[nfbmi-talk] Fw: wia concerns blind disabilities

[joe harcz Comcast]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: joe harcz Comcast 
To: senatorstabinow at senate.gov 
Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2014 9:33 AM
Subject: wia concerns blind disabilities


February 5, 2014

 

Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

 

1365 E. Mt. Morris Rd.Mt. Morris, MI 48458

810-516-5262

joeharcz at comcast.net

 

Re: WIA Concerns

 

Washington, DC Office

Senator Debbie Stabenow

133 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Phone: (202) 224-4822

TTY: (202) 224-2066

 

(Sent via e-mail)

 

 

 

Dear Senator Stabinow,

 

As a person who is blind, a constituent, and advocate for persons with disabilities I am writing you today 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.

 

 

Moreover, as a long time advocate for equal protections and basic fair play for all laboring people and for an increase in the minimum wages for all workers I find these separate standards for workers with disabilities in these contexts clearly discriminatory on their face. Simply, here people with certain disabilities are not given the same protections as others and separate wage standards and protections are inherently unequal.

 

 

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, or is supposed to provide to people with disabilities?

 

 

 

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 sincerely thank you in advance for your attention to this matter and look forward to hearing back from you  on these important issues.

 

Sincerely,

 

Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

 

Member: National Federation of the Blind, Michigan