[Ohio-talk] FW: Two excellent editorial articles in today's New York Times

[Suzanne Turner]

Begin forwarded message:
From: "Pare, John" <JPare at nfb.org<mailto:JPare at nfb.org>>
Date: March 14, 2014, 10:24:13 AM EDT
To: "ndla-steering-committee at googlegroups.com<mailto:ndla-steering-committee at googlegroups.com>" <ndla-steering-committee at googlegroups.com<mailto:ndla-steering-committee at googlegroups.com>>, "ndla-general-list- at googlegroups.com<mailto:ndla-general-list- at googlegroups.com>" <ndla-general-list- at googlegroups.com<mailto:ndla-general-list- at googlegroups.com>>
Subject: Two excellent  editorial articles in today's New York Times
Reply-To: ndla-general-list- at googlegroups.com<mailto:ndla-general-list- at googlegroups.com>
LETTER. Disabled Workers. To the Editor: The unimaginable abuse endured by the men in Atalissa, Iowa ('The 'Boys' in the Bunkhouse,' front page, March 9), has finally come to an end, yet the Labor Department continues to allow the exploitation of developmentally disabled workers throughout the country.. Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which allows for the payment of a subminimum wage to workers with disabilities, persists in direct violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act. The National Council on Disability calls for the phasing out of the discriminatory program and outlines a transitional strategy that focuses on financial incentives for states to expand supportive, integrated employment and reduce and eventually eliminate the sheltered workshops where the vast majority of subminimum-wage workers languish. Economic justice, desegregation and inclusion in American society are goals still eluding many of our citizens who are deemed to be worth less than the minimum wage determined by Congress for everyone else. GABRIEL FENIGSOHN Jackson Hts., Queens, March 10, 2014.

EDITORIAL. Saving a Future for Those With Disabilities. By THE EDITORIAL BOARD. Back in the old days, when Congress did crazy things like pass legislation, a sensible bill like the ABLE Act might have sailed to the president's desk. But today, even with a long list of positives -- it's a good idea, solves a pressing problem and has lots of bipartisan support -- it's not a slam dunk, because there's always a way in Washington to squelch good ideas, especially those that involve tweaking the tax code and spending a little money. The Achieving a Better Life Experience Act would be a boon for people with disabilities, and for their parents and other caregivers. It would allow them to put money into tax-deferred savings plans, like the 529 plans that parents use to save for college, to cover expenses like education, housing, transportation, therapy, rehabilitation and assistive technology. Advocates say the accounts, called 529-ABLE plans, would be easier and less expensive to set up and maintain than the trust funds often used for beneficiaries with disabilities.. Such accounts would go far to ease the worries of parents who have children with disabilities that require intensive, expensive forms of care. They would also be particularly useful in fostering a saver's independence. One advocate who has lobbied strenuously for the bill, Sara Wolff of Moscow, Pa., makes that case. She works in a law office and volunteers with the local office of the Arc, the national organization for people with intellectual disabilities. Ms. Wolff has Down syndrome and receives Supplemental Security Income benefits, but cannot accumulate more than $2,000 in assets without becoming ineligible for that aid. A 529-ABLE plan would allow her to work and save and keep those benefits. Questions about the future of a child with a disability can be a deep source of anxiety, if not anguish, for parents who wonder what will happen after they die. As people with disabilities live longer, it's only sensible to help them secure their futures. At last count the bill had 342 co-sponsors in the House and 66 in the Senate. That is well beyond a critical mass of support; it just needs a vote. Supporters have been trying for seven years to get the ABLE Act passed. Here's hoping this is its year..

John G. Paré, Jr.
Executive Director for Advocacy and Policy
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
200 East Wells Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
Telephone: (410) 659-9314, ext. 2218
Cell phone: (410) 917-1965
Fax: (410) 685-5653
Email: jpare at nfb.org<mailto:jpare at nfb.org>

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 have the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.

To make a donation to the National Federation of the Blind Imagination Fund campaign, please visit www.nfb.org/ImaginingOurFuture<http://www.nfb.org/ImaginingOurFuture>.


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Suzanne Turner, BSW, MPA
Employment Coordinator and Benefit Specialist

Cleveland Sight Center
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