National Call on Sub-Minimum Wage Issue to be Held Nov 15

Register for call by November 10!

Disability advocacy organizations continue to work on ending subminimum wage pay for people with disabilities. There’s an important meeting November 15 to share your input.

People with disabilities are legally allowed to be paid below minimum wage if a company has a special 14(c) certification. The law states that “employers who have this certification are allowed to pay substandard wages because of the impairment in productivity the company may suffer due to the disabled worker,” according to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

One of the organizations leading the fight to change this practice is the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). They have already had one virtual meeting with lawmakers in Washington DC. You can register for the next meeting, which will be held November 15 from 5:30 – 7 PM Eastern.

Registration is now open and will close November 10. The link to register is: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/14cEngagement. There is a button at the bottom of the page that reads “registration link” in fairly small print, which may require those with visual challenges to magnify the webpage. For those who have additional access issues, we have posted the AAPD accessibility support email here: Accessibility support email: jdavidson@aapd.com.

We strongly encourage you to attend this meeting. Even if you have not been directly impacted by this issue, chances are you know someone who has. This is your chance to not only advocate on behalf of others impacted, but who knows, just one story could end up making a tremendous difference for the entire disability community.

While attending this meeting will bring attention to the issue, there is yet another way you can make your voice heard. AAPD is circulating a petition to send to President Biden. They are asking people to sign the petition and tell their story. The petition may be found at www.endsubminimumwage.org.