sheltered work environment

New York Times: The Opinion Pages

Better Pay for the Disabled

In a letter to the editor, Mississippi U.S. Congressman Gregg Harper wrote a recent court settlement regarding segregated work places in Rhode Island is not enough. Harper said a new bill he is cosponsoring, the Fair Wages for Workers With Disabilities Act, would phase out the practice of paying workers with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage over three years. Read more.

The New York Times

Rhode Island Settles Case on Jobs for the Disabled

The U.S. Justice Department and the State of Rhode Island settled a “landmark case” Tuesday that will effectively halt the long-running practice of segregating people with developmental disabilities from the general workforce by placing them in sheltered workshops and adult day programs.

Federal officials said the case provides a “road map” of compliance for the civil rights of an estimated 450,000 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the country. Read more.