Document 0683
 DOCN  M95A0683
 TI    Lawsuit charges New York City is denying basic AIDS services.
 DT    9510
 SO    AIDS Policy Law. 1995 Mar 24;10(5):7-8. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       AIDS/95700238
 AB    Three AIDS advocacy groups have filed suit against New York City's
       Division of AIDS Services. This suit is the first of its kind to charge
       that a government agency failed to meet the American's with Disabilities
       Act's (ADA) requirement of equal access to benefits and services.
       Thousands of people are going without basic services such as food,
       shelter and medical care because of budget and staff cuts (cuts as high
       as 27 percent in the past year, while caseloads have risen by 20
       percent). Mayor Rudolph Giuliani cut the budget of the Division of AIDS
       Services to $57.4 million from $72.7 million as part of a plan to
       improve services by reducing the workforce--called redeployment. The
       lawsuit claims the reductions in staff have left the agency in a state
       of institutional chaos, resulting in the effective denial to plaintiffs
       of essential programs, services and benefits. The lawsuit states that
       the city violated Title II of the ADA; Section 504 of the Federal
       Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and Article 17, Sections 1 and 3, of the New
       York State Constitution. The lawsuit also contends that state officials
       failed to supervise the city's social service programs and asked the
       court to enjoin the city from further reducing staff at the Division of
       AIDS services and from altering the structure and functions of the
       agency without court review.
 DE    *Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome  Food  *Government Agencies  Health
       Services  Housing  New York City  Public Assistance/*LEGISLATION &
       JURISPRUD  NEWSLETTER ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).