Opportunities
Options For All KEEPING AMERICA HUMMING
A
ll persons are entitled to the same basic human rights , including an equal opportunity to earn fair wages . In celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month , we recognize the contributions of persons living with disabilities and how they keep America ’ s workplaces and the economy humming . Beyond celebration , Options For All continuously takes action to support those with disabilities .
A “ New Deal ” regulation dating to 1938 allows employers to compensate staff with disabilities at a rate less than the federal minimum wage . This practice is particularly egregious when it comes to individuals living with intellectual and developmental disabilities ( I / DD ). In California alone , where this outdated workplace approach is still legal , over 12,000 I / DD adults are ensnared by a system which pays an average of $ 3.34 per hour . However , great news is on the horizon . Senate Bill 639 ( Durazo ), spearheaded in part by Options For All , would banish this practice by requiring businesses to pay all employees at least the minimum wage ,
Randy Smith
26 GBSAN . COM | OCTOBER 2021