CLICK Brooklyn Family support Service Advisory Council FACEBOOK GROUP PAGE
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| This month, we have updates on station accessibility projects in Manhattan and Brooklyn, our next ACTA meeting, and Access-A-Ride’s taxi reimbursement program, among other things. |
Join our next ACTA meeting on Sept. 146 p.m., via Zoom | Registration is required | Open to allThe Advisory Committee for Transit Accessibility (ACTA) will be joined by Frank Farrell, EVP, NYCT Department of Buses to share an overview of how our bus system is advancing on several accessibility-related initiatives and our work with the City to speed up and deliver better bus service. |
Kings Highway  station now fully accessible There’s a new accessible station on your subway map! Earlier this month, we officially opened our 161st fully-accessible subway station at Kings Hwy . Three new elevators now connect all levels of the station to the street level, furthering accessible travel to and from southern Brooklyn.Every rider deserves a safe and reliable trip. Accessibility work is currently underway at more than 30 subway stations, and the fully-funded 2025-2029 Capital Plan includes over $7 billion to make at least 60 more subway stations accessible and replace 45 aging station elevators across the system.To learn more about additional accessibility upgrades at Kings Highway , read our press release.Check out our list and map of accessible stations. |
Behind the scenes: 86 St    ADA upgradesWe often get asked about the upgrades at 86 St on the , understandably so. It’s a busy station in one of the densest neighborhoods in the city, which is why the project to make it fully accessible is both challenging and important. We want to share what’s going on behind the blue walls.Check out the short video below, which explains how massive structural supports had to be put in—and now taken out—through small openings in the street to allow for the three new elevators to be installed.To get updates on this project and behind-the-scenes details about MTA’s other Accessibility infrastructure projects, sign up for This Week in Construction. It’s a weekly newsletter that highlights the work MTA’s Construction & Development team is doing to build a better transit system. WATCH VIDEO 86ST |
| Access-A-Ride Taxi Reimbursement Requests on MY AARFor our paratransit riders, you can now submit and track Taxi Reimbursement Requests on MY AAR. This new feature is designed to make the submission and tracking process faster, easier, and more transparent. By submitting your requests online, we can speed up the turnaround time on processing refunds. Check page 42 of the MY AAR User Manual for step-by-step instructions.To review the complete policy, visit the Taxicab/Car Service Reimbursement Policy webpage.Learn more about MY AAR, including how to book and track your trips. |
Connect with usWe are committed to delivering top-tier, safe, and accessible transit across the region. And we want to make sure that you have all the information you and your communities need, and ensure if you have questions, we have answers!MTA Accessibility joined the Access-a-Ride team, our Second Avenue Subway team, and our Government and Community Relations team earlier this month with Senator Cordell Cleare at the Harlem Senior Citizens Resource Fair. This fall, whether you prefer an in-person presentation or a virtual webinar on topics like the Reduced-Fare program, Access-A-Ride, how to get alerts for your elevator status, accessible station projects, and more, reach out to us! You can fill out this form to request a presentation or reach out to us at accessibility@mtahq.org. Sign up for MTA service alerts Get notified about service changes along your subway, bus, or rail route. You can also set up alerts to become notified about elevator and escalator outages in the stations you use most frequently. Get travel alerts. |
This Week in MTA Construction newsletter archive
Every week, we share updates on major MTA projects and tell you how MTA Construction & Development is improving our transit system by building better, faster, and cheaper than ever before. Sign up to get this newsletter.
The first day of school for New York City public schools is Thursday, September 10, 2026
NYC Public Schools (NYCPS)
School Year Calendar 2026–2027
This is the 2026–27 school year calendar for NYCPS schools from 3-K through grade
- If your child attends a private, parochial, charter school, NYC Early Education
Center (NYCEEC), or Family Childcare Program, please contact your child’s school
for information about their calendar. Please note the following:
- On days when school buildings are closed due to inclement weather or other emergencies, NYCPS
may be in session remotely. - Individual schools’ Parent-Teacher Conference dates might be different from the dates below. Your
child’s teacher will work with you to schedule your conference. - On this schedule, elementary schools are defined as programs that serve kindergarten (K) through
grade 8, including schools with 3-K and Pre-K programs, as well as those that end in grade 5 or grade
- Middle schools are defined as programs that serve grades 6–8, and high schools are defined as
programs that serve grades 9–12. 6-12 schools are defined as programs that serve just grades 6–12 in
a single school.
