NYS Senator Shelley Mayer held a press conference at the White Plains Library on August 12 to thank advocates for people with disabilities for their work in enforcing our rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Front and center was WDOM’s class action lawsuit against ride provider Lyft, which was heard in US District Court July 8-12. A verdict in the case is still pending. Jeremiah Frei-Pearson and Harriet Lowell spoke about the case.
WDOM Executive Director Maria Samuels was also one of the speakers. Samuels said that WDOM, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, would fight for 400 years to protect access for people with disabilities guaranteed by the ADA.
“People with disabilities need to vote. I urge you, vote. Take time for the electoral process. Understand what is going on that affects your life. We need to show our support for the legislators who support us,’’ she said.
Samuels said that WDOM would be holding a special event Vote as If Your Life Depends on It with Westchester’s League of Women Voters.
Also attending the event were Assemblymember Chris Burdick, Westchester County Legislators Terry Clements and Judah Holstein, a representative of Legislator Nancy Barr, White Plains City Councilmember Victoria Presser, Angel Heinz from the Christopher and Dana Reeves Foundation, Maximino Rodriguez from the Center for Disability Rights, Terry Degatano from Westchester Disabled on the Move board, Rodney Stanford from Westchester Council for the Blind, Director of Westchester’s Office for People with Disabilities Evan Latainer, Jeff Zitofsky from Westchester’s Office for People with Disabilities, member of Westchester Cooperative Board Delia Marx, and advocates Donna Ponessa and Mike Howard.
See the full press conference here: Senator Shelley Mayer Honors the “Coalition for Access” for their Efforts to Increase Accessibility (youtube.com)
