CW: Poverty & Ableism:
In May, the Department of Labor announced that the Office of Disability Employment Policy had chosen “Access to Good Jobs for All” as the theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month. National Disability Employment Awareness Month will take place in October. NDEAM recognizes the achievements of the nation’s disabled employees and promotes supportive, inclusive policies and practices that benefit both employees and businesses.
“Our theme in 2024, ‘Access to Good Jobs for All,’ speaks to our commitment to expand the number of employment opportunities for people with disabilities and the quality of those opportunities,” said Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy Taryn M. Williams. “Good jobs change lives and all workers — including disabled people — deserve the opportunity to prepare for success in high-quality, good-paying jobs in workplaces free of discrimination.”
In 1945, the government established the first national week to honor the contributions of physically disabled people. Congress designated NDEAM in 1988, and the commemoration evolved to recognize the importance of expanding the number of disabled people in the workplace. The Office of Disability Employment Policy was established in 2001 given the duty of overseeing NDEAM as well as selecting and promoting its annual subject.
Despite improvements, just 22.1% of disabled Americans were employed in 2023. Some disabled people who are employed earn subminnimum wages.
The average hourly wage for people employed these settings is $3.34. Subminimum wages are legal because certain disabled people have been allowed to be paid less than the minimum wage according to U.S. labor law since 1938. This law was enacted during the Great Depression to encourage more people to seek employment.
Progress has been made in making sure disabled employees are paid well. According to a January 2023 report to Congress from the United States Government Accountability Office, around 122,000 disabled workers were paid less than the federal minimum wage in 2019, compared to approximately 295,000 in 2010. Sixteen states have outlawed the practice entirely.
For other people, they can’t make too much money, or they risk losing vital benefits. Programs like Medicaid have strict income and asset limits.
A.J. Kreig has Spinal Muscular Atrophy and uses a wheelchair. Kreig graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2013. Unfortunately, he does not have the opportunity to work full-time as he had intended. He says that despite having a degree, he cannot receive the salary he would like.
PCAs help him get out of bed, bathe, and dress daily. According to a 2022 article, the state of Minnesota pays for Kreig’s services in full. However, he must make $1,113 or less monthly to retain them. That is the official poverty line.
Katie Vree works as a healthcare coordinator in Illinois. She has used a wheelchair since she was 17, following a spinal cord injury. Katie was eager to begin saving for the future, so she did what many Americans do: she opened a retirement account.
Last year, she learned that her Medicaid benefits were being discontinued. Katie was surprised to learn that she no longer qualified for Medicaid. She opened a 401K plan with her employer, which made her ineligible for Medicaid. Unfortunately, this means that Katie no longer receives the in-home care she needs.
In Illinois, the home services program has an asset limit of $17,500. Katie’s retirement savings amount to approximately $39,000. However, it’s not enough to cover the expense of a personal assistant to help her with activities of daily living. Katie estimates caregiving expenses will be approximately $70,000 per year.
The Office of Disability Employment Policy chose “Access to Good Jobs for All” as the theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month. However, we still have a long way to go before disabled people have access to well-paying, stable, jobs. Disabled people should be able to work just like nondisabled people.
Sources:
Diament, Michelle. “Labor Department Scrutinizing Subminimum Wage Employment.” Disability Scoop, Disability Scoop, 2 Oct. 2023, http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2023/10/02/labor-department-scrutinizing-subminimum-wage-employment/30571/.
“Department of Labor Announces ‘Access to Good Jobs for All’ as National Disability Employment Awareness Month’s 2024 Theme.” The United States Department of Labor, U.S. federal government, 13 May 2024, http://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/odep/odep20240513.
Littlefield, Susan-Elizabeth. “Minnesotans with Disabilities Say State Laws Restrict Financial Freedom.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 20 Nov. 2022, https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesotans-with-disabilities-say-state-laws-restrict-financial-freedom/.
“Persons with a Disability: Labor Force Characteristics Summary – 2023.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 22 Feb. 2024 https://www.bls.gov/news.release/disabl.nr0.htm
Selyukh, Alina. “Workers with Disabilities Can Earn JUST $3.34 an HOUR. Agency Says Law Needs Change.” NPR, NPR, 17 Sept. 2020, http://www.npr.org/2020/09/17/912840482/u-s-agency-urges-end-to-below-minimum-wage-for-workers-with-disabilities.
Victory , Lauren. “Chicago Area Woman’s Disability Benefits at Risk Because She’s Saved for Retirement.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 2 Oct. 2023, http://www.cbsnews.com/amp/chicago/news/woman-disability-benefits-risk/.