It is time to fight for FairWages forPeople withDisabilities, H.R. 3086

From a blind member who is employed by the Lighthouse for the Blind. 

 

This bill will do nothing but cause unemployment for thousands and thousands of severely developmentally disabled people who work for NISH affiliated agencies and a few other work centers.  Since there is no money for day programs these people will sit with nothing to do but watch the paint on their walls get old all day.   These people love to come to work every day and if you support this bill you will essentially be telling them you don't care if they want to work.  The agencies that employ people with severe disabilities pay them a commensurate rate based on their ability to do the job.  If they are forced to pay them the full minimum wage every hour for doing only sometimes as little as 5 or 10% of the amount of work that a non disabled person could do, they will simply lay them off and they will have nothing to do.  Please do not put these people out of work.  They love their jobs and many of them could care less about money and have no concept of it.  Many of them do not even see their checks because the group home they live in takes it to help pay their living expenses. They just know it's time to go to work and are happy to do so. This bill is a bad idea that will only increase the already staggering unemployment rate for people with disabilities. 

 

 

---

From: wcb-l-bounces@wcbinfo.org [mailto:wcb-l-bounces@wcbinfo.org] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Friday, October 07, 2011 5:27 PM
To: wcb
Subject: [Wcb-l] It is time to fight for FairWages forPeople withDisabilities, H.R. 3086

 

From: David Andrews <dandrews@visi.com
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] Fwd: It is time to fight for Fair
Wages forPeople with Disabilities, H.R.  3086
Date sent: Thu, 06 Oct 2011 20:23:54 -0500



>It is time to fight for Fair Wages for People with Disabilities,
>H.R.  3086.  <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
>"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /



>We need to mobilize and gain quick cosponsor support.  Call
and/or
>schedule meetings with your Member of Congress immediately and
>express your support for H.R.  3086, the Fair Wages for People
with
>Disabilities Act of 2011.  Our success is dependent on our
efforts
>to respectfully educate all Members of Congress so that they
>understand the true employment capacity of people with
>disabilities.  Many of our talking points are listed in the
Findings
>section of the Fair Wages for People with Disabilities bill.  The
>text of the bill can be found at:
><http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:H.R.3086:>http://thom
as.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:H.R.3086:#.
>If you secure an opportunity to speak with the Member or the
>appropriate staffer, begin the education by sharing the following
>three points with them:


>    * The Tools Exist for Competitive Employment of People with
> Disabilities.  Most people still believe that people with
> disabilities cannot be competitively employed at or above the
> federal minimum wage.  Rehabilitations services, employment
> strategies, and adaptive technologies make it possible for
people
> with even the most significant disabilities to obtain employment
at
> the federal minimum wage or higher.


>    * It is Illogical for Doubters to Provide Training and/or
> Employment.  For years, those entities that have doubted the
> capacity of people with disabilities to be competitively
employed
> have been responsible for providing employment at subminimum
> wages.  This is extremely backward logic.  Employers that cannot
> provide the proper training and support for people with
> disabilities to obtain competitive employment at competitive
wages
> should not be providing training or employment for people with
disabilities.


>    * Removing the Misconception of Incapacity Provides More
> Employment Opportunities.  Employment of people with
disabilities
> at subminimum wages supports the misperception that people with
> disabilities are not productive enough to earn competitive
> wages.  This misperception is the largest barrier to the real
> employment of people with disabilities.  By eliminating the
legal
> contention that people with disabilities lack capacity for
> competitive employment, it is affirmed that when given the
proper
> training, support, and opportunities, people with disabilities
can
> be competitively employed in a variety of vocational
environments
> at competitive wages.



>We need you to schedule visits in your local districts
immediately
>and to make your calls to the Member's local and D.C.  offices
right
>now.  If they are willing to cosponsor, refer them to the
following staffers:



>Office of Representative Cliff Stearns (Republican, Sponsor)

>James Thomas, Legislative Director/O&I Policy Coordinator

>Phone: (202) 225-5744



>Office of Representative Tim Bishop (Democrat, Lead Cosponsor)

>Joanna Sara, Senior Legislative Assistant

>Phone: (202) 225-3826



>After you have had your visit or made your call, please provide
me
>with the following information:

>Which Member of Congress?

>Which State?

>Who did you speak to?



>Ask the question, "Will the Member cosponsor the Fair Wages for
>People with Disabilities legislation?"  What was their response?

>(  ) I was only able to express my support.

>(  ) The Member would like to co-sponsor

>(  ) The Member needs to research the issue.

>(  ) The Member can not support this legislation.

>(  ) Other: Explain________________________________



>Please contact me if you have any questions.  Also, feel free to
>refer the staffers directly to me (my contact information is at
the
>end of this e-mail).



>We have been working toward this goal since the founding of our
>organization.  The time is now for us to fight for Fair Wages for
>People with Disabilities, H.R.  3086.



>Sincerely,



>Anil



>Mr.  Anil Lewis, M.P.A.

>Director of Strategic Communications



>"Eliminating Subminimum Wages for People with Disabilities"

><http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Fair_Wages_For_Workers_With_Disabilities.
asp>http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Fair_Wages_For_Workers_With_Disabiliti
es.asp



>NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

>200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place

>Baltimore, Maryland 21230

>(410) 659-9314 ext.  2374 (Voice)

>(410) 685-5653 (Fax)

>E-mail: <mailto:alewis@nfb.org>alewis@nfb.org

>Web: <http://www.nfb.org/>www.nfb.org



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