Bill Text: NY J01993 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Honoring Denise Figueroa upon the occasion of being inducted into the 2019 New York State Disability Rights Hall of Fame

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-06-18 - ADOPTED [J01993 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-J01993-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 1993

BY: Senator BRESLIN

        HONORING  Denise  Figueroa  upon  the  occasion of
        being  inducted  into  the  2019  New   York   State
        Disability Rights Hall of Fame

  WHEREAS,  Individuals  devoted  to improving the quality of life for
others, enabling them to build  lives  of  dignity  and  self-worth  are
deserving of the highest praise and recognition; and

  WHEREAS,  From time to time, society calls upon these individuals to
be recognized for the significance of their contributions and efforts to
assist others in developing  the  skills  necessary  to  be  successful,
productive citizens; and

  WHEREAS,  This  Legislative  Body  is  justly  proud to honor Denise
Figueroa upon the occasion of being inducted  into  the  2019  New  York
State  Disability Rights Hall of Fame on Thursday, June 13, 2019, at the
River's Casino in Schenectady, New York; and

  WHEREAS, The New York  State  Disability  Hall  of  Fame  recognizes
individuals who have made life-long achievements which positively impact
people  with  disabilities  in  society;  Denise  Figueroa  is  one such
individual; and

  WHEREAS, Denise  Figueroa's  personal  experiences  with  disability
influenced  her  decision  to  pursue  a life helping others, a decision
which was sealed during her years at  Brooklyn  College,  when  she  met
other  students  with disabilities involved in the burgeoning disability
rights movement; during this time, she was the recipient of the Dr. Vera
B.  Dowd Award for College and Community Service, City of New York,  for
her  volunteer  efforts  supporting  disability  rights  in  educational
settings; and

  WHEREAS, After graduating,  Denise  Figueroa  began  her  career  as
Section  504  Coordinator  for  the New York City Mayor's Office for the
Handicapped; in this  capacity,  she  provided  training  and  technical
assistance to city agencies to ensure compliance with Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation  Act; she also served as a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit
against the New York City Metropolitan Transportation  Authority,  which
led  to  court-ordered  accessible  mass  transit  throughout  the city,
benefitting millions of travelers; and

  WHEREAS, Denise Figueroa worked with the Eastern Paralyzed  Veterans
Association  (now  United  Spinal)  and  the Capital District Center for
Independence before establishing the Independent Living  Center  of  the
Hudson Valley (ILCHV) in 1987; and

  WHEREAS,  Under the luminous leadership of Denise Figueroa, ILCHV is
committed to hiring individuals with disabilities, has  added  a  second
location  in  Hudson,  New  York,  and  expanded its services to include
artistic  and  health  and  wellness  programs  for   individuals   with
disabilities; and

  WHEREAS,  In  addition  to  her work with ILCHV, Denise Figueroa has
served her community at the local, state and federal levels  in  various
capacities;  since 2002, she has served on the Board of Directors of the
Capital District Transportation Authority,  and  held  the  position  of
Chairperson from 2010-2013; and

  WHEREAS,  From 2002-2008, Denise Figueroa chaired the New York State
Association on Independent Living's Board of Directors, and chaired  the
New  York  State Independent Living Council Board of Directors from 2009
to 2014; this remarkable woman was a member of the Board of Directors of
the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Association; and

  WHEREAS, Denise Figueroa  was  appointed  by  the  Governor  to  the
Advisory Council to the New York State Commission on Quality of Care and
Advocacy  for  Persons  with  Disabilities, and currently, serves on the
Advisory Board of the Justice Center; and

  WHEREAS, Moreover, Denise Figueroa was a  member  of  the  Board  of
Directors  of the United States International Council on Disability, and
held the title of President  of  the  National  Council  on  Independent
Living when the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law; and

  WHEREAS, Denise Figueroa has truly played a leading role in removing
barriers  to  independent  living  at  a  national  level,  however, her
greatest accomplishments may be found in the hundreds of lives  she  has
impacted, one day and one life at a time, as Director at ILCHV; and

  WHEREAS,  It  is  the  sense of this Legislative Body that those who
enhance the well-being and vitality of their community and have shown  a
long  and  sustained  commitment to excellence certainly have earned the
recognition and applause of all the citizens of this great Empire State;
now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
honor  Denise Figueroa upon the occasion of being inducted into the 2019
New York State Disability Rights Hall of Fame; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to Denise Figueroa.