[Ct-nfb] Position on Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act (H.R. 831)

[Deb Reed]

Dear Richard,
May I commend you on this thoughtful and very well said letter to our
president. George and I had the pleasure of having breakfast with you and
your wife at the state convention last year and enjoyed ourselves. I
appreciate your efforts for this important cause. I really do not think
anyone could have expressed these very important points better than you
have.
Sincerely,
Debbie Reed, Secretary
Central CT Chapter of NFB


On Sun, Feb 9, 2014 at 3:10 PM, Richard McGaffin <rmcgaffin at snet.net> wrote:

> February 9, 2014
>
> President Barack Obama
> The White House
> 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
> Washington, DC 20500
>
>
> Dear Mr. President:
>
> In your January 28th State of the Union Address, and via a conference call
> with Vice President Biden and Secretary of Labor Perez on January 29th, it
> was announced that all contractors would be required by executive order to
> pay their federally funded workers at least $10.10 an hour under any new
> contracts. The National Federation of the Blind, the oldest and largest
> nationwide organization of blind Americans, urges you to include workers
> with disabilities in this executive order, affirmatively and explicitly. We
> further urge you to announce that you will sign the Fair Wages for Workers
> with Disabilities Act (H.R. 831) if and when that legislation reaches your
> desk. With a Republican sponsor and substantial Democratic co-sponsorship,
> this nonpartisan piece of legislation will responsibly phase out the
> discriminatory practice of paying workers with disabilities less than the
> minimum wage.
>
> Our respect and prayers go out to Americans like Sergeant First Class Cory
> Remsburg, who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom
> and
> equality we seek to enjoy as American citizens. We are thankful that
> Sergeant Remsburg is recovering from the wounds he suffered in service to
> this great nation. But we must point out that his value to our society is
> not a function of the restoration of his eyesight and ability to walk, but
> of the simple fact that he is a human being with determination, belief in
> himself, love for the United States, and aspirations for his future. There
> are millions of others who actively seek to serve this nation we love with
> our unique talents and strengths, whether or not we can benefit from
> technology or medical intervention that will mitigate or eliminate our
> disabilities. Some of us may be blind in both eyes; others may not be able
> to hear; some may be unable to walk; some may have developmental
> disabilities that require innovative interventions; and still others may
> have other disabilities that require them to perform everyday tasks a
> little
> differently. We seek to have our different characteristics embraced as
> respected contributions to our nation's diversity, not as badges of
> inferiority that condemn us to a life of low wages and low expectations. We
> are no less valuable, we are no less capable, and we are no less American
> than any other citizen.
>
> We wholeheartedly agree with you when you say, "The America we want for our
> kids - a rising America where honest work is plentiful and communities are
> strong; where prosperity is widely shared and opportunity for all lets us
> go
> as far as our dreams and toil will take us - none of it is easy. But if we
> work together; if we summon what is best in us, the way Cory summoned what
> is best in him, with our feet planted firmly in today but our eyes cast
> towards tomorrow - I know it's within our reach." We believe that this
> America includes people with disabilities, and we ask you to demonstrate
> that you believe it as well.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Richard McGaffin, President of the Southern Connecticut Chapter
> NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
> cc: Vice President Joseph R. Biden
>       The Honorable Thomas E. Perez
>
>
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