The Center for Disability Rights (CDR), a prominent Rochester non-profit dedicated to providing essential services to individuals with disabilities, is raising serious concerns as New York State plans to transition a crucial program to a for-profit company. This decision threatens the stability of a program that has supported countless individuals for decades, jeopardizing both services and livelihoods.

For 25 years, the Center for Disability Rights has served as a fiscal intermediary under the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP), a Medicaid initiative that empowers individuals with disabilities to live independently. Through this role, CDR has managed critical funding to ensure that people with disabilities receive personalized care and support tailored to their unique needs.

However, the state’s decision to shift this responsibility to a for-profit entity poses an existential threat to CDR. The center could lose up to 87% of its budgeted revenue for 2025—a devastating blow to its ability to continue providing services.

Anita Cameron, a board member for the Center for Disability Rights, voiced her deep concern about the potential consequences of this transition. “The services that CDR offers not only serves people in Rochester but we serve people in a number of counties upstate,” Cameron said. “The things we do here at CDR, our advocacy efforts, that helps and effect the entire state of New York. What I am deathly afraid of is that with these changes, we will lose CDR.”

Cameron’s fears are well-founded. The proposed changes could disrupt care for more than 1,000 people with disabilities in the Rochester area who depend on CDR for at-home assistance. Without this support, many may be forced to move into institutional settings, a move that undermines the independence and dignity of these individuals.

The impact extends beyond those receiving care. Around 800 employees—many of whom are women, people of color, and individuals with disabilities themselves—could lose their jobs. For these workers, the loss of employment would mean financial instability for their families and communities.

Susan Stahl, a CDR service user, shared her personal experience with the challenges posed by such transitions.

“We had people who ended up going into nursing facilities because they weren’t able to manage the intricacies of switching services from the CDR that they’re used to and had for years to a brand new company,” Stahl explained. “The one thing we have that the for-profit company doesn’t have is consumer staff help, there is nobody to call if you have a question, you’re on your own.”

Her account underscores a broader concern: for-profit companies often lack the infrastructure and community ties that organizations like CDR have developed over decades.

The Center for Disability Rights has pointed to Pennsylvania as a stark warning of what could happen in New York. A similar transition in Pennsylvania led to a 40% attrition rate among individuals receiving care. For the Rochester area, this could translate to more than 400 people with disabilities losing access to vital services, further compounding the crisis.

In addition to the human toll, the loss of services would leave 800 in-home attendants without jobs, creating a ripple effect across the local economy.

The Center for Disability Rights has long been a cornerstone of advocacy and empowerment for individuals with disabilities in New York State. Beyond direct services, the organization’s advocacy efforts influence policies that impact people with disabilities statewide.

“The things we do here at CDR… helps and effect the entire state of New York,” Cameron emphasized. The potential loss of CDR would not only harm individuals in Rochester but also weaken the broader disability rights movement across the state.

As the transition looms, advocates are urging policymakers and the public to reconsider the implications of prioritizing for-profit entities over non-profits like CDR. The Center for Disability Rights has become a lifeline for thousands of individuals and families, offering care, advocacy, and a sense of community that cannot easily be replicated.

Protecting the Center for Disability Rights is not just about preserving services—it’s about upholding the dignity, independence, and rights of people with disabilities throughout New York.