[Colorado-talk] Fix WIA Wednesday

[Jessica Beecham]

Guess What?

It is time for another Fix WIA Wednesday!  It is also my Birthday so as a present to me and the 400,000 Americans working for less than the federally mandated minimum wage, please take a minute of your time to contact your representatives and ask them to #fixwia.  There are a few ways that you can make this contact.

E-mails

below you will find a list of e-mail addresses for Senators Bennet and Udall.

Michael Bennet
Roger Low
roger_low at bennet.senate.gov

Mark Udall
Kim Corbin
kim_corbin at markudall.senate.gov

Social Media

I am including FaceBook and Twitter contact for each for Senators Bennet and Udall.  Remember use the hash tag #FixWIA

Mark Udall
@MarkUdall
https://www.facebook.com/markudall/app_190322544333196Phone Calls

Michael Bennet
@SenBennetCO
https://www.facebook.com/senatorbenneMt

Sample Post
@SennBennetCO Lets #fixwia remove section 511 and keep RSA in the DOE
@MarkUdall #fixwia Blind people want to work for a living wage!  Get rid of section 511 and keep RSA in DOE

You can also make phone calls!

Below you will find a letter that was written by Rose Slone from the NFB National Office.  You can use this letter as a template for your e-mail correspondence.    Remember to read through and take out any information pertaining personally to Rose and add your information.

February 5, 2014

Dear Senator,

I am writing to express my strong opposition to Section 511 of Title 5 of the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (S. 1356).  My main concern is that Section 511 introduces subminimum wage employment into the Rehabilitation Act for the first time ever.  Even more importantly, the title of Section 511 is not reflected in the text of Section 511.  While the title claims to put limitations on employment of individuals with disabilities at subminimum wage, Subsection a (4) of the bill text allows anyone to enter subminimum wage sheltered employment.

Senator, I have done my homework with respect to the impact of subminimum-wage sheltered employment on people with disabilities.  Studies show that people with disabilities who enter sheltered workshops rarely transition into competitive, community-integrated employment.  Even though the stated goal of WIA is to ensure community-integrated employment, subminimum wage employment is not a viable path to that goal.  Less than five percent of people with disabilities in subminimum wage sheltered employment receive a job in community-integrated employment.  Please strike Section 511 from WIA.

Additionally, I am concerned about the proposed move of the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor.  Just as sheltered workshops focus on what people with disabilities cannot do, the Department of Labor looks at what a person can currently do without taking into consideration their potential to build further skills.  The role of the Department of Education is to educate, or teach people new skills.  I fear that if RSA is moved to Labor, people with disabilities will not be able to reach their full potential.  Furthermore, there is no research that shows that moving RSA to the Department of Labor will be more efficient for people with disabilities.  Why not save the money that would be spent to make the move, and put it towards improving the services that RSA provides?

I hope that I can count on your support.  I sincerely feel that if you took the time to review Section 511 for yourself that you will realize that people with disabilities will be hindered by the current language in WIA.  Please offer an amendment that will strike Section 511 and will remove the language that moves RSA from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor.

I look forward to hearing back from you.  I fear that WIA may be coming to the floor soon.  Please contact me at (your e-mail here).

Thank you,

Rose Sloan