
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). NDEAM is a time to celebrate the power of developmental diversity in the workplace!
It is also a time to look back at what we have accomplished in the supported employment arena.
In 2024, there is still a law on the books at the federal level, Sect 14c of the Fair Labor Standards Act, that allows organizations to apply for a federal subminimum wage certificate. As a person who has been paid sub-min wage, I believe it is the biggest civil rights abuse of people with disabilities. I travel a lot for work and when someone on the plane asks what I do they are shocked to learn that people with disabilities can be paid less than the minimum wage.
The road to pay equity for people with disabilities has been a long one and there is a lot of traction around the issue right now. My policy as well as AtWork!’s long-standing policy is that subminimum wages should be phased out in a way that leaves no one behind. As we are a few months away from 2025, I have a lot of hope that next year will be the year that something happens. I was recently invited to speak on an OIRA call (Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs) about my experience being paid subminimum wages. OIRA involvement usually means that a federal agency is close to making a decision.
Equity for all means ALL.