Caring for the Disabled is  a Labor of Love Bureaucratic tangles and false deadlines shouldn’t punish the caregivers. On September 1st, the state Department of Education will lay off 44 workers who care for the students at the State School for the Blind in Batavia, and transfer the jobs to the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. The transfer will occur without adequate protections to safeguard the wages, benefits, and seniority of these caregivers. This is a disservice to the children and an insult to their caregivers.  For some students, the only support they have comes from the caring workers at the school. For many of the workers the transfer could mean the loss of thousands of dollars in wages — as much as a 10 percent cut in pay for some. For the students it means many of the friends and workers they rely on might not be available because they may have to take other jobs to make ends meet.  These workers have earned our respect for their dedication and should be treated with the same compassion they give to their students.  No one gets rich caring for the disabled, for most it is a labor of love and sacrifice. These caregivers should not be punished because of an artificial deadline and bureaucratic tangles.  Call the Governor's Office at 1-877-255-9417. Tell the state to stop the layoffs and make sure the caregivers at the School for the Blind are treated fairly. Download PDF print ad PEF Public Relations ad campaigns This ad was created by the PEF PR department and appeared as a black & white version in the August 26, 2005 edition of The Batavia Daily News, and August 26, 28 editions of The Times Union and the Sept. 1st issue of their Capital Region insert. © Copyright 2005.