Phase Out Subminimum Wage and Sheltered Workshops
If you care about high expectations, integrated employment, and valued adult lives, now is the time to ACT! On July 22nd, 2014 President Obama signed into law the Workforce and Innovation Act (WIOA). The enactment of this law established The Department of Labor Advisory Committee on Increasing Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities (ACICIEID), charged with developing recommendations for consideration by the Secretary of Labor and Administration. These recommendations will impact, among other issues, the future of sheltered workshops and subminimum wages, Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
What Can YOU Do?
• Send an email to the committee at IntegratedCompetitiveEmployment@dol.gov
• Please send your email no later than this Friday, July 31
• Include the following:
“I am _______________(your name) and I am (a parent, self advocate, researcher, provider, etc.) from __________________(your state of residence). I urge the Advisory Committee to approve the WIOA Advisory Committee subcommittee reports as written, and strengthen any measures that increase focus on supporting people with significant disabilities to achieve integrated employment and phase-out subminimum wages and sheltered workshops.”
Please include a sentence or two of why you feel this way, and feel free to use your own words. Be sure to review the committee’s recommendations and share specific comments.
TASH sees this as an opportunity for action and is calling for the rapid and immediate development of individualized and integrated employment for all people with disabilities and the measured and permanent replacement of segregated activity centers and sheltered workshops.
View TASH’s letter analyzing subcommittee reports here.
Future generations of people with disabilities are depending on YOU for your action this week!
Learn more about integrated employment.