New York, NY, June 14, 2021—INCLUDEnyc will host a free virtual special education town hall on Tuesday, June 15th in preparation for NYC’s return to full in-person instruction this fall with Chairs of the NY State Senate Committees on Education and NYC Education, Senators Shelley B. Mayer and John Liu. Hosted by INCLUDEnyc’s Director of Disability & Education Policy Lori Podvesker, the panel will discuss the current status of students with disabilities in NYC and NYS, anticipated changes in education this summer and fall, educational rights of students and their families, and more. The panelists will also answer questions from the audience.
“This in-depth conversation with Senators Mayer and Liu about the impact of COVID on New York’s students with disabilities is coming at a critical time for the more than 300,000 students with disabilities in New York City. We must work together now to ensure educational access and equity for these students so that they can academically and socially recover,” said Executive Director of INCLUDEnyc, Barbara A. Glassman.
INCLUDEnyc is a nonprofit providing training, information, and resources to young people with disabilities and their families throughout the five boroughs.
Senator Shelley B. Mayer represents the 37th Senate District, comprising Yonkers, Bronxville, White Plains, and New Rochelle. Senator Mayer has been a champion for all children and public schools, serving as the Chair of the Assembly Education Subcommittee on Students with Special Needs from 2013 to 2017. In 2019, Senator Mayer was appointed to serve as the Chair of the State Senate Education Committee.
Senator John C. Liu represents northeast Queens in Senate District 11. He is chairperson of the Senate’s committee on New York City Education and also serves on the committees of Education and Higher Education. Senator Liu was previously Comptroller of the City of New York from 2010 to 2013 and a New York City Councilmember from 2002 to 2009. The virtual panel will be streamed live on both Zoom and INCLUDEnyc’s Facebook page on June 15 at 6:00 PM. The event will be in English, with Spanish and Mandarin interpretation provided. All are welcome.