Mayor Adams Celebrates 35th Anniversary of Americans With Disabilities Act, Announces Major Accomplishments and Commitments to Advance Equity and Access

July 30, 2025

Small Business Services, Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities Have Connected New Yorkers With Disabilities to Over 1,350 Jobs Since Launching 2023 Employment Goal

Over $10 Million in Investments to Design and Implement New Training and Employment Programs, Expand Services at Workforce1 Career Centers, and Offer Paid Internships

New York City On-Track to Meet Mayor Adams' Goal to Connect 2,500 New Yorkers With Disabilities to Jobs by July 2026

New York – New York City Mayor Eric Adams, the New York City Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD), the New York City Mayor's Office of Talent and Workforce Development (NYC Talent), the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS), and the New York City Department for Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) today celebrated the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Disability Pride Month by announcing another year of progress made towards reaching Mayor Adams' goal of connecting 2,500 New Yorkers with disabilities to jobs by July 2026. This ambitious goal was first announced in July 2023, and two years later, the city has connected more than 1,350 New Yorkers to good-paying jobs – putting the city on track to meet this goal by 2026. This achievement reflects the Adams administration's unprecedented level of investment in increasing employment services for New Yorkers with disabilities: over $10 million in total city funding over a six-year period from Fiscal Year 2024 through Fiscal Year 2029.

"A more affordable city is one that is affordable for all New Yorkers, regardless of their abilities," said Mayor Adams. "Our administration is living up to the promises we've made, connecting New Yorkers to more than 1,350 good-paying jobs and investing over $10 million in employment services for New Yorkers with disabilities – ensuring that we foster equity and opportunity for all. As we celebrate the 35th anniversary of the historic Americans with Disabilities Act, we must continue to focus our efforts on creating a city that is more accessible, equitable, and welcoming to people with disabilities."

"The Americans with Disabilities Act transformed our nation's commitment to equality, and, 35 years later, we're honoring that legacy not just with celebration, but with action," said MOPD Commissioner Christina Curry. "From paid internships and inclusive hiring events to expanding access at Workforce1 Centers, we're proud to work with partners like NYC Talent, DCAS, and especially SBS to create real opportunities that empower job seekers with disabilities to thrive. Together, we're building a future where New Yorkers of all abilities can succeed."

Mayor Adams' investment is aimed at advancing opportunity and equity by reducing employment disparities experienced by New Yorkers with disabilities. Recent data from the American Community Survey show that 60 percent of adult New Yorkers with disabilities are jobless – either unemployed or not in the labor market. Additionally, those living with disabilities experience poverty at a much higher rate than adults without disabilities: nearly 30 percent compared to 17 percent. To address these disparities, part of the city's investment includes a $6 million request for proposals to develop – in collaboration with New Yorkers with disabilities – new training and employment programs for people with disabilities and services to help employers make their workplaces more ADA accessible. This "co-design" model is the first time that service providers and individuals with disabilities will work together with the city to create programs designed to address employment barriers and disparities.

In addition to the request for proposals, the city is significantly expanding and enhancing services for people with disabilities across SBS's Workforce1 Career Centers. The Brooklyn Workforce1 Career Center now offers MOPD's NYC: ATWORK employment program, which specializes in helping individuals with disabilities prepare for and connect to jobs. Through New York state Department of Labor funding and the New York Systems Change and Inclusive Opportunities Network program, SBS has hired staff dedicated to increasing the accessibility of all 18 centers in its network through improvements to physical accessibility and training for both center staff and partner organizations. Jobseekers with disabilities are encouraged to connect to NYC: ATWORK by signing up online.

The City of New York is also serving as a model employer. According to a study conducted by Cornell University, employers were nearly six times more likely to hire an employee with a disability if they had first worked as an intern. The Partnership for Inclusive Internships program is connecting 100 New Yorkers with disabilities with paid internships at city agencies by February 2027, with the goal of obtaining full-time employment afterwards. In the first year, this program has already connected 53 New Yorkers to internships, exceeding its first-year goal.

All these achievements build on a previous announcement, in February 2025, in which DCAS, MOPD, and NYC Talent's Center for Workplace Accessibility and Inclusion heralded the launch of a citywide Digital Accessibility Training in partnership with Microsoft. The training will provide any interested City of New York employee with the tools and resources needed to produce accessible content for all city residents.

The city has also advanced a series of initiatives to embed accessibility and inclusion across all areas of government. MOPD expanded its Disability Service Facilitator Program to include every city agency, ensuring accessibility is integrated into agency operations and planning. For the first time, Mayor Adams launched American Sign Language (ASL) public service announcements on LinkNYC kiosks reaching thousands in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community and setting a new standard for inclusive public messaging. Every city agency has also been tasked with publishing a five-year accessibility plan, shifting the city's approach from ad hoc compliance to long-term, strategic inclusion. These accomplishments demonstrate the city's commitment to equity, innovation, and meaningful progress for the disability community.

DCAS plays a key role in supporting inclusive hiring efforts across city government. Since 2023, DCAS has trained more than 170 hiring managers from over 30 agencies on the 55-a Program, which allows for the appointment of qualified individuals with disabilities into competitive civil service roles without requiring an exam. In collaboration with MOPD, DCAS has also helped lead multiple diversity hiring events, including a citywide event for city agencies held earlier this month, in partnership with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and NYC Talent. In 2024, DCAS partnered with MOPD to host agency-specific recruitment events that resulted in 10 of 16 vacancies being filled by qualified candidates with disabilities, demonstrating the program's success in expanding pathways to public service.

