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City of New York Announces $7.5 Million for New Programs to Connect People With Disabilities to Careers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 1, 2026
CONTACT: Matthew Beller - mbeller@talent.nyc.gov, 212-513-9241
Innovative Approach Engages People with Disabilities to Co-design Models with Training Providers and Employers to Create New Programs to Expand Employment
Builds on Existing City Efforts to Connect People with Disabilities to Employment
NEW YORK – Today, the City of New York announced $7.5 million over four years in awards for new contracts that will support the design and implementation of training and employment programs to expand career opportunities for people with disabilities. This investment will use an innovative “co-design” approach that enables people with disabilities to contribute their lived experience to researching and designing workforce programs alongside workforce providers and employers that aim to increase employment for New Yorkers with disabilities.
Today’s announcement reflects the partnership between the Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity (NYC Opportunity), the NYC Office of Talent and Workforce Development (NYC Talent), the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD), and the Department of Small Business Services (SBS). Co-designing programs will ensure future programming is aligned and tailored to best meet the needs of New Yorkers with disabilities and improve the quality and delivery of services and the employment outcomes for people with disabilities. These future programs will also increase access for employers to a pipeline of qualified talent. The organizations receiving awards will develop the programs over the next nine months and launch services in early 2027.
The list of organizations receiving awards to launch new co-design programs today are:
- Service Design Firm: 3x3. The organization will facilitate the co-design process for the other two tracks.
- Workforce Providers: AHRC NYC, Equus Workforce Solutions, and Goodwill NY/NJ. New Yorkers with disabilities will co-design new training and employment programs for jobseekers in collaboration with these provider organizations and with employer input.
- Employer Collaboration: Urban Institute. New Yorkers with disabilities will co-design technical assistance services to help employers make their workplaces more accessible and hire more employees with disabilities, in close collaboration with Urban Institute and employers.
“Good jobs change lives. Every New Yorker deserves the chance to build a career, contribute to their community, and strengthen our city's economy,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su. “This $7.5 million investment reflects a step toward making that a reality for people with disabilities. By putting New Yorkers with disabilities at the center of designing these programs, we are ensuring they are built to actually work -- for the people they serve and for the employers who will benefit from a broader, more talented workforce.”
“All New Yorkers, especially those that have been underserved by traditional employment programs, deserve access to evidence-based and community-informed services that lead to family economic security,” said Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity Carson Hicks. “We’re thrilled to launch this new project that grows from our efforts to continuously innovate anti-poverty solutions and deepen the City’s use of strategies that design services with the people who use them. Together we’re co-creating and delivering programs in a way that recognizes New Yorkers with disabilities as the experts on their own needs.”
“The co-design model puts workers first by centering individuals with disabilities in the development and implementation of programs that will lead to good jobs,” said NYC Office of Talent and Workforce Development Executive Director Doug Lipari. “These new programs will advance this Administration's vision of building a more inclusive and fair economy where all New Yorkers can live with dignity and thrive.”
“This investment reflects an important step toward designing workforce programs in partnership with people with disabilities. Approaches like co-design help ensure that services are more responsive to real needs and experiences,” said MOPD Commissioner Nisha Agarwal. “MOPD looks forward to expand access to meaningful employment opportunities for New Yorkers with disabilities.”
“This co-design process is a critical step toward addressing the disparities faced by New Yorkers with disabilities looking for jobs,” said SBS Commissioner Kenny Minaya. “Through our 18 Workforce1 Career Centers, SBS already plays a leading role connecting New Yorkers to good-paying jobs, including serving as the city's primary connector for New Yorkers with disability to employment opportunities. By partnering with the Office of Economic Opportunity, Office of Talent and Workforce Development, the Office for People with Disabilities, and directly with people with disabilities to co-design new programs, we will continue to deliver strong outcomes while advancing the Mamdani Administration’s vision for a more inclusive workforce.”
Today’s announcement builds on the City’s efforts to reduce barriers to employment and connect more New Yorkers with disabilities to family-supporting careers. MOPD manages the NYC: ATWORK program, which provides tailored, individualized services to jobseekers with disabilities and helps them find jobs at public or private employers. SBS’s NYC SCION (New York Systems Change and Inclusive Opportunities Network) program focuses on ensuring the accessibility of SBS’ 18 Workforce1 Career Centers through assessments, staff training, and technical assistance. NYC Talent's Center for Workplace Accessibility and Inclusion (CWAI) removes barriers and increases employment for New Yorkers with disabilities. These combined efforts are helping make the City’s economy more inclusive and fairer for all New Yorkers and are critical elements in advancing Mayor Mamdani’s economic justice agenda.
