Why Individuals With Disabilities Are Being Paid Below Minimum Wage

Peter Blanck, University Professor and chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute, was quoted in the Bloomberg Law article “‘Subminimum’ Pay for Disabled Workers Moves Closer to Extinction.”

Blanck discussed the unfair circumstances under which individuals with disabilities have been paid significantly less than minimum wage due to the 14(c) program. He said, “There are people who can be moved to competitive employment and there are people who would have great difficulty doing that. We’re at a novel time where people are looking for ways to reform the 14(c) program, and it’s not as simple as just raising the minimum wage for everyone. You might have the same outcome whereby many people with disabilities who don’t need to be there just stay there.”