New York State Disability Resources

Complete update - 9/2007
Partial update - 3/18/2008

The offices listed on this state sheet are primarily state-level offices. Even if an office is not close to your home, they can usually put you in touch with resources in your community, as well as provide you with information and assistance about disability issues in your state. If you find that an address or number has changed or is incorrect, please e-mail us at nichcy@aed.org and let us know.

Age of Eligibility

Each state sets eligibility ages for services to children and youth with disabilities. For current information concerning this state, please contact the office listed under Department of Education: Special Education.

State Agencies and Organizations

United States Senators
Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton (D)
476 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-4451
(202) 228-0282 (Fax)
(202) 224-6821 (TTY)
E-mail Web Form: http://clinton.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm
Web: http://clinton.senate.gov

Honorable Charles E. Schumer (D)
313 Hart Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-6542
(202) 228-3027 (Fax)
E-mail Web Form: http://schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/contact/webform.cfm
Web: http://schumer.senate.gov

United States Representatives
To find the contact information for your representative in the House of the U.S. Congress, visit the HouseÕs Web site at: www.house.gov, or call: (202) 225-3121; (202) 225-1904 (TTY).

Governor
Honorable David A. Paterson
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
(518) 474-8390
E-mail form available on GovernorÕs Web site.
Web: www.state.ny.us/governor

Official State Web Site
Web: www.state.ny.us

State Department of Education: Special Education
Dr. Rebecca Cort, Deputy Commissioner
Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID)
State Education Department
1 Commerce Plaza, Room 1606
Albany, NY 12234
(518) 474-2714
Web: www.vesid.nysed.gov

State Coordinator for NCLB (No Child Left Behind)
Johanna Duncan-Poitier, Senior Deputy Commissioner, P-16
Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education
New York State Education Department
89 Washington Avenue, 2 West Mezzanine
Albany, NY 12234
(518) 474-3862
E-mail: p16education@mail.nysed.gov
Web: www.nysed.gov

Programs for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities: Ages Birth through 2
Bradley Hutton, M.P.H., Director
Bureau of Early Intervention
New York State Department of Health
Empire State Plaza, Corning Tower Building, Room 287
Albany, NY 12237-0660
(518) 473-7016
(800) 522-5006 ("Growing Up Healthy" 24-Hour Hotline)
(800) 577-2229 (in NYC)
E-mail: bjh08@health.state.ny.us
Web: www.health.state.ny.us

Programs for Children with Disabilities: Ages 3 through 5
Patricia Geary, Coordinator, Special Education Policy and Professional Development
Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID)
New York State Education Department
1 Commerce Plaza, Room 1624
Albany, NY 12234
(518) 473-2878
E-mail: pgeary@mail.nysed.gov
Web: www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed

State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency
Dr. Edward Placke, Deputy Commissioner
Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID)
New York State Education Department
1 Commerce Plaza, Room 1606
Albany, NY 12234
(518) 474-2714
Web: www.vesid.nysed.gov

Coordinator for Transition Services
Doris Jamison, Manager
Special Education Policy Implementation
Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities
One Commerce Plaza, Room 1624
Albany, NY 12234
(518) 474-7566; (800) 222-5627
E-mail: djamison@mail.nysed.gov
Web: www.vesid.nysed.gov

State Mental Health Agency
Michael F. Hogan, Ph.D., Commissioner
Office of Mental Health
44 Holland Avenue
Albany, NY 12229
(518) 474-4403
E-mail: colejxw@omh.state.ny.us
Web: www.omh.state.ny.us

State Mental Health Representative for Children and Youth
David Woodlock, Deputy Commissioner
Children and Families
Office of Mental Health
44 Holland Avenue
Albany, NY 12229
(518) 473-6328
E-mail: cocodjw@omh.state.ny.us
Web: www.omh.state.ny.us

Programs for People with Developmental Disabilities
Diana Jones Ritter, Commissioner
New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities
44 Holland Avenue
Albany, NY 12229
(518) 473-1997
E-mail: diana.ritter@omr.state.ny.us
Web: www.omr.state.ny.us

Councils on Developmental Disabilities
Anna F. Lobosco, Ph.D., Deputy Executive Director & DD Program Development Specialist IV
New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC)
155 Washington Avenue, 2nd Floor
Albany, NY 12210
(518) 486-7505; (800) 395-3372
E-mail: alobosco@ddpc.state.ny.us
Web: www.ddpc.state.ny.us

Protection and Advocacy Agency
Marcel Chaine, Director
Division of Protection and Advocacy Program Administration
New York State Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities
401 State Street
Schenectady, NY 12305-2397
(518) 388-2892; (800) 624-4143
E-mail: marcel.chaine@cqcapd.state.ny.us
Web: www.cqcapd.state.ny.us

