Help protect the funding and availability of services for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities, including paying our valued staff the living wage they deserve!

How to Help

Disability Voting Rights Week 2026

September 14–18, 2026, is National Disability Voting Rights Week, a nonpartisan effort to promote accessible and inclusive elections for people with disabilities.

At Venture Together, we believe voting is an important part of self-advocacy, independence, and full participation in community life. This quick guide provides resources to help self-advocates, families, and supporters prepare for the 2026 General Election.

Know Your Voting Rights

People with disabilities have the right to:

  • Vote privately and independently
  • Use accessible voting equipment
  • Request reasonable assistance and accommodations
  • Receive help from a person of their choice, when permitted
  • Receive voting information in accessible formats
  • Vote without discrimination or intimidation

Make a Voting Plan

Think about what you need to vote comfortably and independently:

  • Where will I vote? Check your polling place and early voting location.
  • How will I get there? Plan accessible transportation if needed.
  • What accommodations do I need? New York provides accessible voting equipment and ballot options for voters with disabilities.
  • Do I need to vote by mail? New York offers early-mail and absentee voting options.

For more details, please visit New York’s Accessible Voting guide

Register & Check Your Information

Make sure your voter registration, name, and address are current: Register or Update Your Registration

Important 2026 General Election Dates

October 24–November 1: Early Voting
October 24: Voter registration deadline
November 2: Deadline to apply in person for an absentee/early-mail ballot
November 3: Election Day — polls open 6 a.m.–9 p.m.

New York 2026 Election Calendar

Need an Absentee or Early-Mail Ballot?

Voters with a temporary or permanent disability may qualify for an absentee ballot. New York also offers accessible ballot options for voters with print disabilities: Request a New York Ballot

Having a Problem Voting?

If you experience an accessibility barrier or other voting problem, you can contact: Report an Election Issue

New York Attorney General Election Hotline:
1-866-390-2992

NY Board of Elections Accessibility Services:
518-207-4050 | accessibility@elections.ny.gov

More Voting Resources

7/20/26: Changes to Olmstead Enforcement

On July 20, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it will no longer rely on its longstanding Olmstead Guidance, which explained how the DOJ interpreted and enforced the Supreme Court’s landmark Olmstead v. L.C. decision, which protects the right of people with disabilities to receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs.

What Does This Mean?

Importantly, the law has not changed.

The Olmstead decision remains in effect. Individuals with disabilities continue to have the legal right to receive services in integrated community settings when appropriate.
What has changed is the DOJ’s approach to enforcement. The Department announced that it considers the previous Olmstead Guidance to be non-binding and it plans to review the guidance under a narrower interpretation of federal law following the Supreme Court’s 2024 Loper Bright decision.
 

Why Does it Matter?

Although guidance documents are not legally binding, they shape how the federal government interprets and enforces disability rights. Advocacy organizations, including Venture Together, are concerned this policy shift could weaken federal enforcement of community living protections and follows broader challenges to Olmstead and disability rights. 
 
Please refer to the resources below in the “Updates to the Olmstead Act in the Federal Government” to take action and learn more.

Updates to the Olmstead Act in the Federal Government - How it Affects the I/DD Community

Over the last 57 years, Venture Together has operated under the premise that every person with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) deserves the opportunity to live, work, learn, and thrive as a valued member of their community. 
 
Recent developments in Washington have raised important questions about the future of disability rights and the protections that individuals and families have relied upon for decades. While these changes have not altered the law, they signal potential shifts in how federal agencies may enforce critical disability protections.
 
Now, more than ever, it is important for families, self-advocates, professionals, and community members to stay informed and engaged.
 

Protecting the Right to Live in the Community

One of the most significant recent developments involves a legal opinion issued by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel concerning the integration mandate—the long-established principle that people with disabilities should receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs.
 
The opinion argues that:
  • The landmark 1999 Supreme Court decision in Olmstead v. L.C. does not require states to provide services in the most integrated setting.
  • The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act do not explicitly require community integration in their statutory language.
  • Federal regulations that have protected community living for decades may exceed what the law allows.