| Having trouble reading this email? View in your browserFROM ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN OF NEW YORKWhat’s new this week?🚍 SCHOOL STARTS NEXT WEEK! We’ll be updating our back to school resource hub with deadlines, helpful links, and more need-to-know information for students, families, and professionals as the school year gets started. Visit the back to school hub >> .AFC WEBINAR. TROUBLESHOOTING NYC SCHOOL BUSING ISSUES. Every year at the start of school, we hear from families experiencing issues and delays with busing and transportation. We’ll talk about advocacy tips and resources to help you navigate the Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT) and address other common transportation issues. Register for the September 23 webinar (English) or the September 24 webinar (Spanish). .PRESS CONFERENCE. JOIN US TO CALL FOR BETTER BUSING! On September 17th at noon, come stand with AFC, our partners in the Road to Better Busing Coalition, Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia, and Senator Robert Jackson outside Tweed Courthouse. The press conference will focus on the urgent need to improve New York City’s school bus system, centering the experiences of students, parents, families, and advocates as we call for a school transportation system that is responsive to the needs of the children it serves. Register today >> BACK TO SCHOOL CHECKLIST. Check out and check off NYCPS’ Back to School Checklist to get ready for the first day of school on September 10! The checklist includes items like making sure your child is up-to-date on required immunizations, updating your contact information in NYCSA, and more. Access the checklist, available in multiple languages >> NYCPS GUIDANCE ON ARTICIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN SCHOOLS. This week, New York City Public Schools released a Guidance on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Screen Time for the upcoming school year. The guidance focuses on protecting young learners while also preparing older students for a world shaped by AI. Learn more >> .WEBINAR. REAL TRANSITION PARTNERS PRESENTS: YOUTH-LED EMPLOYMENT PLANNING WITH VOCATIONAL SERVICES. Join Real Transition Partners on September 15 at 12pm for a webinar on youth-led employment planning, focusing on how to work with a VR counselor, the terminology associated with VR, and the role school staff have in youth-led employment planning. The webinar is offered in English, with simultaneous Spanish interpretation provided. Register >>AFC is hiring! Learn more about exciting opportunities to join our team and support NYC students and their families.See current openings As always, our Education Helpline is here to provide individualized guidance and information for your education-related issues. Monday-Thursday, 10am to 4pm. We can speak to you in YOUR language. (866) 427-6033 |
New Study from OPWDD’s IBR Offers Important Clues for Understanding Early Health Risks in Children
Staten Island, N.Y. — September 2, 2026 The New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) announced today the publication of findings by a team of researchers, including researchers from OPWDD’s Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (IBR), that preschool-age girls with a fragile X premutation are more likely to have clinically significant parent-reported sleep problems than girls without a premutation. The relationship between sleep and mental health also appears to differ in children with a fragile X premutation.
A fragile X premutation (PM) is a variation in the FMR1 gene in which the DNA sequence CGG is repeated between 55–200 times. Individuals with more than 200 repeats have fragile X syndrome, the most common genetic reason for intellectual disability. Although a premutation does not cause fragile X syndrome, individuals with a premutation are at increased risk for several health conditions (adult-onset fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency, which affects women’s ovaries; fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome, which can cause shaking and problems with coordination; and fragile X-associated neuropsychiatric disorders, which include clinical anxiety, depression, and ADHD). It is estimated that approximately one million individuals in the United States carry a fragile X premutation.
The team was led by researchers at IBR, including Nicole D. Tortora, MS; Anne Glicksman, MS; Tiffany McGuire, MS; and Tatyana Adayev, PhD. Other organizations involved in the study were RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC; Emory University, Atlanta, GA; and Queens College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York, Queens, NY. This study is the first to examine sleep and mental health in an unreferred cohort of children with a premutation, who were identified primarily through prenatal testing or family studies rather than because of developmental or behavioral concerns. This design reduces bias toward more severely affected children and provides data more representative of the population.
To conduct the study, the researchers used parent-completed questionnaires to evaluate sleep and emotional and behavioral functioning in two groups of children: 324 preschool-aged children (aged 3–5 years) and a longitudinal cohort of 128 children followed from ages 3–7 up to 8–13 years. Among preschool girls, 26% of those with a fragile X premutation had clinically significant sleep problems compared with 9% of girls without a premutation—nearly three times the odds. No significant difference was observed in boys. Greater sleep disturbances were associated with increased symptoms of depression and anxiety.
They also found that CGG repeat size shaped sleep-related mental health outcomes by sex. In boys with a PM, sleep problems’ effect on depression peaked at mid-range repeat sizes (around 70 CGG repeats). In girls with a PM, sleep’s link to anxiety grew steadily stronger as repeat size increased. CGG repeat size did not independently predict outcomes but modified the relationship between sleep problems and mental health.