"Governor Hochul's Chief Disability Officer Kim Hill-Ridley and I are grateful for and excited by the progressive efforts being led by our partners in the New York City Mayor's Office, the Center for Workplace Accessibility and Inclusion, the New York City Department of Small Business Services, and the wide range of allies they have brought together," said Andy Sink, Director of Employment First, New York State Governor's Office. "We join them in celebrating the 35th anniversary of the ADA and know that, as we begin implementation of Employment First, these partnerships focused on economic equity, improved quality of life, and civil rights for people with disabilities are of the highest importance."

"After facing unstable hours and pay at a previous job, I connected with NYC: ATWORK through a former job coach. With support in job placement and interview preparation, I secured a position at The Frick Collection in April 2025," said Travis Adams, security officer, Frick Collection. "In this role, I interact with visitors and help them locate information about the artworks. I find this job rewarding because the Frick Museum is a team. At the Frick Collection, I am not singled out because of my disability or the fact that I use a motorized wheelchair. I am just like everyone else."

"Working with the CWAI closely aligns with where we want to be as an institution," said Robert Domanski, dean, Academic Innovation and Outcomes, Hunter College. "At Hunter College, our focus is on positioning students for success in landing opportunities, and our shared commitment to removing systemic barriers to such opportunities rises above politics or ideology - and is vital for a modern competitive economy."

"On the 35th anniversary of the ADA, we are proud to celebrate the City's commitment to inclusive hiring and to be part of the movement driving it forward with Goodtemps and our workforce programs," said Katy Gaul-Stigge, president and CEO, Goodwill NYNJ. "At Goodwill NYNJ, ensuring no talent is left behind is the core of our mission. We're working every day to bulldoze the barriers to employment for people with disabilities, because driving inclusive hiring isn't just the right thing to do, it's a smart investment in New York's future."

"Deaf and disabled artists, employees, and audience members are core to a thriving arts and culture sector," said Miranda Hoffner, director of accessibility, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. "Lincoln Center is thrilled to do our part in building pre-employment skills for young people with disabilities through the Summer Youth Employment Program and our Access Ambassador program collaboration with District 75's Transition Office. We applaud this investment in a more inclusive workforce for our city."

"The 35th anniversary of the ADA is a call to action to strengthen the workforce as a true engine of opportunity for all. At NYCETC, we're working with City leaders, employers, and community partners to advance inclusive hiring and unlock untapped talent," said Gregory J. Morris, CEO, the New York City Employment and Training Coalition. "Through initiatives like the NYC Accessibility and Inclusion Partnership and our role on the Advisory Council of the Center for Workplace Accessibility and Inclusion, we're contributing to practical, equitable, and business-driven solutions that build a more inclusive and connected pipeline to employment and advancement. We owe it to every New Yorker to ensure that disability is never a barrier to a fair shot at economic mobility. This anniversary is both a celebration of how far we've come and a powerful reminder of the work ahead–to expand pathways from effective training to good jobs, fair wages, and sustained career growth supported by accessible, long-term systems of support."

"As a member of the CWAI advisory council, it has been thrilling to witness the collective efforts of public and private agencies coming together to design, discover, and implement strategies that make New York City's workforce truly inclusive and accessible for all," said Rachel Rippey-Cheun, strategic advisor, postsecondary outcomes for the Division of Inclusive and Accessible Learning, New York City Public Schools. "Through these efforts, we're not just expanding known strategies–we're encouraging bold, innovative solutions that could transform our city and the lives of people with disabilities in ways we haven't even imagined yet."

"As a member of the advisory council for the Center for Workplace Accessibility, I am excited to be part of NYC's transformative work supporting people with disabilities," said Anthony Watson, executive director, SUNY Manhattan Educational Opportunity Center. "Embarking on 35 years of championing inclusion and accessibility is truly remarkable. I firmly believe we are on the right path creating broader impact and opening new pathways to workforce opportunities. By being intentional in our progress, we can drive meaningful change. Together with the disability community, business, and mainstream workforce providers we can create a more inclusive and accessible future for all."

"Since 2017, The Frick Collection has partnered with MOPD and other organizations that support access to employment for New Yorkers with Disabilities. In 2022, the Frick was honored by the city as the recipient of the Sapolin Accessibility Award for employment," said Dana Winfield, chief human resources officer, Frick Collection. "As a museum whose founder wanted to share the collection with all persons whomsoever, for decades we have endeavored to make our buildings, collection, and programs accessible to people with disabilities and all New Yorkers. As an institution that strives to welcome all New Yorkers, we also want our employee population to mirror our diverse city. To that end, we have worked diligently to make our workplace accessible and welcoming to all, including people with disabilities. The recent renovation of our historic building has included many accessibility features, including more and larger elevators and accessible entrances to both the Museum and the Frick Art Research Library. In addition to actively recruiting job candidates from the disability community, we have added training and accessibility measures internally: providing ASL interpretation at all meetings and staff gatherings, free work-time ASL classes for staff, and disability awareness training for staff and managers. These are small actions that we believe support expanding our workplace community in welcoming a diverse workforce, including people with disabilities. We are committed to continuing to work with MOPD and NYC: ATWORK and fostering meaningful employment for New Yorkers with Disabilities."