Audit Report on the New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities’ Compliance with Local Law 27 of 2016 Regarding Designation of a Disability Service Facilitator

Executive Summary

In 2016, the New York City (City) Council enacted Local Law 27, which requires that each City agency designate a disability service facilitator (DSF) to coordinate its efforts to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The DSF must be knowledgeable about the ADA and other federal, State, and local laws and regulations concerning persons with disabilities. Local Law 27 also requires each City agency to make the name, office address, and telephone number of each employee who serves as a disability service facilitator available to the public. Additionally, the head of each agency must make the agency’s disability service facilitator available to confer with and receive periodic training from the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD). Finally, Local Law 27 requires MOPD to post on its website the names of persons designated to act as the disability service facilitator within each agency.

MOPD is the liaison between City government and the disability community. MOPD is responsible for developing protocols and giving guidance to agencies to ensure that people with disabilities can access City services. MOPD works with all City offices and agencies and aims to ensure that the rights and concerns of the disability community are included in all City initiatives and that City programs and policies consistently address the needs of people with disabilities. Through its work and advocacy, MOPD strives to steadily improve services and programs for 920,000 New Yorkers who have self-identified as living with a disability, as well as the approximately six million annual visitors to the City who have disabilities.^[1] In doing this work and in its advocacy, MOPD incorporates all facets of life including transportation, employment, healthcare, housing, education, financial empowerment, and access to City services. Furthermore, MOPD engages in advocacy and policymaking at the local, New York State (State), national, and international levels to make certain that accessibility and full inclusion are key priorities for all public and private stakeholders. This audit focused on whether MOPD complied with Local Law 27 and whether MOPD published a list of all City agencies’ DSFs on its website and whether it provided training to City agencies’ DSFs.

Audit Findings and Conclusions

We found that MOPD complied with Local Law 27 in the areas we reviewed and tested. MOPD designated a DSF who is knowledgeable on the ADA and other federal, State, and local laws that impact people with disabilities. In addition, MOPD developed and maintains a list of the DSFs of all City agencies that is available on its website, and coordinates training on disability access for City agencies. Our review found that MOPD has made continuous progress in providing guidance on meaningful disability access to ensure people with disabilities have adequate access to City services through the various agencies’ DSFs. MOPD’s designated DSF manages its responsibilities under the ADA and other federal, State, and local laws and regulations concerning accessibility for persons with disabilities. MOPD’s DSF coordinates disability access services, auxiliary aids or services for effective communication, or modifications of policies or procedures to participate in an MOPD program, service, or activity as necessary, and can be contacted by mail, email, or telephone for questions, comments, or requests for additional information regarding disability access.

We also found that MOPD provides training to other City agencies’ DSFs and other City employees regarding accessibility to people with disabilities through its Disability Service Facilitator Academy. DSF training is conducted through a two-day course that provides the most relevant and up-to-date guidelines, resources, and other pertinent information, including that specific to City governmental programs, services, and activities offered to people with disabilities. The course also details the City’s policies and procedures regarding disability access and information on the ADA, as well as other federal, State, and local laws that impact people with disabilities. Moreover, as part of the training it provides, MOPD convenes quarterly meetings for DSFs to discuss disability topics important to their respective agencies as well as potential collaborations across agencies and programs. MOPD also provides DSFs with a DSF brochure, an accessibility toolkit, and a resource guide that contains links to disability information, guides, worksheets, and resources.

Moreover, as required by Local Law 27, MOPD maintains a list of the designated DSFs of City agencies. The list provides contact information including the name, office address, e-mail, and telephone number of the designated DSF of the respective agency in alphabetized order and is also available online on MOPD’s website.

The following sections of this report discuss these findings in greater detail. Appendices I and II list and summarize the specific items we tested and the results of our tests.

Agency Response

In its response, MOPD agreed with the audit’s findings and recommendation.

[1] These figures are published on MOPD’s website and in its Language Access Plans. https://www1.nyc.gov/site/mopd/about/about.page