Support Equal Pay for People with Disabilities!  End subminimum wages.

Submit your comments or feedback by June 21, 2019.

Make sure your voice is heard and that people with disabilities are truly represented!

Employers with Section 14C certificates can legally pay people with disabilities subminimum wages.  These wages are less than the federal minimum wage.  Often, these hourly wages are pennies on the dollar.  Section 14C certificates are typically used in “sheltered workshops.” These workshops group people with disabilities together in separate places, unseen by their community. They give them simple tasks that do not prepare them for real jobs with regular pay.  It’s time for society to move past these low expectations for disabled workers.

Urge the Department of Labor to end the outdated and discriminatory practice of paying subminimum wages to people with disabilities.  

DRNC recently issued a report, Moving Into the Economic Mainstream.  It details the need for North Carolina to phase out section 14C certificates and subminimum wages for people with disabilities. The Department of Labor is currently having an online dialogue about this issue.

Input from people with disabilities, families, providers employers, and advocates on section 14C and equal pay is important.  Share your perspective online before Friday, June 14th.

Ideas to include in your comments:

  • 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
    • 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.  Include your transition from sheltered work to CIE.
  • If you are an employer/employment provider:
    • talk about how you support people with disabilities in competitive integrated employment.
    • If you have transitioned away from section 14C certificates, include that.
    • Share your experiences with employees with disabilities.  Think about their contributions to your workplace.
  • If you are an advocate:
    • Share that people with disabilities need to be part of the economic mainstream and paid at least minimum wage.

Don’t let people with disabilities remain unheard.