Access for Individuals with Disabilities

New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) Career Centers provide employment services to all job seekers, including individuals with disabilities.  Some of these services include career counseling, resume development, career workshops, computer workshops, job search resources, and placement assistance.  Career Centers also offer career resource libraries, access to phone/fax/copier for communicating with employers, and short-term training for long-term careers (subject to funding availability and program regulations).  

For individuals with disabilities specifically, the Career Centers provide physical and programmatic accessibility, and can also provide connections to Disability Resource Coordinators, and partner agencies such as Acces-VR and the New York State Commission for the Blind.  Additional services and supports such as reasonable accommodations, and auxiliary aids and services, including Video Remote Interpretation, and assistive technology are also made available and provided free of charge, to people who are:

• Deaf or hard of hearing
• Blind or visually impaired
• Having other sensory or manual impairments

The New York State Human Rights Law (Executive Law, Article 15), the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in public accommodations including those owned by State and local governments.  Therefore, public buildings, libraries, museums, and any attendant services that constitute public accommodations, such as food service, camping grounds, and other places open to the public, must not deny service to an individual because of disability.

Learn more about disability discrimination

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990.  Title I of the ADA prohibits discrimination in employment against individuals with disabilities and Title II protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination in services, programs, and activities provided by State and local government entities.  

The term disability means:

• A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of a person's major life activities such as: breathing, seeing, hearing, walking, sitting, standing, sleeping, caring for yourself. lifting, or learning.
• Having a record of an Impairment
• Being regarded as having an impairment

Title I protects "qualified employees with disabilities." The term qualified means that the persons:

• Meet the requirements of the position that they are applying for or hold
• Can perform the major functions of the position with or without a reasonable accommodation

A reasonable accommodation is a modification to a job, work environment, policy or procedure that enables a qualified applicant or employee to access programs, activities, services, or facilities.  An agency is not required to make an accommodation if it can demonstrate that providing the accommodation would impose an undue hardship, or “significant difficulty or expense” on its everyday operations. 

Reasonable accommodations can help an individual with a disability participate in an application or interview process and perform essential job functions.  They also ensure that individuals with disabilities have the same rights and privileges as those without disabilities.  

Reasonable accommodations do not alter or lower the standards of the job but are expected to reduce or eliminate the limitations that an individual with a disability may have performing the job.  

The Americans with Disabilities Act, the New York State Human Rights Law, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 require employers, generally those with fifteen (15) or more employees, to provide reasonable accommodations to the known physical or mental limitations of otherwise qualified applicants or employees with disabilities, unless the employer can demonstrate that the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of its business.

How employers can provide reasonable accommodations:

• Ensure equal opportunity and access in the application process
• Make existing facilities accessible
• Restructure jobs
• Modify work schedules
• Provide modifying equipment
• Provide qualified readers or interpreters

An employer cannot ask a job seeker or employee if they have a disability. That is illegal. Employers can only ask if the job seeker or employee can perform the essential functions of the job.  

For more information on ADA and Reasonable Accommodations, please visit:  www.ada.gov or www.eeoc.gov

Individuals with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to help them use the services at New York State Career Centers and other NYSDOL locations.  

At the career center, job seekers can speak with a Disability Resource Coordinator or a Labor Services Representative for assistance in using assistive technology at the career center, requesting interpretation or other aids or services for effective communication, or for requesting a reasonable accommodation. 
 

Find your disability resource coordinator

Job seekers can also submit reasonable accommodation requests by contacting the New York State Department of Labor’s Designee for Reasonable Accommodations (DRA) and Americans with Disability Act Coordinator (ADA Coordinator) at:

The Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Access
518-457-1984 (VOICE)
800-662-1220 (TDD/TTY) 
Or via email at [email protected] 
 

If you feel that the NYSDOL has denied you access to services, programs, activities, or NYSDOL facilities based on your disability, you can file an Americans with Disabilities Act discrimination complaint. 

To file an ADA Complaint, review the following New York State Department of Labor Grievance Procedure under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and submit the Americans with Disabilities Act Complaint Form, to the DOL’s Designee for Reasonable Accommodations (DRA) and Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator using the contact information below.  

The Department’s Designee for Reasonable Accommodations (DRA) and Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator (ADA Coordinator) is identified below.  This person will be able to provide information and forms for requesting reasonable accommodations and for grieving the denial of accommodation requests.

DRA/ADA Coordinator:
Melissa Quesada, Chief Diversity Officer, NYS DOL Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Access

DRA/ADA Coordinator Contact Information:
Email:         [email protected]
Phone:        518-457-1984
(TTY/TDD): 800-662-1220 (English)
                    877-662-4886 (Spanish)
                    211 (NYC)

Backup DRA/ADA Coordinator:
Sonia Mayta, Equal Opportunity Specialist 2, NYS DOL Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Access
Backup DRA/ADA Coordinator Contact Information:
Phone:        518-457-1984

Adaptaciones razonables en los programas y servicios del Estado - Información de contacto:

A continuación se identifica a la persona nombrada por la agencia para las adaptaciones razonables (DRA) y al Coordinador de la Ley sobre Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (Coordinador de ADA). Esta persona podrá proporcionarle información y formularios para solicitar adaptaciones razonables y para presentar una queja por la negación de solicitudes de adaptación.

