Comment Today to Support Equal Pay for People with Disabilities!

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Comment Today to Support Equal Pay for People with Disabilities! Just 4 more days left to comment on the Department of Labor's website, “the Section14(c) National Online Dialogue.”  The purpose of the website is to collect comments from the public about the impact of paying subminimum wages to people with disabilities under section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. It is critical that you make your voice heard!  Input from people with disabilities, families, employment providers and employers is important.   National APSE has created a tutorial that will guide you step-by-step to submit your comments to the Section 14(c) National Online Dialogue website Click here to view the tutorial: https://tinyurl.com/yyu539l4 Ideas to include in your comments are: If you are a person with a disability or a family member, talk about why a community job at fair pay is important to you/your family.  Think about relationships with co-workers, how you/your family member have grown in your job, and opportunities to go into the broader community.  If you/your family member have ever been paid subminimum wages, talk about how that made you feel and about your transition from sheltered work to CIE. If you are an employment provider, talk about how you support people with disabilities in competitive integrated employment.  If you are a provider who has transitioned away from using 14(c) certificates, talk about that experience. If you are an employer, talk about your experience with employees with disabilities.  Think about their contributions to your workplace and how you have been able to ensure their success. If you are an advocate familiar with disability employment trends in your state, share information about that progress.  Think about what policies have advanced CIE and how your state may be moving away from using sheltered workshops. It is very important that we urge the Department of Labor to continue the progress towards ending this outdated and discriminatory practice. Remember, you only have until June 14th to make your voice heard!