N.Y. extends NYSID trial period
Center connects nonprofits employing people with disabilities to state contracts
Nonprofits that employ people with disabilities have another three years to vie for state contracts seeking limited printing with mailing services.
The state Procurement Council recently approved extending the trial period for the New York State Industries for the Disabled — which connects nonprofits employing people with disabilities to state contracts — vying for state contracts seeking mail fulfillment services with limited printing through the Preferred Source Program.
People with disabilities have long faced high unemployment rates, and proponents of employing the population say it helps save money on social and medical services.
The decision comes nearly five months after New York nixed a $55 million, five-year contract with Albany-based Center for Disability Services that would have provided for services outlined in the updated definition. In July, the budget office halted the contract, insisting that the work could be done in-house for nearly $20 million less.
The definition of mail fulfillment services within the Preferred Source Program — which was formed in 1946 to create meaningful employment for people with disabilities — was updated in 2018 to include limited printing services.
The multimillion dollar contract with the Albany nonprofit was borne out of the expanded definition, which was temporary for the last two years, yet the state Procurement Council on Tuesday declined to make the definition permanent. Council members argued more time and data was needed to determine whether the change would have a negative impact on the private sector and small printing businesses.
NYSID President and CEO Maureen O’brien said they are happy with the council’s decision to extend the definition and expressed confidence that the Industries for the Disabled work would not encroach on the commercial printing sector. She said only two of NYSID’S members have the capability to do mail fulfillment services and they do not compete with commercial printers.
Timothy Freeman, president of the Printing Industries Alliance, has argued that NYSID taking on contracts results in lost jobs in the private sector.
O’brien implored those in the industry to consider the benefits of employing people with disabilities for these jobs. Those with disabilities have faced high unemployment for decades, and it continues today, hovering at 67 percent, she said.
“We have got to prioritize this population, and we have got to understand that getting them to work is a really, really good thing,” O’brien said. “Every day an individual is working the state is saving money.”