Gary O'Brien, Commissioner
New York State Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities
401 State Street
Schenectady, NY 12305
(518) 388-2855
(800) 522-4369 (V/TTY/Spanish, in NY only)
E-mail: allyson.beletti@cqcapd.state.ny.us
Web: www.cqcapd.state.ny.us

Client Assistance Program
Lisa Rosano-Kaczkowski, CAP Director
New York State Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities
401 State Street
Schenectady, NY 12305-2397
(518) 388-2892; (800) 624-4143
E-mail: lisa.rosano@cqcapd.state.ny.us
Web: www.cqcapd.state.ny.us/

Programs for Children with Special Health Care Needs
Susan Slade, Director, Medical Home Unit
Children with Special Health Care Needs Program
New York State Department of Health
ESP-Corning Tower Building, Room 213
Albany, NY 12237-0618
(518) 474-2001
E-mail: sjs11@health.state.ny.us
Web: www.health.state.ny.us

State CHIP Program
(health care for low-income uninsured children)
Child Health Plus
New York State Health Department
Box 2000
Albany, NY 12220
(800) 698-4543; (877) 898-5849 (TTY)
Web: www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/chplus/index.htm

Programs for Children and Youth who are Blind or Visually Impaired, or Deaf-Blind
Brian S. Daniels, Associate Commissioner
Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped
Office of Children and Family Services
Capital View Office Park
52 Washington Street, Room 201, South Building
Rensselaer, NY 12144-2796
(518) 474-6812
E-mail: brian.daniels@dfa.state.ny.us
Web: www.dfa.state.ny.us/cbvh

Programs for Children and Youth who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Dorothy Steele, Coordinator, Deaf Services
Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID)
One Commerce Plaza, Room 1623
Albany, NY 12234
(518) 474-5652 (V); (518) 486-3773 (TTY)
(800) 222-5627 (V/TTY)
E-mail: dsteele@mail.nysed.gov
Web: www.vesid.nysed.gov/

Telecommunications Relay Services for Individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or with Speech Impairments
(800) 421-1220 (V)
(800) 662-1220 (TTY); 711 (TTY)
(877) 662-4234 (Speech to Speech)

Regional ADA Technical Assistance Center
S. Antonio (Tony) Ruiz-Quintanilla, Director & PI
DBTAC - Northeast ADA Center
Cornell University
201 ILR Extension
Ithaca, NY 14853
(607) 255-6686 (V/TTY/Spanish)
(800) 949-4232 (V/TTY//Spanish)
E-mail: northeastada@cornell.edu
Web: www.northeastada.org

University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
Dr. Steven Wolf, Director
Developmental Disabilities Center
St. Lukes - Roosevelt Hospital Center
1000 10th Avenue
New York, NY 10019
(212) 523-6230

Ansley Bacon, Ph.D., President/CEO
Westchester Insitute for Human Development
325 Cedarwood Hall
Valhalla, NY 10595-1689
(914) 493-8204
E-mail: ABacon@wihd.org
Web: www.wihd.org

Herbert J. Cohen, M.D., Director Emeritus
University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service
Rose F. Kennedy Center
Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Yeshiva University
1410 Pelham Parkway South
Bronx, NY 10461
(718) 430-8522
E-mail: hcohen@aecom.yu.edu

Dr. Nina Schor, Acting Director
Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities
601 Elmwood Avenue
P.O. Box 671
Rochester, NY 14642
(585) 275-0355
E-mail: nina_schor@urmc.rochester.edu
Web: www.urmc.rochester.edu/strong/scdd

Technology-Related Assistance
Lisa Rosano-Kaczkowski, Project Director
New York State TRAID Project
New York State Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities
401 State Street
Schenectady, NY 12305
(518) 388-2892
(800) 522-4369 (V/TTY/Spanish, in NY only)
E-mail: lisa.rosano@cqcapd.state.ny.us
Web: www.cqcapd.state.ny.us

State Mediation System
Elaine Gervais, Associate in Special Education
Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID)
1 Commerce Plaza, Room 1623
99 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234
(518) 486-7462
E-mail: egervais@mail.nysed.gov
Web: www.vesid.nysed.gov/lsn

Special Format Books for Children and Youth Ages 3-19
(Serving upstate New York)
Sharon B. Phillips, Acting Director/School and Youth Services Librarian
New York State Talking Book & Braille Library
New York State Library
Cultural Education Center, Empire State Plaza
Albany, NY 12230
(518) 474-5935; (800) 342-3688
E-mail: tbblkids@mail.nysed.gov (school/youth services)
E-mail: tbbl@mail.nysed.gov (adult services)
Web: www.nysl.nysed.gov/tbbl

(Serving New York City and Long Island)
Andrew Heiskell Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
40 West 20th Street
New York, NY 10011
(212) 206-5400; (212) 206-5425 (24 hour Voicemail)
E-mail: ahlbph@nypl.org
Web: http://talkingbooks.nypl.org