01/10/2025
WE NEED YOUR HELP! You can change the outcome of someone's life by just clicking on the link and writing "I oppose the proposed rule." If you feel the urge to explain why PLEASE DO, but you must type that you oppose the rule!
Special interest groups want to phase out sheltered workshops all across the United States. Here locally that would affect 80 individuals at Ideal Industries in Richmond MO, and 150,000 individual nation wide.
Some untruths being spread by our opponents:
1. Sheltered workshops limit the workers' potential while using them as "cheap labor, confining them to a lifetime of poverty." The truth is that these individuals cannot expect to live off of their wages. They earn a commensurate wage (based off their production ability) and that wage is a very small fraction of the workers' financial support. So raising their wages at the sheltered workshop could cause them to lose much needed support (upwards of 6 figures for some) that they need for resources to live a productive, comfortable lifestyle.
2. Sheltered workshops create a segregated environment with disability-specific environments. Employees who CHOOSE to work in a sheltered workshop (yes it is always a choice!) are able to do so because they are working in a safe, accommodating, and modified environment. The choices that our opponents propose are already there! They don't blame on creating more! The employees at Ideal Industries are always encouraged to grow. If they want to go work in the community then their team at Ideal help that happen. But many are unable to do so, so without Ideal they aren't going to have a job and sense of community with their peers.
3. 14C program "devalue" the labor of disabled people, whom, they claim, are capable of working competitive, minimum-wage jobs, provided they have the proper support. The truth is sheltered workshops respect each individuals efforts and labors regardless of their "productivity". There are already 450 people on Missouri's waitlists to receive services. How big will that list grow if sheltered workshops are closed down? We lost services for our two ASD children last year with a promise to MAYBE get 1/6th of that back IF we are approved. We didn't get 50% of our services reimbursed from last year, so do you really think we are going to get anything this year? Our children are still young and we are lucky to be able to afford their need out of pocket, but that will not continue to be that way as they age.
The fact that this entire process is being based off the "wages" shows you how out of touch the lawmakers are with why we REALLY need sheltered workshops!
When our children are in school we need a team of people to help them become the best versions of themselves. A big fear of special needs parents is "what's going to happen to them after school?" Sheltered workshops, like Ideal Industries, give back that "team" to help these men and woman thrive in a world that isn't made for them. It softens the edges so that the square peg can better fit in the round hole...
Please take 2 minutes of your time to press the link and leave a comment. "I oppose the proposed rule."
If you want to read the proposed rule please click the link below:
https://www.regulations.gov/document/WHD-2024-0001-0001
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