COVID-19 Response Small Grants
The NYS Council on Developmental Disabilities (CDD) awarded $600,000 for COVID-19 response activities to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) during the pandemic. This initiative recognizes that people with IDD and their families have faced numerous challenges as a result of COVID-19, including social isolation, being disconnected from services and supports and facing additional barriers to employment, transportation and housing.
This funding has been made available under a $4.1 million Federal Grant which was awarded to the CDD by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living. These grant funds are awarded to DDPC annually for the creation of pilot projects to address the most pressing needs of individuals with IDD. Awarded grantees were competitively selected through a small grant opportunity.
Funded projects include a pilot program to support families who are seeking affordable, reliable and safe housing options for their adult child with disabilities by piloting the use of a web-based platform to develop shared living solutions for their family members with disabilities. In addition, funds will support the Self-Advocacy Association of NYS (SANYS) to create instructional videos and material to assist people with IDD in participating in virtual and online meetings. This will help increase the capacity of people with IDD to maintain social connections and access to vital information throughout the pandemic. Projects also target underserved communities with IDD who have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic and will support making COVID-19 information and resources more accessible to families who speak English as a second language.
CDD awarded funds to the following agencies across New York State:
| Agency | Region | Award Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AccessCNY, Inc. | Central NY | $9,900 |
| Autism Society Habilitation Organization (ASHO) | New York City | $50,000 |
| Autism Society of the Greater Capital Region | Capital Region | $48,074.50 |
| Cazenovia College | Central NY | $20,855.99 |
| Center on Aging and Disability Policy at Mount Saint Mary College | Hudson Valley | $50,000 |
| Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) | New York City | $48,074.50 |
| Community Inclusion & Development Alliance Inc. (CIDA) | New York City | $30,000 |
| Hebrew Educational Society of Brooklyn | New York City | $9,500 |
| Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai | New York City | $50,000 |
| Innovative Resources for Independence, Inc | New York City | $48,000 |
| Madison Cortland NYSARC, Inc. | Central NY | $10,080.38 |
| Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan | New York City | $50,000 |
| NYSARC Inc, Ulster, Greene, Putnam Counties (ARC Mid-Hudson) | Hudson Valley | $50,000 |
| NYSARC, Inc. Nassau County Chapter | Long Island | $15,000 |
| Resource Center for Accessible Living Inc | Hudson Valley | $9,999 |
| Self-Advocacy Association of New York State, Inc. (SANYS) | Statewide | $12,804 |
| Spina Bifida Association of Northeastern New York | Capital Region | $8,475 |
| Springbrook NY INC. | Western NY | $30,000 |
| St. John Fisher College | Finger Lakes | $48,738 |
| Touro College | New York City | $9,999 |