Eric Dinowitz bill helps students with disabilities

The City Council unanimously approved Councilman Eric Dinowitz’s bill on Jan. 19 to develop and manage a program to assist students with disabilities who are seeking to go to college.

The legislation will require the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, working with the education department, to develop and manage a program to assist students with disabilities who are graduating high school to obtain accommodations at college and ease their transition to higher education.

“This legislation will be transformative for students with disabilities, ensuring that they have the continuum of services necessary to succeed,” said Dinowitz, chair of the higher education committee. “The transition to college can be challenging for many students, but it is often our students with disabilities who have the steepest hurdles to overcome.”

There is now a mandate to ensure that students with disabilities have a government that is working for them to get the support they need on day one of their college experience, Dinowitz said.

The legislation calls for the development and implementation of a system to facilitate the electronic sharing of information about these students’ special education services between the city’s education department and institutions of higher education, after obtaining necessary consent.

“I welcome the legislation introduced by Council Member Eric Dinowitz, as our city has a moral obligation to accommodate the needs of every New Yorker, including our students with disabilities in higher education,” said Councilwoman Linda Lee, chair of the mental health committee. “It is the dream of any parent to have their children attend institutions that allow them to receive the best education possible to help them reach their goals.

“Individualized education programs are federally mandated in our city, but these programs effectively end when students graduate high school, leaving them without the essential lifeline of support that assists in continuing their education.”

A representative for Advocates for Children of New York is pleased with the advocacy portion of the legislation, which still has to be signed by Mayor Eric Adams.

“Students with disabilities often face obstacles in getting the support they need in college, and even the strongest self-advocates can struggle to figure out how to get accommodations,” said Juliet Eisenstein, senior staff attorney on the Postsecondary Readiness Project at Advocates for Children of New York.

CB8 nomination
applications online

Bronx borough president Vanessa Gibson has streamlined the community board application process by allowing for residents interested in becoming a member to do so on-line in both English and Spanish.

Her website, bronxboropres.nyc.gov, has a link on the homepage to the 2023 Community Board Application. Anyone interested in joining Community Board 8 can fill out the form on the website. You need your ID, a resume and/or biography and a utility bill ready to upload.

“Our community boards play such a vital role in decision-making processes throughout our city, and it is important that membership reflects the rich diversity of the neighborhoods they represent,” Gibson said. “We hope by making the application process digital and available in English and Spanish we are eliminating unnecessary barriers for Bronxites to participate.”

You must be a New York City resident to serve on a community board. To qualify for a particular board, you must live, work in, or have a professional  interest within a district.

The deadline for submission of applications is March 3, 2023. If you have any documents-related questions, email: cbapplications@bronxbp.nyc.gov.