Nombre de la DRA y del Coordinador de ADA: Melissa Quesada, Chief Diversity Officer, Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Access 
Información de contacto de la DRA y del Coordinador de ADA: Phone (518) 457-1984

Nombre del sustituto de la DRA y del Coordinador de ADA: Sonia Mayta, Equal Opportunity Specialist 2, NYSDOL Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Access
Información de contacto del sustituto de la DRA y del Coordinador de ADA: (518) 457-1984

Aranjman Rezonab nan Pwogram ak Sèvis Leta - Enfòmasyon pou Pran Kontak:

Reprezantan Ajans lan pou Aranjman Rezonab [Designee for Reasonable Accommodations (DRA)] ak Kowòdonatè Lwa Anfavè Ameriken Andikape (Disabilities Act Coordinator) (Kowòdonatè ADA) idantifye anba la a. Moun sa a ap kapab ba ou enfòmasyon ak fòm pou mande aranjman rezonab epitou pou fè doleyans pou refi yo ba ou pou demann aranjman.

Non Kowòdonatè DRA/ADA: Sonia Mayta, Equal Opportunity Specialist 2
Enfòmasyon pou Kontakte Kowòdonatè DRA/ADA: Phone (518) 457-1984

Non Kowòdonatè Ranplasan DRA/ADA: Melissa Quesada, Chief Diversity Officer, NYSDOL Office of Diversity, Inclusion, Compliance, and Ethics (DICE)
Enfòmasyon pou Kontakte Kowòdonatè Ranplasan DRA/ADA: (518) 457-1984

Adattamento ragionevole nell’ambito di programmi e servizi erogati dallo stato. Recapiti:

Di seguito è indicato il nome del responsabile dell'adattamento ragionevole (DRA), nonché del coordinatore dell’ADA per l’agenzia. Tale figura è in grado di fornire informazioni e moduli per richiedere eventuali adattamenti ragionevoli e presentare un reclamo in caso di rifiuto di una richiesta di adattamento ragionevole.

Nome DRA/coordinatore dell’ADA: Sonia Mayta, Equal Opportunity Specialist 2
Recapiti DRA/coordinatore dell’ADA: (518) 457-1984

Nome sostituto DRA/coordinatore dell’ADA: Melissa Quesada, Chief Diversity Officer, NYSDOL Office of Diversity, Inclusion, Compliance, and Ethics (DICE)
Recapiti sostituto DRA/coordinatore dell’ADA: Phone (518) 457-1984

주 프로그램 및 서비스 시 정당한 편의제공 – 연락처 정보:

해당 기관의 정당한 편의제공을 위한 피지명자(DRA) 및 미국 장애인법 담당자(ADA 담당자)가 아래 명시되어 있습니다. 해당인은 귀하가 정당한 편의제공을 요청하거나 편의제공 요청 거부에 항의할 수 있도록 필요한 정보 및 양식을 제공할 것입니다.

DRA/ADA 담당자 이름: Sonia Mayta, Equal Opportunity Specialist 2
DRA/ADA 담당자 연락처 정보: Phone (518) 457-1984

예비 DRA/ADA 담당자 이름: Melissa Quesada, Chief Diversity Officer, NYSDOL Office of Diversity, Inclusion, Compliance, and Ethics (DICE)
예비 DRA/ADA 담당자 연락처 정보: Phone (518) 457-1984

Разумное приспособление в государственных программах и службах — контактные данные:

Назначенное агентством лицо для разумного приспособления (DRA) и координатор по выполнению закона «О гражданах США с ограниченными возможностями» (координатор ADA) указаны ниже.  Данное лицо сможет предоставить вам информацию и формы для запроса разумного приспособления, а также для обжалования отказов на запросы о приспособлении.

Фамилия и имя координатора DRA/ADA: Sonia Mayta, Equal Opportunity Specialist 2
Контактные данные координатора DRA/ADA: Phone (518) 457-1984

Фамилия и имя замещающего координатора DRA/ADA: Melissa Quesada, Chief Diversity Officer, NYSDOL Office of Diversity, Inclusion, Compliance, and Ethics (DICE)
Контактные данные замещающего координатора DRA/ADA: Phone (518) 457-1984

關於州計劃與服務的合理便利設施 - 聯繫資訊：

此機構的合理便利設施指定人 (Designee for Reasonable Accommodations, DRA) 與美國殘障者法案協調員 (Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator, ADA Coordinator) 指明於下。該人員能夠為您提供關於所要求之合理便利設施的資訊與表格，以及在便利設施請求遭拒時致歉。

DRA/ADA 協調員姓名：Sonia Mayta, Equal Opportunity Specialist 2
DRA/ADA 協調員聯繫資訊：Phone (518) 457-1984

備援 DRA/ADA 協調員姓名：Melissa Quesada, Chief Diversity Officer, NYSDOL Office of Diversity, Inclusion, Compliance, and Ethics (DICE)
備援 DRA/ADA 協調員聯繫資訊：Phone (518) 457-1984