Coalition For Self-Direction

June 2025 Town Hall Meeting

Weren’t able to make it to our Town Hall meeting? You can find it below to hear about our progress and how to prepare for the upcoming OPWDD Strategic Forums!

About Us

Coalition For Self-Direction (C4SD) is led by the families of New Yorkers with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities who rely on Self-Directed Services. It is an initiative of Families For Disability Rights (FDR), a non-profit organization.

We aim to uphold the 1999 Olmstead decision of the United States Supreme Court, which ruled that people with disabilities have a right to live and receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate. The Coalition welcomes all who value Self-Direction and/or interested in learning more.

In 2022, New York State started making changes that prevent people from getting the Self-Directed services they need. We have come together to protect the constitutional right of choice. If you need help with this, you can go straight to:

Join Our Mailing List

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Join Our Mailing List *

T: +1 (914) 693-2018‬
E: info@coalition4sdf.org

1 Bridge Street, Suite 83
Irvington, NY 10533

Upcoming Events

Change starts now.

C4SD is working tirelessly to make Self-Direction accessible to anyone who chooses it. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to voice your ideas and to advocate for people with disabilities to make their own choices.

People with IDD and their families must be able to choose the services they need to “live richer lives… experience personal health and growth and live in the home of their choice and fully participate in their communities,” as stated in the OPWDD mission. 

Dr. Allen Schwartz of OPWDD

Twenty years ago, Dr. Allen Schwartz of OPWDD sketched out a vision of how Self-Direction can deliver integrated services based on the civil right to choose. New York State has repeatedly acknowledged its obligation to deliver on Olmstead. Ten years ago, the 2013 report of the Olmstead Cabinet closed with the promise to: 

“Safeguard the fundamental civil rights of New Yorkers with disabilities to lead integrated lives.”