The battle by disabilities’ rights groups to get more funding in the new state budget for the salaries of caregivers took the form of a protest in downtown Rochester on Wednesday.
About a dozen or so protestors gathered outside the Rochester Riverside Convention Center while Governor Cuomo was inside the facility for a meeting on photonics.
The advocates sounded a concern expressed statewide, that due to the recent increase in the state’s minimum wage, some caregivers for those with disabilities may opt for other jobs that pay more in the food service or other industries.
Stephanie Woodward is the Director of Advocacy at the Center for Disability Rights in Rochester.
She says these health care attendants are crucial to keep people out of nursing homes.
“Attendants keep people with disabilities in the community, they keep us independent, and they make sure that we’re able to live the lives that every other person gets to live. So without our attendants we’re going to be in nursing homes where we don’t want to be.”
Recently an official with the state’s Office for People with Developmental Disabilities said her agency is committed to attracting and keeping skilled caregivers. She said that her agency is committed to attracting and keeping skilled caregivers and that those concerns will be reviewed during the budget negotiation process.
This story was produced by WXXI’s Inclusion Desk, focusing on disabilities and inclusion.