What Does This Mean?

At this time, nothing has changed about an individual’s legal rights.
 
The opinion does not overturn Olmstead, change the ADA, or eliminate federal disability protections. Only Congress or the courts can make those changes.
 
However, the opinion does influence how the federal government may choose to enforce those laws going forward. It lays the groundwork for reducing federal enforcement of community integration protections, rolling back longstanding regulations,  and declining to defend those protections in ongoing litigation
 
If those protections weaken, people with disabilities could face greater barriers to receiving services in their homes and communities rather than institutional settings.
 

Why Olmstead Matters

For more than 25 years, the Olmstead decision has helped ensure that people with disabilities have the opportunity to:
  • Live in their communities and participate fully in community life
  • Receive services in the least restrictive setting appropriate to their needs
  • Make choices about where and how they live
These protections have transformed the lives of millions of Americans with disabilities and their families, and protecting these rights remains one of the disability community’s highest advocacy priorities.
 

What You Can Do

Contact Your Members of Congress
Urge Congress to codify the right to receive long-term services and supports in the most integrated setting appropriate to a person’s needs, so these protections cannot be weakened through future administrative changes.
 
You can find and contact your elected officials through:
Share Your Story
Personal stories help policymakers understand why community-based services matter.
 
Whether you are a self-advocate, family member, Direct Support Professional, educator, or community member, your experiences can help demonstrate the importance of protecting disability rights.
 
Know Your Rights
Learn more about the laws that protect people with disabilities:
Stay Informed
Follow trusted disability advocacy organizations for accurate updates as these federal developments continue.
Helpful resources include:
Stay Engaged
  • Follow legislative updates
  • Participate in advocacy campaigns and events
  • Encourage others to contact elected officials
  • Vote in local, state, and federal elections
The rights established through the ADA, the Olmstead decision, and decades of disability advocacy have expanded opportunities for people with I/DD to live meaningful lives in their communities. Those values remain at the heart of our mission, and we will continue to work alongside self-advocates, families, staff, partner organizations, and policymakers to protect the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
 

Tell the Legislature: Support the Disability Community in the One-House Budget Bills

Right now, New York State lawmakers are finalizing their One-House Budget Bills — and the decisions they make will directly impact people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), including the individuals and families served by Venture Together.
 

The Problem: Costs Are Rising Faster Than Funding

Over the past five years, everyday costs like gas and groceries have risen 23.7%, and minimum wage has increased 26.5%. However, funding for I/DD supports has only increased 15.8%. This growing gap makes it increasingly difficult for providers to maintain high-quality services, fairly compensate Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), and sustain essential programs.
 
You can learn more in the NY Disability Advocates Budget One-Pager:
NY Disability Advocates Budget One-Pager

What We Are Asking For

Venture Together and disability advocacy partners across New York are urging lawmakers to include these key investments in the final state budget:
  • 2.7% Targeted Inflationary Adjustment – Increase Medicaid reimbursement rates so funding better reflects real costs of care.
  • Restore the OPWDD Healthcare Enhancement Program – Ensure people with I/DD have consistent access to coordinated healthcare.
  • Support Affordable Housing Initiatives – Include housing bills S.8676, S.8672, and S.8675 to expand affordable options for people with disabilities and the workforce who support them.
  • Strengthen the Child and Dependent Care Credit – Accept Revenue Bill Part A to help working human service professionals afford childcare.
More details are available in the full Budget Priorities Paper:
SFY 2026-27 Budget Priorities

Why This Matters

These investments are essential to stabilizing residential services, day and employment programs, community supports, and the workforce that makes it all possible.
Without action, services become harder to sustain — and the people we support feel the impact.
 

Take Action Today

Tell your State Senator and Assemblymember to support these priorities in the One-House Budget Bills.
 
