[Ct-nfb] Position on Fair Wages for Persons with Disabilities Act

[Barbara Blejewski]

President Barack Obama 

The White House

1600Pennsylvania Avenue, NW 

Washington, DC 20500 





February 10, 2014    



Dear Mr. President: 



In your January 28th State of the Union address in conjunction with a Conference Call Vice President Biden, and the Secretary of Labor, The Thomas E. Perez, onJanuary 29th, you announced that all Federal contractors would be required by executive order to pay   their Federally funded workers at least $10.10 per hour under any new contracts.  The National Federation of the Blind, the oldest and the largest organization of Blind Americans encourage you too include workers with disabilities in this Executive Order; affirmatively and explicitly.  We further encourage you to announce that you will sign The Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act, (H.R.831.)Sponsorship by one republican and substantial Democratic co-sponsorship demonstrates that this piece of nonpartisan legislation will responsibily phase out the discriminatory practice of paying workers with disabilities less than the minimum wage.



Our respect and prayers to Americans like First Class Sergeant 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.  However, we must point out that his value to our society is not a function of the restoration of his eyesight and/or his ability to walk but concerns the simple fact that he is a human being with determination, belief in himself, love of the United States, and asperations for his future.  There are millions of people who actively seek to serve this nation we love by utilizing 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 of us may be unable to walk; some may have developmental disabilities which require innovative interventions; and still others have disabilities that require them to perform everyday tasks by using different WAYS of accomplishing them.  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 exists for all.  Let us go where our dreams and toil will take us- none of it is easy. However,if we go together; if we summon what is best in us, the way Cory Remsburg summoned what is best in him, with our feet planted firmly in today, but our eyes cast toward tomorrow I know it’s within our reach.”  We believe that this America includes people with disabilities, and we ask you to believe in it as well!”



Sincerely: 



Barbara Blejewski



Cc:  Vice President Joseph R. Biden 

Cc:  The Honorable Thomas E. Perez          
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