One year ago we made a call to action in our report Segregated and Exploited: The Failure of the Disability Service System to Provide Quality Work. In that report we examined the ability of sheltered workshops and other segregated employment settings to meet the needs of workers with disabilities. What we found was a system that does not provide truly
meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities and in many instances exploits their disability for the financial gain of employers. We found a system that traps these workers in endless “training” programs that prepare them for nothing and often leaves them impoverished. Worse, federal laws and programs as well as many provider organizations within the disability service system help facilitate this travesty. Our findings galvanized us to take action. Over the last year the National Disability Rights Network and the Protection and Advocacy System that we represent in Washington, DC, have taken action to end segregated work, the sub-minimum wage, and the further exploitation of workers with disabilities.
