Brooklyn Developmental Disabilities Council

10/23/2026

10/21/2026

Great legal victory for Early Intervention

On Wednesday afternoon, in a major win for early intervention providers, children and families, Albany Supreme Court Justice William T. Little ruled that the New York State Department of Health did not follow its own regulations relating to reimbursement in the Early Intervention Program. As a result of the Court’s decision, the NYS DOH now must review and revise the reimbursement rates for the EI Program and ensure that they provide full reimbursement and otherwise comply with Public Health Law and its own regulations for the program.

“We trust that Governor Hochul, given her strong record of support for children and families, will direct NYSDOH to immediately rescind the rate reductions at issue, and issue new rates that reflect actual provider costs,” said Jana Vitale, SLP, TSHH, BCBA, LBA, President of Agencies for Children’s Therapy Services.

The Children’s Agenda has long had a keen interest in advocating for improvements to EI to ensure that every infant and toddler has a chance to reach important developmental milestones. As leaders in the statewide Kids Can't Wait NYS Campaign, we continue to advocate for adequate rates of reimbursement that fully cover the costs to deliver EI services, address the urgent waiting lists, and ensure that our most vulnerable children and their families can benefit from the therapies to which they are entitled by law.

10/15/2026

VOTE!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1464921975818042&set=a.169309625379290&type=3

New Yorkers must register to vote by October 24th in order to vote in the November 3rd General Election.

1 in 6 eligible voters in the U.S. have a disability, which is over 40.2 million people, according to the Rutgers Program for Disability Research (2024).

But voters with disabilities still face barriers to getting their voice heard. In 2024, they turned out at rates nearly 10% lower than voters without disabilities, and close to 1 in 6 had trouble voting, twice the rates of other voters (Rutgers, National Disability Rights Network & Center for Civic Design, 2025).

Check out the resource below to help you plan to vote this election season.

Click here: https://ow.ly/E8R250ZXkTm

10/09/2026

Uniquely Me Creative Arts (UMCA) warmly invites your day habilitation participants and staff to join us for our 3rd Annual Disability Community Festival: “One Community. Every Ability!”

We are bringing the disability community together for an afternoon of fun, inclusion, creativity, and connection! We would love for your participants to experience a day designed to celebrate their abilities and create lasting memories.

💙💛 WHAT TO EXPECT:

🎶 Live DJ and musical performances
🎨 Interactive arts, crafts, and sensory activities
🏰 Bounce house and fun-filled activities
🎭 Entertainment and community performances
🎨 Face painting
💇🏽 Haircuts and braiding
🛍️ 15+ disability-focused and community vendors
🍽️ Free food
🤝 Community resources, connections, and opportunities to socialize

EVENT DETAILS

📅 Saturday, October 17, 2026
⏰ 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
📍 460 Marcus Garvey Blvd., Brooklyn, NY 11216
(Between MacDonough and Decatur Streets)

🎉 FREE ADMISSION for individuals with disabilities and their families!

Whether your participants enjoy music, creative activities, meeting new people, or simply being part of a welcoming community, there is something for everyone! of ALL AGES!

We encourage you to organize a group outing and bring your participants to celebrate with us! Please share this invitation with your program staff, families, and other day habilitation centers.

Registration Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScRlTogGG7UmnOzxDJsEbiWpIcWQkFlj3E4HHiGOVyDejT45w/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=110002738874767532478

10/09/2026

Excellent idea

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1506911447925908&id=100058212004859

10/08/2026

Please listen to this informative and alarming interview about the threat to disability rights and what could happen. It is worth 24 minutes of your time

Rose Broderick, disability in health care reporting fellow at STAT News, shares her reporting on major federal rollbacks of landmark disability protections such as Section 504, as well as broader trends in federal disability rights.

10/06/2026

Please join us in congratulating our friend, Christopher D Greif on being selected as the 2026 Grand Marshal of the 11th Annual Disability Pride NYC Parade! 💖♿️💖

This is such a well-deserved honor and a wonderful recognition of his continued leadership, advocacy, and unwavering commitment to advancing accessibility, inclusion, and equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

His dedication to the disability community and efforts to create meaningful change throughout New York have made a lasting difference. It is truly fitting that he will have the opportunity to lead and represent our community in this year’s parade.

We all wish him a wonderful celebration and an incredible day as he proudly leads the Disability Pride NYC Parade on Sunday, October 18, 2026! 🎊

Congratulations again, Christopher!