Rallying in Albany for Direct Support Professionals
Another trip to Albany for the CP Unlimited team to rally in support of increased investment for Direct Support Professionals, in the form of a 3.2% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) and a $4,000 bonus, and more support for the disability field. This was the first rally of 2024, after similar events in 2023.
More than 150 members of the CP family trekked upstate to make their needs visible and join other persons with disabilities and providers to raise awareness in one, strong voice.
In addition to the chants and signs, the CP team took part in meetings with selected officials in order to make the case directly to change-makers while outlining the relevant requests around the mission and work of CP Unlimited.
Diego, one of CP’s persons supported, speaks to Spectrum News One about the rally. Click to view.
“We need the care, and we need the staff to support us,” said Diego Ortiz, a New Yorker with cerebral palsy who traveled to Albany on Monday with CP Unlimited Hudson Valley. “If we need help, and sometimes we don’t get that because they come and go. And it’s not fair. And it’s not right.“
The CP crew also used their time in the State Capitol to lay additional groundwork for the passage of the Traveling with Dignity Act by displaying messaging and bringing it to the specific attention of fellow rally-goers and elected representatives.
With staff from AM Anil Beephan Jr.
To that end, the CP team will be back in Albany on February 26 for a press conference to promote the Traveling with Dignity Act more broadly. We invite you to join us for this important announcement.
