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

Sun Feb 9 21:29:31 UTC 2014

Deb, and all:

Even if we are not able to articulate these points as well as Rich did, our letters still matter and still help.  The template for quality is there.  What we need now in order to be heard is volume.  That means everyone has to step up.  I'm about to start writing mine now and signed in to my email to read great letters like the one posted by Rich for inspiration.

Equality will be ours if we want it badly enough.  How hungry are we?

Justin

From: Ct-nfb [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Deb Reed
Sent: Sunday, February 09, 2014 3:09 PM
To: Richard McGaffin; NFB of Connecticut Mailing List
Cc: portia.y.wu at who.eop.gov; Colangelo.Matthew at dol.gov; Valerie Jarrett; Claudia_L_Gordon at who.eop.gov; martinez.kathy at dol.gov
Subject: Re: [Ct-nfb] Position on Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act (H.R. 831)

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<mailto: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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