NY State: Pass the People with Disabilities Communication Bill of Rights

Assemblymember Angelo Santabarbara with the Spellers in Albany

At the end of the last 2025 NY State legislative session, we passed a bill (A7363c) in the Assembly, the People with Disabilities Bill of Rights. And we did it with incredible speed, less than 8 weeks. 

Now we need to pass the identical S7792b in the State Senate. 

This bill allows people with disabilities to choose the communication method of their choice and receive support from schools, agencies, group homes, etc. 

This right is already included in federal law under the American with Disabilities Act. Protecting these rights under state law is crucial to ensure these rights are protected and supported, especially in the settings and by the organizations where so many people with disabilities live or spend most of their time. 

New techniques and technologies to communicate are being developed at a rapid pace. Technology is making great strides and new tools and methods are allowing people previously cut-off from meaningful interaction to communicate, which for many gives them control and agency in their lives for the first time.  Choosing which technique to use should be made by the affected person, not bureaucracies, trade organizations, or politicians. 

The bill was introduced by Assemblymember Angelo Santabarbara, the Chair of the People with Disabilities Committee and the father of an adult non-speaking son with autism. The bill was also introduced in the Senate by State Senator Patricia Fahy, Chair of the Senate Disabilities Committee. 

Speller and Communication Partner in Action at Mouth to Hand Learning Center - Mount Kisco, NY