New York Codes, Rules and Regulations › Title 9 - EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT › Subtitle A - Governor's Office › Chapter I - Executive Orders › Part 3 - Executive Orders (Hugh L. Carey) › Section 3.51 - Executive order no. 51: [establishing the office of advocate for the disabled, and revoking and superseding executive order no. 33 (section 3.33, supra)]

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 28, July 10, 2024
WHEREAS, public awareness of and community interest in the
					 problems of disabled persons must be stimulated and heightened in order to
					 enhance understanding of their problems; and
WHEREAS, there exists a need to assure that the special
					 requirements of disabled persons are appropriately considered in State
					 programs; and
WHEREAS, existing programs for disabled persons require
					 coordination to eliminate fragmentation of responsibility; and
WHEREAS, there exists a critical need to provide persons
					 seeking information or assistance regarding services and programs for the
					 disabled with a simple means of obtaining appropriate information and
					 referrals:
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Hugh L. Carey, Governor of the State of
					 New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Laws
					 of the State of New York, do hereby establish the Office of Advocate for the
					 Disabled in the Department of State. The Advocate shall be appointed by and
					 shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor. He shall receive compensation and
					 shall be reimbursed for his actual and necessary expenses within the amounts
					 available therefor.
I. General Powers.
For the purposes of this Order, a disabled person is an
					 individual who has, or is perceived to have, substantial developmental,
					 sensory, physical, emotional or other impairments or disabilities which
					 adversely affect his ability to function.
The Advocate shall have the following functions, powers and
					 duties:
a. to advise and assist the
				  Governor in developing policies designed to meet the needs of the
				  disabled;
b. to coordinate State
				  programs and activities relating to disabled persons;
c. to cooperate with State agencies to assure
				  that the services which the Governor and the Legislature have provided for
				  disabled persons are, in fact, provided;
d. to cooperate with and assist political
				  subdivisions of the State in the development of local programs for the
				  disabled. including, but not limited to, coordination and community planning,
				  information services, counseling services, dissemination of information and
				  volunteer activity;
e. to stimulate
				  community interest in the problems of disabled persons and to promote public
				  awareness of resources available for such persons;
f. to maintain a toll-free telephone and TTY
				  line which will be available to every citizen seeking information or help for
				  disabled persons;
g. to refer
				  persons seeking advice, assistance and available services in connection with
				  particular problems of disabled persons to the appropriate departments and
				  agencies of the State and Federal governments or to agencies providing services
				  by contract with such governmental entities;
h. to consult and cooperate with
				  universities, colleges and educational institutions in the State for the
				  development of courses of study for persons engaged in public and private
				  programs for the disabled;
i. to
				  make or cause to be made such studies of needs of disabled persons as may be
				  appropriate;
j. to serve as a
				  clearinghouse for information relating to the needs of the disabled;
k. to sponsor conferences relating to
				  problems of and services for disabled persons; and l. with respect to the
				  functions, powers and duties herein assigned to him, and with the approval of
				  the Governor, to accept, agree to accept or contract for, as an agent of the
				  State, any grant or gift for any of the purposes of this Order. Any monies so
				  received may be expended to effectuate the purposes of this Order subject to
				  the same limitations as to approval of expenditures and audit as are prescribed
				  for State monies made available for the purposes of this Order.