New Push Underway to Eliminate Subminimum Wage
Government investigators say that a lack of resources is one of the main reasons people with disabilities continue to work for less than minimum wage. Now, some lawmakers want to change that. A bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives this month would phase out what’s known as subminimum wage over five years and provide the means to support people with disabilities in the transition to competitive, integrated employment.
The legislation introduced by Reps. Bobby Scott, D-Va., and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., seeks to do away with a federal provision dating back to 1938 that allows employers to obtain special 14(c) certificates from the Department of Labor authorizing them to pay people with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
Colleges Will Require the Covid Vaccine-These are the Challenges Ahead
Every year, colleges across the country require students to get vaccinations for diseases such as Measles and Tetanus. Now, one year into the coronavirus pandemic, vaccines against the virus are becoming available for college-age students.
On March 25, Rutgers University announced that the school would update its typical vaccine requirements to include the Covid-19 vaccine, becoming one of the first large public universities to mandate the immunization. Some expressed outrage on behalf of students, however, surveys suggest the majority of college students support vaccination.
The University Faces an Ethical Dilemma with a Media Ethics Professor
Dr. Dobrin was scheduled to teach in a first-floor Breslin lecture hall for the Fall 2020 semester. However, he said this hall was not effective for his teaching style and would not give enough social distancing for the desired collaborative course assignments.
Arthur Dobrin, 77, a professor emeritus and current adjunct professor at Hofstra University, filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) after his request to teach Journalism 001 (Media Ethics) remotely was declined. He alleges age discrimination, breach of contract and failure to accommodate his medical condition.
How the Pandemic Could Open More Job Opportunities for Americans with Disabilities
The pandemic has hit millions of Americans hard. Unemployment is still higher than before the pandemic, and one of the groups still struggling are Americans with disabilities. The unemployment rate for disabled Americans was 12.6% in 2020 - more than 5% higher from 2019 and the highest in 7 years. That number was even higher for women at 13%. Younger adults with disabilities between the ages of 20-24 had an unemployment rate of 21%.
But, changes to the workforce could change that. The switch to work from home could benefit disabled Michiganders and help them rebound - earning a paycheck and building up their self-esteem.