[Ohio-talk] article by President Riccobono

[Richard Payne]

I wanted to share this with you because it speaks to what we are constantly
fighting for.
Dear Affiliate Presidents:
 
Below is an article by President Riccobono that appeared in The Hill last
Friday. 
 
American Nightmare: How workers with disabilities are denied economic
prosperity
By Mark A. Riccobono 
The Hill - 11/30/2018
 
"Workers paid only a few dollars per hour." "Disabled workers exploited for
profit." "Employers pay next to nothing for manual labor." If you read these
headlines at the top of your newspaper, would you think you were reading
about sweatshops in some distant developing country? If someone were to tell
you that every day hundreds of thousands of workers with disabilities are
paid less, typically far less, than the minimum wage in cities like Boston,
Los Angeles, Cleveland, or Salt Lake City, would you believe them? Would the
thought ever cross your mind that this could happen right here in the United
States?
 
The stark reality is that everything you just read is true. People with
disabilities are paid subminimum wages and it's completely legal for
companies to do so
<https://www.vox.com/2018/5/3/17307098/workers-disabilities-minimum-wage-wai
ver-rock-river-valley-self-help> .
 
The Fair Labor Standards Act, passed in 1938, was a landmark law enacted
with the specific intention of protecting the rights of American workers. It
established such modern norms as a 40-hour workweek, overtime pay,
restrictions against child labor, and the federal minimum wage. However, it
also introduced an exception to that minimum wage with the inclusion of
Section 14(c), which allows employers to obtain a special wage certificate
granting the permission to pay people with disabilities at a rate "lower
than the minimum wage." There it is in black and white, discrimination
codified into United States law.
 
According to the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division, 321,131
Americans with disabilities are currently employed under 14(c) certificates.
That is more than 300,000 people who are legally able to be paid less than
the minimum wage by employers like major restaurant and hotel chains,
consignment stores and school districts. Even more disturbing is that most
of these organizations are nonprofits, which receive set aside government
contracts for hiring workers with disabilities while paying those same
workers subminimum wages. This is perhaps the most insidious and cruel form
of "double-dipping."
 
Many argue that giving disabled Americans something to do, even if it means
paying us next to nothing, is better than us doing nothing. They will argue
that earning a paycheck, even if a week's check amounts to just a few
dollars, provides a sense of dignity for disabled Americans. They argue that
providing some place for disabled Americans to go, even if it is a workshop
where we perform repetitive and mind-numbing labor, is better than sitting
at home. They argue that all of these things foster feelings of pride and
independence in disabled Americans. This misguided notion of charity is
actually pity, and is insulting to disabled workers, because it presumes we
do not know and can't understand the value of money. I'm not convinced that
anyone can feel proud and independent when their paycheck for a week of work
is not enough to afford a value meal at a fast food restaurant. Are you?
 
To put it bluntly, Americans with disabilities do not want your pity. We
want your respect. We want you to respect us enough to extend the
opportunity to work in a meaningful job, to work side-by-side with you
toward a common goal, and most importantly to earn a living wage so that we
can be independent.
 
The American Dream is generally understood as the opportunity for anyone,
regardless of background, to achieve success and prosperity through hard
work and determination. Section 14(c) creates a second class of citizens,
based solely on disability, that are unable to experience the benefits of
that dream. Americans with disabilities are determined, we are willing, and
we are most definitely able to work hard, but regardless of how hard we
work, success and prosperity will always be well out of reach as long as
Section 14(c) is on the books. Our nation's commitment to end discrimination
against people with disabilities must include ending the payment of
subminimum wages, otherwise it is nothing more than a hollow platitude.
 
https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/civil-rights/419107-american-nightma
re-how-workers-with-disabilities-are-denied
 
 
 
 


Richard Payne,  President
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
937-396-5573or 937/829/3368
Rchpay7 at gmail.com
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


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