[nfbmi-talk] so what about shelterred shops here?

[joe harcz Comcast]

Oregon warned of disabilities act violations

 

By The Associated Press

 

Published: (Wednesday, Jul 4, 2012 04:25AM) Today

 

SALEM — The federal government has warned the state of Oregon that too many people with disabilities are segregated in “sheltered workshops,” doing rote

work for low pay in institutional or industrial settings.

 

A letter from the U.S. Justice Department warns the state that it’s violating the Americans with Disabilities Act and faces court action.

 

The law requires states to provide services to people with disabilities in settings integrated into the wider community as much as possible.

 

But investigators found that the majority of intellectually or developmentally disabled workers did repetitive tasks such as folding, sorting and bagging

alongside other people with disabilities, said the letter from Thomas Perez, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division.

 

The settings for the workshops were described as “institutional in nature,” with little natural light. Some workshops were in industrial parks, so people

had trouble getting public transportation or leaving for lunch.

 

The nine-month investigation found that more than half the workers earned less than $3 an hour, with the average at $3.72

 

Source:

http://www.registerguard.com/web/newslocalnews/28336764-41/disabilities-settings-workshops-act-industrial.html.csp