National Federation of the Blind Praises Secretary Clinton's Remarks on Employment of People with Disabilities

BALTIMORE, March 30, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Federation of the Blind  commented today on recent remarks by Hillary Clinton in which she called for ending "the tiered minimum wages for … people with disabilities."

Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "The National Federation of the Blind applauds Secretary Clinton for stating boldly and unequivocally that she rejects the discriminatory practice of paying workers with disabilities subminimum wages. We call upon the other presidential candidates to join with us and over seventy-five other organizations of people with disabilities in supporting the repeal of Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, and to reject the misconceptions and low expectations that have for too long kept people with disabilities from achieving our dreams."

A provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act dating from the law's enactment in 1938, known as Section 14(c), allows facilities to apply for special wage certificates that permit them to pay workers with disabilities subminimum wages. About three thousand entities pay more than 250,000 workers with disabilities wages as low as pennies per hour, according to 2016 statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division.

About the National Federation of the Blind

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.

CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
[email protected]

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SOURCE National Federation of the Blind

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