Subminimum Wages: Impacts on the Civil Rights of People with Disabilities

In this report, the Commission examined the exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act – the section 14(c) waiver program - which permits employers to pay less than the minimum wage to individuals with disabilities. The Commission examined federal enforcement of the civil rights of individuals within the program. The Commission further examined the program as a whole to determine its consistency with the civil rights protections to which people with disabilities are entitled. The Commission considered evidence from Members of Congress, Labor and Justice Department officials, self-advocates and workers with disabilities, family members of people with disabilities, service providers, public officials, and experts on disability employment and data analysis.