Why some disabled workers make $1 an hour
At the Pathways to Independence program in Kearny, N.J., disabled workers sort clothing hangers and unload boxes through work contracted with outside companies. One of those workers is 33-year-old Jaime Muniz, who has been there for 11 years and whose paycheck recently averaged about $1.28 per hour.
\u201cMy payment is not going well,\u201d Muniz told The Post\u2019s disabilities reporter Amanda Morris. \u201cAnd it's making our lives harder, a lot harder.\u201d
Yet paying workers with disabilities far below minimum wage is completely legal. Muniz is one of tens of thousands of workers with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are paid subminimum wages at facilities across the country. The labor program, sanctioned by federal law, is supposed to prepare workers for higher-paying jobs in the community, and while many families support them, Morris and her colleagues Caitlin Gilbert and Jacqueline Alemany found in a months-long investigation that they often lack oversight and accountability.
Today, host Martine Powers speaks with Morris about what she heard from workers and their families, the future of this arcane law, and the growing scrutiny surrounding these programs.
Today\u2019s show was produced by Elana Gordon with help from Sabby Robinson and Ariel Plotnick. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks to Emily Codik, Caitlin Gilbert, Jacqueline Alemany, Lauren Gurley and Andrea Sachs.
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