The findings provide an important foundation for future studies incorporating direct neurodevelopmental and clinical assessments of children with fragile X premutation. These findings emphasize the need for more proactive and consistent monitoring of children with a fragile X premutation in early childhood, when intervention can have the most significant impact. The researchers’ findings were published in the article, “Parental report–based assessment of sleep problems and mental health in an unreferred cohort of children with a fragile X premutation,” in the journal Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience.
“This research reflects OPWDD’s commitment, not just to providing high quality services, but to advancing the field’s understanding of the underlying conditions that affect the people we support,” said OPWDD Commissioner Willow Baer. “By identifying sleep and mental health conditions early, we can help ensure that families supporting a child with a Fragile X premutation receive appropriate guidance and support when it is the most effective.”
“These findings show how important it is for studies to look beyond the children who are already flagged for concerns,” said Dr. Jill Pettinger, Deputy Commissioner for Statewide Services at OPWDD. “Because the children who were studied had not been identified through clinical referral, we’re seeing a more accurate picture of how sleep and mental health interact in the broader population of children with a premutation.”
This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Supported in part by funds from OPWDD.
About OPWDD and IBR:The Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (IBR) is the research arm of the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). IBR also provides clinical services and conducts educational programs. OPWDD is responsible for coordinating services for New Yorkers with developmental disabilities, including intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorders, Prader-Willi syndrome, and other neurological impairments.
| Five Years of Progress for People With Developmental Disabilities |
| Dear Friends and Colleagues, Milestones are important. They give us a chance to look back at where we started and appreciate how far we’ve come over a distinct period of time. This week, we are observing 5 years of partnership working together with Governor Hochul and her administration to advance our mission to create richer lives for people with developmental disabilities. I created a short video outlining what I believe are a few of our most significant wins over the past 5 years.These wins belong to all of us because you advocated for them. WATCH THE VIDEO It is your voices that have helped us to achieve:More specialized healthcare for you that’s closer to you through $25 million in grants for the creation of regional health clinics that offer accessible dental, clinical care, and healthcare services More independence through Supported Decision-Making Financial support for research and remembering the past with a $75 million commitment to the Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities and the creation of the Willowbrook Center for Learning More investment in our Direct Support Staff with more than $4 billion for staff wages and through professional development with State universities and the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals A belief that people with developmental disabilities can and should work through the establishment of Employment FirstI’m so proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish together over these last five years, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.We’ve heard some great ideas from you through our Future Planning Forums and meetings with people we support and families all across the state, and we look forward to all that we can achieve together over the next 5 years.Thank you for your ongoing advocacy that keeps us moving forward.Sincerely, Willow Baer Commissioner |
| HE RIGHTS OF ALL PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE THREATENED |
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| Federal officials are reversing long-held positions in multiple court cases on the rights of people with disabilities to access home and community-based service, fueling concerns of a return to institutionalization. In recent weeks, the U.S, Department of Justice pulled out of one disability rights case and completely altered its argument in another, potentially foreshadowing a wave of changes that could affect the lives of thousands of people with disabilities across the nation, advocates say. “These are very significant reversals of DOJ’s position,” said Eve Hill, a civil rights attorney who served as deputy assistant attorney general for civil rights in the Obama administration. “We are at risk of returning to the terrible conditions people with disabilities were forced to endure when they were locked away out of sight and out of mind.” KEEP READING-> |
Last Few Chances to Join STEPS2!
Start the school year with confidence—STEPS2 offers free online education in health, relationships, and well-being for young adults with Autism and/or intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Sign Up Here: STEPS2 Interest Form
More than 600 young adults have already joined STEPS2 — only a few cycles remain!
We want to thank the partners, families, educators, care managers, and care teams who have helped us reach more than 600 participants. As STEPS2 enters its final cycles, your referrals can help eligible young adults access inclusive health education before enrollment closes. If you have someone in mind, now is the time to refer them.
If you know someone who:
- Is 16–27 years old
- Lives in New York State
- Has Autism and/or an intellectual or developmental disability
- Has not already participated in STEPS2
They may be eligible to participate in our free online health education program and can earn up to $100 in gift cards by completing interviews alongside the classes. With only a few cycles remaining, please share STEPS2 as soon as possible so they do not miss the opportunity to participate.
