CPR is advancing policies to end the unfair and discriminatory payment of subminimum wages to people with disabilities and to expand opportunities for community jobs at fair pay, known as competitive integrated employment (CIE). In addition to working with Congress on legislation to end subminimum wages and provide funding for expanding CIE, we also helped lead efforts to ensure people with disabilities were included in the federal minimum wage bill passed by the House, the first time a chamber of Congress has voted to end subminimum wages.
We will be testifying at an upcoming hearing of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on subminimum wages and also helped lead a Congressional briefing highlighting the experiences of people who have successfully transitioned to CIE from sheltered workshops. We formed the Coalition to Advance Competitive Integrated Employment to educate the public and policymakers about CIE (our new website is www.integratedemploymentnow.org) and to advocate against the Administration’s efforts to weaken rules defining CIE.