Disabilities Beat: New year, new changes to CDPAP has disabled activists worried

WSKG | By Emyle Watkins

Published January 1, 2025 at 6:00 AM EST

[Stock Photo] Senior woman sitting alone in her kitchen. She is looking at an empty chair beside her with a serious expression.

Disabled CDPAP activist Julie Farrar, who recently went viral for confronting Governor Kathy Hochul in an Albany mall, worries the state is “commodifying” the lives of personal care recipients with the switch to a single fiscal intermediary in the coming months. WBFO’s Emyle Watkins speaks with Farrar about her concerns with this change to the program. Farrar has previously worked as a health care policy analyst and participated in the 1990 Capitol Crawl protest that led to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

PLAIN LANGUAGE DESCRIPTION: Julie Farrar, a disabled New Yorker, confronted Governor Kathy Hochul over her plan to move the consumer-directed personal care program (CDPAP) to one business running it. CDPAP allows disabled people to hire their own personal care aides. Julie emphasized the exhaustion of fighting for basic rights and accused Hochul of being opaque about the contract process. She demanded transparency and responsibility from the governor. Julie urged Hochul to work with disabled and aging New Yorkers to preserve home care and community living, calling for funding to support aging in place.

RESPONSE FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE:

WBFO reached out to Governor Kathy Hochul's office for comment and response to a few of the concerns expressed by Farrar. A spokesperson for the Governor responded:

“Governor Hochul has taken significant steps to make New York a more welcoming place for people with disabilities, and she continues to believe CDPAP home care users deserve the best quality care. That’s why the State is moving forward with our plan for a better, stronger CDPAP that will continue delivering services to all who need it. It’s heartbreaking that business groups like the Alliance to Protect Home Care have engaged in a misinformation campaign to protect their own profits – but the fact is that our plan will protect CDPAP and home care users across New York.”

TRANSCRIPT

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