A group of local parents and caregivers has filed a class action lawsuit against Governor Andrew Cuomo, accusing the state of providing an insufficient number of residential living opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Buffalo on behalf of more than 2,000 Western New Yorkers, claims the governor and Kerry Delaney, acting commissioner of the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, violated their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act to provide proper residential accommodations.
According to the lawsuit, more than 11,000 people with developmental disabilities statewide are awaiting placement by the state in a certified residential community that can meet their needs.
Bruce Goldstein, attorney with the Buffalo law firm of Kenny, Shelton, Liptak, Nowak LLP, says this lawsuit aims to provide peace of mind to the aging parents and caregivers of New Yorkers with Down Syndrome, autism and other conditions, knowing before they die that their adult children will be cared for properly.
