For the last 28 years, Mike Lizzi has been working with the Center for Disability Services. Since 2014, workplace is a cavernous facility in Albany that prints and sorts mail. 

"It's good for me, it helps me support my family. My daughter is going away to college pretty soon," he said. "So it's an enjoyable job for people like myself and others — disabled and not disabled — because we're serving the community."

For Lizzi, the job is a rewarding one, and with a daughter on the way to Syracuse University, it's a job that's also helped his family. 

"We're capable of doing everything that quote-un-quote 'other people' can do. We work with people who don't have disabilities as well," he said. "We're all on the same wavelength, same standards, same goals."

But for workers with developmental or intellectual disabilities, finding work in New York can be tough. There's a 65% unemployment rate in the state for people who have intellectual or developmental disabilities. New York ranks 40th nationally when it comes to employment for these communities. 

"We have this whole thoughtful conversation on diversity, equity and inculsion," said Maureen O'Brien, the president and CEO of New York State Industries for the Disabled. "It doesn't always include this population and it has to and it should."

A bill heading to Gov. Kathy Hochul's desk is meant to expand employment among people with developmental or intelluctual disabilities — a measure supporters say can help change lives. 

Advocates are urging Hochul to sign the measure, which would require the ratio of people with disabilities on any given contract to be at 50%. The provision is meant to underscore how people with disabilities can be in a broad-based workforce.

The meassure would also use updated terminology, such as deleting references to "workshops" and "severely" disabled. And the process for preferred source contracts would be simplified under the legislation, moving the threshold for review by the Office of General Services from $50,000 to $100,000.  

"It's a full, integrated employment for people with disabilities — working side by side with someone who is not disabled," O'Brien. 

At the Center for Disability Services fulfillment facility on Monday, workers were busily sorting, folding and moving mail to be sent through the post office just down the road. The facility handles mail for a variety of clients, including the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. 

Employees with disabilities were working alongisde people who do not have disabilities. CEO and President Greg Sorrentino said all workers are held to the same standards. 

"Everything we do from the job expectations to the measurements that we do to the statements of work we have with our customers all involves everyone working together as a team in an integrated way," he said, "and that's what makes this facility so special."