<html>
<body>
<br>
<b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br>
<br>
CONTACT:<br>
</b>Chris Danielsen<br>
Director of Public Relations<br>
National Federation of the Blind<br>
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<br>
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)<br>
<a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org">cdanielsen@nfb.org</a><br>
<b> <br>
<div align="center">National Federation of the Blind Praises Secretary
Clinton’s Remarks on Employment of People with Disabilities<br>
</b></div>
<br>
<b>Baltimore, Maryland (March 30, 2016)</b>: The National Federation of
the Blind commented today on recent remarks by Hillary Clinton in
which she called for ending “the tiered minimum wages for people
with disabilities.”<br>
<br>
Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind,
said: "The National Federation of the Blind applauds Secretary
Clinton for stating boldly and unequivocally that she rejects the
discriminatory practice of paying workers with disabilities subminimum
wages. We call upon the other presidential candidates to join with us and
over seventy-five other organizations of people with disabilities in
supporting the repeal of Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act,
and to reject the misconceptions and low expectations that have for too
long kept people with disabilities from achieving our dreams.”<br>
<br>
A provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act dating from the law's
enactment in 1938, known as Section 14(c), allows facilities to apply for
special wage certificates that permit them to pay workers with
disabilities subminimum wages. About three thousand entities pay more
than 250,000 workers with disabilities wages as low as pennies per hour,
according to 2016 statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and
Hour Division.<br>
<br>
<div align="center"><b>###<br>
</div>
<br>
About the National Federation of the Blind <br>
</b> <br>
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</body>
</html>