries of… read more →

By Jessica De La Rosa In 1982, my mother and her home attendant began a 36-year journey together – one made possible only by Consumer Directed Personal Assistance, a unique, cost-effective New York State program that keeps people like my mom, and me, out of nursing homes and able to live independently. Bizarrely, government bean counters and outside “experts” now are gunning for the… read more →