All United States citizens are encouraged to make their voices heard on Election Day. Unfortunately, people with disabilities face a variety of challenges when registering to vote, getting involved in political campaigns, casting a ballot, and running for office. Poll workers are often inadequately trained in operating accessibility features on voting machines. People who receive [click to continue...]
The Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act (TCIEA) has been introduced. This bill aims to eliminate certificates that allow employers to pay individuals with disabilities below minimum wage. Over the next five years, we would see a significant shift towards fair wages for all individuals, regardless of their disability status. If passed, this legislation will [click to continue...]
On February 6, the U.S. Census Bureau announced that it will retain the current American Community Survey (ACS) disability questions for 2025 and work closely with stakeholders in the disability community to ensure that future questions better account for the various types and levels of disability. In October 2023, the Census Bureau had suggested modifying [click to continue...]
With legislatures around the country in full swing, you may be headed to your state capitol or statehouse soon. Effectively communicating with a state legislator to advocate for a piece of legislation involves careful planning, clear communication, and maintaining a professional demeanor. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you navigate this process, from reaching out [click to continue...]
On February 8, Kansas joined the ranks of 15 other states that have already abolished or are in the process of phasing out subminimum wages for individuals with disabilities. RespectAbility is pleased and encouraged that a bipartisan, cross-section of states is moving to ensure that people with disabilities are earning real pay for real work. [click to continue...]
Monthly Employment Update for People with Disabilities According to the latest National Trends In Disability Employment (nTIDE) report: The labor force participation rate for people with disabilities grew from 39.6% in January 2023 to 40.5% in January 2024. This continues an upward trend we have observed throughout the past year and remains close to the all-time highs. [click to continue...]
State legislatures all over the United States are introducing new bills or continuing to pursue those that were left unfinished in 2023. RespectAbility is closely monitoring several bills at the state level. In Washington, SB 5616 aims to establish the Nothing About Us Without Us Act, while Colorado’s HB 24-1067 seeks to clarify that many [click to continue...]
RespectAbility Gets Down To Business On Our 2024 Federal Policy Priorities RespectAbility’s policy staff is championing four pieces of legislation related to employment, voting accessibility, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and technology accessibility. They are advocating for the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act (TCIEA), Accessible Voting Act (AVA), SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act, and the [click to continue...]
According to the latest National Trends In Disability Employment (nTIDE) report: The labor force participation rate for people with disabilities grew from 39.0% in December 2022 to 40.8% in December 2023. This continues an upward trend we have observed throughout the past year. Workers without disabilities increased their labor force participation rate from 76.9% in December [click to continue...]
RespectAbility and the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) have commented on proposed changes to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. These changes could under-count people with disabilities, affecting funding for Medicare, Medicaid, and vocational rehabilitation. CCD urges a pause to maintain data accuracy. An accurate census process It is important to ensure that [click to continue...]
