[Nfbv-fairfax] Fwd: [Nfbnet-members-list] Workforce Investment Act Sabotages Rehabilitation Act Proposed Changes Would Trap Disabled Workers in Subminimum-Wage Employment, Threaten Rehabilitation System

[Wanda Taylor]

Hello everyone!

You should have received this however I am sending it to you just in case
you didn't.

Regards,
Wanda

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>
Date: Mon, Jul 29, 2013 at 5:17 PM
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] Workforce Investment Act Sabotages
Rehabilitation Act Proposed Changes Would Trap Disabled Workers in
Subminimum-Wage Employment, Threaten Rehabilitation System
To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org



*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
*Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
cdanielsen at nfb.org
*National Federation of the Blind:
Workforce Investment Act Sabotages Rehabilitation Act
Proposed Changes Would Trap Disabled Workers
in Subminimum-Wage Employment, Threaten Rehabilitation System
*
Baltimore, Maryland (July 29, 2013): The National Federation of the
Blind<http://www.nfb.org/>,
the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind people, expressed
its strong opposition to changes to the Rehabilitation Act contained in the
proposed Workforce Investment Act (S.1356), which has been introduced in
the United States Senate and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor and Pensions (the HELP Committee). The bill is scheduled
for a committee vote on Wednesday.
Dr. Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the
Blind<http://www.facebook.com/NationalFederationoftheBlind>,
said: “The proposed changes to the Rehabilitation Act contained in the
Workforce Investment Act reauthorization will do irreparable damage to our
nation’s rehabilitation system and to the blind people and other Americans
with disabilities whom it serves. Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, the HELP
Committee chairman, is leading the effort to include a new provision,
Section 511, which would, for the first time, authorize rehabilitation
agencies to place workers with disabilities in subminimum-wage
employment<http://www.nfb.org/fair-wages>.
This provision purports to introduce protections to limit the number of
youth with disabilities who are placed in subminimum wage employment, but
will have the unintended effect of trapping people with disabilities in
dead-end, segregated, subminimum-wage jobs with the blessing of the
rehabilitation system. We urge that this section be removed in its
entirety.
“We also oppose ranking committee member Senator Lamar Alexander’s effort
to move the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) from the
Department of Education to the Department of Labor. Rehabilitation is a
comprehensive program serving people with disabilities from childhood to
adulthood, so it should remain within the jurisdiction of the Department of
Education. Furthermore, the HELP Committee has provided no analysis or
evidence showing that this change would increase employment of people with
disabilities. At the very least, such a dramatic move requires study and
analysis. We strongly urge members of the HELP Committee and the Senate to
oppose these radical and unwarranted changes to our nation’s rehabilitation
programs.”
*###

*
About the National Federation of the Blind

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is the oldest, largest, and most
influential nationwide membership organization of blind people in the
United States. Founded in 1940, the NFB advocates for the civil rights and
equality of blind Americans, and develops innovative education, technology,
and training programs to provide the blind and those who are losing vision
with the tools they need to become independent and successful. We need your
support. To make a donation, please go to www.nfb.org.

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