How It Works:
STEPS2 is a free online program for New York residents aged 16–27 with I/DD. Participants attend one-hour Zoom sessions for six weeks, covering either sexual health and socialization OR nutrition, exercise, and stress management. Each participant is randomly assigned to one of the two tracks and completes four online surveys, earning up to $100 in gift cards ($25 per survey).
Email: steps2@sph.cuny.edu
Phone: (914) 365-8959
Participant Interest Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSezMuS1iDTHxWI-yVHkrZJbWlA0gyufQaxy3ivYXcHBlFBzPw/viewform
CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy
55 W. 125th St. #7th Floor, New York, NY 10027
| FEDERAL NEWS |
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| Long-term care is one of the most significant expenses older adults and their families face. Yet, Medicare does not provide a comprehensive, accessible home care benefit. As a result, far too many older adults are forced to spend down their savings and fall into poverty to access essential care. Last week, Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) introduced the Medicare at Home Act (H.R.10020/S. 5270), which would take a major step towards ensuring Medicare fulfills one of the greatest needs older adults who rely on the program expect it to. The Medicare at Home Act would add a personal care benefit to Medicare Part B, helping older adults get the assistance they need with daily activities before they experience financial hardship. The new benefit would work alongside the existing Medicare home health benefit, and Medicaid home-based care coverage would remain available for those who need it. Justice in Aging also supports the HCBS Access Act, which would transform Medicaid long-term care by making home and community-based services (HCBS) a comprehensive and universally covered Medicaid benefit. The HCBS Access Act (S.5321/H.R. 8540) Both the Medicare at Home Act and the HCBS Access Act would make enormous strides towards ensuring older adults can age in dignity, and we are committed to working with Congress to enact these overdue investments in long-term care. |
| Dept. of Health Survey on Updating the Children’s Waiver |
| The New York State Department of Health (The Department) is preparing to submit a Waiver Renewal application to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). This affects: Children’s Home and Community Based Service (HCBS) Providers, Health Homes Serving Children, Children’s Care Management Agencies (CMAs), and Medicaid Managed Care Plans (MMCPs) including Mainstream Managed Care and HIV Special Needs Plans This renewal, if approved, would allow Children’s Waiver Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) to continue to be provided in New York State for the time period of April 1, 2027- March 31, 2032. The Department of Health is proposing a few updates be added to the Children’s Waiver. The Department is seeking feedback from HCBS participants/families, providers, and other stakeholders on these proposed updates. Stakeholders are also encouraged to provide additional feedback for the Department related to their experience with and/or suggestions for the Children’s Waiver. The Department is requesting that stakeholders assist with obtaining feedback from participants/families by sharing this survey with them directly and/or completing this survey on their behalf. If responding on behalf of multiple participants/families, submit a separate survey for each. Please complete the survey by no later than August 28, 2026. Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6JVK56W Questions about the survey can be submitted to BH.Transition@health.ny.gov . |
| ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITIES |
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| ADVOCACY FOR YOUTH WITH COMPLEX NEEDS |
| The Complex Needs Bill (A.7603B/S.7978A) was passed unanimously by both the Assembly and Senate. We need as many organizations as possible to sign onto a joint letter to the Governor urging her to sign the bill. The bill will (fact sheet attached): Set time requirements for the Interagency Resolution Unit to complete evaluation and diagnostic studies and for services to be effectuated, thereby speeding up connection to services Create a confidential, online portal available to state, local and voluntary agencies to locate services with real-time information about availability of services, eligibility, etc. and improve coordination of services Strengthen accountability by requiring regular reporting to the Governor and legislature on the status of children who are boarding in hospitals |
| Please take two actions: 1. Sign your organization onto the letter Read the letter Sign the letter here: https://forms.gle/8VXJamFdobLyubdB8Deadline to sign: Tuesday, September 8th, 2026 |
MTA Adds Kings Highway F to Growing List of Accessible Subway Stations
All Local and SBS Buses Will Have Dedicated Stroller Space by End of the Year
Expansion Made Possible By $1.5 Million in Secured Funding from Four State Elected Officials
Builds on MTA’s Commitment to Make Transit Accessible for All
Celebrate Disability Pride Month 2026 with the MTA
https://view.info.mta.org/?vawpToken=BARJQTVUWZ3EDEQ3AJTX4A7SK4.120047
on wednesday at the July Board Meeting, the MTA signed a settlement agreement with the Center for Independence of the Disabled New York (CIDNY) and disability advocates. This settlement ends a nine-year litigation, and affirms our commitments for real-time elevator communications, announcements, and training.
Watch our statement on the settlement.
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