The State Budget Is 
Late Again  

Tell Congress: Protect Medicaid From Further Cuts

The Ask:

Use our advocacy tool to tell your members of Congress to protect home and community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) by rejecting further cuts or harmful changes to Medicaid.
 

CLICK HERE: YOUR VOICE MATTERS

A Note from Commissioner Baer: 

A year ago, Governor Hochul announced an historic $25 million investment for existing health clinics to expand access to healthcare services for people with developmental disabilities. Today, I was thrilled to be at New York University’s College of Dentistry to announce that the launch of this vital work, as we award a total of $25 million to 30 separate grantees across the state.

Announcing these grants at NYU’s Dentistry Oral Health Center for People With Disabilities was especially meaningful because, as the single largest grantee, the Center will dedicate its $5.5 million grant to expand its facility, already renowned for accommodating the physical and support needs of patients with disabilities. With the addition of eight new treatment rooms, that will nearly double the number of clinical areas dedicated to disability care, NYU will be able to expand dental services for New York City and the surrounding areas to more than 3,300 patients with disabilities per year. By incorporating elements to reduce anxiety and by including specialized dental equipment to meet the needs of patients with autism, other developmental disabilities, and/or complex medical conditions, the expanded facility at NYU’s Oral Health Center will be a shining example of what health care equity can look like and feel like. I am so excited for the people who will receive dental care here.
 

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Developmental Disabilities Advisory Council (DDAC)
 
Monday April 20, 2026, 11AM until 2PM 

The meeting will be held in person in Albany at the Empire State Plaza, Meeting Room 1. 

You may also join at one of our OPWDD Regional Office Locations listed below. When you arrive, please sign-in at the security desk:   

• NYC: 25 Beaver St., OPWDD 3rd Floor, Room 3K11, New York, NY 10004 (Please bring a state issued photo ID.) 

• Long Island: 415A Oser Ave. Hauppauge, NY 11788 
   

  Additional meeting locations in Buffalo & Syracuse : See details in PDF below
   

The Developmental Disabilities Advisory Committee (DDAC) meeting has transitioned to a new webcasting platform. 

• To view the live meeting, please visit: https://totalwebcasting.com/live/nysopwdd 

• To participate in public comment, you may either attend the meeting in person or sign up to participate virtually on Total Webcasting. Those who sign up for virtual public comment will receive an email with instructions on how to join the meeting and provide their comments virtually on the morning of January 6. 

Review DDAC Meeting Information and Agenda 

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Advisory Board  
Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 12PM until 2PM 

In Person at the Empire State Plaza, Meeting Room 7 in Albany and virtually via WebEx 

Register for ASD Advisory Board Meeting 

The Autism Spectrum Disorders Advisory Board was created in November of 2016 to help provide guidance and information to New York policymakers, individuals with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis (ASD), and families seeking reliable information regarding available services and supports. The Members of the Board are tasked with several important duties including: studying and reviewing the effectiveness of supports and services currently being provided to people diagnosed with Autism Spectrum disorders; identifying legislative and regulatory activity which may be required to improve existing service systems that support people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders; identifying methods for improving interagency coordination of services and maximizing the impact and effectiveness of services and agency functions; and, other matters as deemed appropriate by the Board. 

Review ASD Advisory Board Meeting Information and Agenda 

To view the full schedule of public meetings, visit https://opwdd.ny.gov/events?f%5B0%5D=filter_term%3A26. 

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION INCLUDING LINKS TO MANY LANGUAGES