The Office of Disability Employment Policy recognizes October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month and they have chosen “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion” as the theme for this year’s awareness campaign. The theme is intended to reflect the importance of ensuring that people with disabilities have full access to employment and community involvement during (and beyond) the national recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic. California is an Employment First State meaning that it has adopted a federal framework, implemented through AB 1041 in 2013, making it “the policy of the state that opportunities for integrated, competitive employment shall be given the highest priority for working age individuals with developmental disabilities regardless of the severity of their disability.”

On September 27, 2021 Governor Newson signed SB 639 ending the practice of paying sub-minimum wage to people with disabilities and strengthening the state’s commitment to ensuring real work for real pay. Provisions of SB 639 include an inclusive stakeholder-led process that phases out subminimum wage in California over the next three years. We look forward to working with the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, and other stakeholders, to draft a plan that will successfully transition employees with disabilities who are currently making sub-minimum wage to other employment opportunities where they will be afforded the same worker protections as every other Californian.

Wesley Witherspoon, Chair, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, shared his excitement about the new law saying “This is a historic day for all Californians but especially those in the disability community. We have worked long and hard so that disabled employees in our great state are paid fairly for their work. The minimum wage is an important protection that all workers deserve and is essential to help people achieve their goals. California was long overdue to end the subminimum wage and with this policy change, we can move forward to creating new opportunities that ensure that people with disabilities have meaningful days on many different levels.”

"Statewide directed measures are necessary to protect particularly vulnerable populations, and ensure a sufficient, consistent supply of workers in high-risk care settings. These measures can improve vaccination rates in these settings, which ensures that both the individuals being served as well as the workers providing the services, are protected from COVID-19." Read more.

It’s time to tell Congress that #CareCantWait!

We have an opportunity right now to make a HUGE investment in home and community-based services (HCBS) funded through Medicaid by passing the Better Care Better Jobs Act.

Help make this happen by sharing with your members of Congress what home and community-based services mean to YOU and YOUR FAMILY or why you need these services NOW!

Background: People with disabilities rely on home and community-based services funded through Medicaid to live independently in their communities. HCBS support people with disabilities by paying for things like employment supports, getting around the community, dressing and bathing, taking medication, and much more! But due to a decades-long lack of investments in the system, Medicaid doesn’t have the funding to support everyone. This means people are stuck on waiting lists, direct care workers are underpaid due to stagnant wages, and too often unpaid family caregivers are filling in the gaps in service.