Visit CP State’s advocacy page to contact your legislators in an easy one-click process:
Send Your Message Now!
Together, we can make sure New York’s budget reflects the true needs of the I/DD community.

Disability Voting Rights Week Guide — Sept. 8-12

What is DVRW?

Disability Voting Rights Week, hosted by the American Association of People with Disabilities and REV UP, is a movement that advocates for ensuring that every person with a disability has the opportunity, support, and access needed to exercise their right to vote.

DVRW is about empowerment, access, and self-advocacy. The Venture Together community and leaders play a crucial role in creating space for education, supporting staff and individuals in their right to vote, and reinforcing our mission to build extraordinary lives through advocacy and inclusion.

Why It Matters

  • 40.2 million eligible voters with disabilities in 2024 – 1 in 6 voters.
  • Nearly 72.7 million voters (⅓ of the electorate) are disabled or live with someone who is.
  • If disabled voters cast ballots at the same rate as nondisabled voters, there would be 2 million more voters nationwide.
  • Barriers remain: inaccessible polling places, strict ID laws, inaccessible information, lack of transportation, and harmful prejudice.

How You Can Assist

Educate & Share Resources
Encourage Engagement
  • Help  people with intellectual and developmental disabilities make a plan to vote (know deadlines, polling locations, ID requirements).
  • Promote self-advocacy by discussing how voting connects to issues like housing, transportation, and healthcare.
  • Empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to support one another in registering and planning to vote.
Create Inclusion
  • Listen with empathy if someone shares frustrations with voting. Validate feelings and encourage participation.
  • Stay nonpartisan—focus on rights, accessibility, and the power of choice.

Senate Sends “One Big Beautiful Bill” Back to the House — ACT BEFORE JULY 4!

There are three links below to send email letters and make calls – even if your House member is a Democrat, please call each member of the NY Republican delegation (listed below) as well, to let them know that we depend on Medicaid and SNAP to live!

 
The House is taking up the Senate version of the bill TODAY, 7/2/25 

If the House votes down the Senate version, passage of the bill will be delayed which buys advocacy time that we NEED. 

Please contact these four New York Republicans TODAY:

 Rep. Mike Lawler, NY-17 (parts of Rockland, Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties)

DC office: 202-225-6506

District office in Pearl River: 845-201-2060

District office in Mahopac: 845-743-7130

Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram

Rep. Nick LaLota, NY-1 (far eastern Suffolk Co.)

DC office: 202-225-3826

District office in Hauppauge: 631-289-1097

Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram

Rep. Andrew Garbarino, NY-2 (eastern Suffolk Co.)

DC office: 202-225-7896

District office in Patchogue: 631-541-4225

Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, NY-11 (Staten Island and part of Brooklyn)

DC office: 202-225-3371

District office in Staten Island: 718-568-2870

District office in Brooklyn: 718-306-1620

Facebook, Twitter/X

Additional Outreach Resources: 

What happened?

The Senate approved the bill 51–50, with Vice President Vance casting the tie-breaking vote, and it’s returning to the House for a final vote, possibly before July 4, and it’s bad. The bill includes:
  • Nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts. That’s about 20% of the federal Medicaid budget. It would cause nearly 17 million people to lose coverage.
  • Nearly $200 billion in cuts to SNAP. Less food assistance means more people will go hungry, including millions of kids.
  • A new private school voucher program that redirects public education funding to private schools. This will make it even harder for children with disabilities to access essential special education services.

What’s next?

The Senate and the House must agree on a final bill to send to the President for his signature. This isn’t over yet, but this is serious, and we need your help.

We need every voice to be heard.

1) Contact Your House Representative Today

    • Urge them to vote NO on H.R. 1
    • Highlight the devastating impact on I/DD services in your family
    • Explain why work requirements and redeterminations create barriers

2) Use These Advocacy Tools

3) Share Your Story 
Your experience is powerful. Share how Medicaid supports life and independence.

4) Tell Others
Ask families, friends, and providers to join—share tools, links, and reminders. The more voices, the stronger our impact.