“Autism Acceptance Month reminds us that inclusion is not just about awareness; it is about opportunity. This initiative represents something powerful: people with disabilities helping to design the very programs that will shape their pathways to training, employment, and economic participation. When individuals with disabilities are partners in building solutions, the results are stronger, more innovative, and more equitable for everyone,” said AHRC NYC CEO Marco Damiani. “AHRC NYC is proud to partner with New York City and with organizations across the community to advance this work and help ensure that people with disabilities have meaningful access to careers, independence, and full participation in the life of our city.”
“As an organization deeply committed to expanding employment opportunities for people with disabilities, we are proud to participate in this co-design initiative,” said CEO of Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey Katy Gaul-Stigge. “Bringing together individuals with lived experience and workforce experts will help ensure that the programs we develop are practical, responsive, and capable of creating meaningful employment pathways for people with serious mental illness.”
“Equus Workforce Solutions is honored to be partnering with the City of New York to co‑design and deliver inclusive employment programs with and for New Yorkers with disabilities,” said Chief Executive Officer of Equus Workforce Solutions Doug Cotter. “This investment reflects a shared commitment to championing lived experience, advancing accessibility, and building workforce programs that lead to meaningful, sustained employment outcomes. Through this collaborative co‑design approach, we look forward to partnering with community members, employers, and the City of New York to create innovative workforce solutions that expand opportunity and foster long‑term economic inclusion.”
“We are pleased to collaborate with the City of New York, the NYC Workforce Development Corporation and all of our project partners and city agencies, to help build welcoming and accessible workplaces where people with disabilities can thrive,” said Urban Institute Chief of Staff and Vice President Matt Rogers. “Drawing on decades of Urban’s experience in community-engaged research, disability policy, workforce development, and cross-sector partnerships, our team will co-create new tools and strategies with the employers and workers with disabilities who need them, so that employers can meet the needs of and benefit from a workforce that's representative of all New Yorkers.”
“This is an opportunity to see how community-centered co-design can strengthen services for a more accessible future of work for New Yorkers. 3x3 is proud to support this effort by bringing together service providers and individuals with disabilities to reimagine employment in ways that are more responsive and grounded in lived experience. It not only marks an important step toward a more inclusive workforce system but offers a new standard for how the City can design and deliver services that work better for everyone,” said Principal at 3x3 Megan Marini.
“Today’s $7.5 million investment in programming connects people with disabilities to real employment opportunities, opening meaningful career pathways for New Yorkers with disabilities,” said Council Member Julie Won. “This program empowers participants to co-design its structure, ensuring their lived experiences directly shape training and job opportunities. Thank you to NYC Opportunity, NYC Talent, MOPD, and SBS for advancing a more inclusive and equitable economy for all New Yorkers.”
“For too long, workforce programs have been designed for people with disabilities rather than with them. The NYC Office of Talent and Workforce Development is getting it right—this $6 million investment centers the lived experience of disabled New Yorkers in the very design of these programs, ensuring they actually work for the communities they’re meant to serve. I’m proud to join them in celebrating this milestone and look forward to seeing these co-designed programs open new doors for disabled workers across our city” said Council Member Shahana Hanif.
Associate Commissioner, NYS Commission for the Blind, Office of Children and Family Services Julie Hovey said, “Autism is not a limitation, it’s a different way to experience the world. That difference deserves understanding, acceptance, inclusion and most of all opportunity. It is a privilege to partner with the NYC Office for Talent and Workforce Development to offer new opportunities which include training and employment. The NYS Commission for the Blind supports opening doors and opportunities that can lead to meaningful and fulfilling work experiences based on strength and ability.”
New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities Commissioner Willow Baer said, “I can think of no better way to celebrate Autism and Neurodiversity Acceptance Month than asking neurodivergent New Yorkers to co-design the programs that will enable them to obtain and maintain competitive and meaningful employment. Congratulations to the awardees for their leadership and valuable input. I am grateful to our partners at AHRC NYC, for their persistent vision, as well as their commitment to this exciting new program and to the dignity of New Yorkers with disabilities.”
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