E&W Blog

Excitement and pride radiated in the room at Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, as individuals participating in14(c)—a provision in labor law that allows certain employers to pay individuals with disabilities a wage based on productivity—and their families gathered to watch the Education and Workforce Committee’s first field hearing of the 119th Congress. 

Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) kicked off the hearing warning that eliminating 14(c) and increasing the minimum wage would force many Community Rehabilitation Programs (CRPs)—nonprofits that focus on supporting individuals with disabilities in their work and teaching them valuable skills—to close their doors, causing jobs to dissolve. 

“Here in Wisconsin, we have more than 40 employers participating as 14(c) organizations, most of which are CRPs. I have been told by many of these organizations that, without section 14(c), they would likely be forced to lay off all employees and close their doors permanently,” he said. 

Witnesses agreed that the elimination of 14(c) would undermine these programs and reduce access to job training, skill development, and social engagement within the disability community. “This is not speculation—it is already happening in states that lost their 14(c) certificates. While a few success stories are highlighted, the vast majority of former 14(c) workers are now unemployed, sitting at home, or placed in adult day programs with minimal engagement,” said Mrs. Barbara LeDuc, President and CEO at Opportunities, Inc.

Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT) noted how critics of 14(c) often fail to visit these facilities—not a single Democrat member was present at the hearing, which was held at Green Valley Enterprises, a CRP site.

Mr. Kit Brewer, Vice President of the Coalition for the Preservation of Employment Choice, told members how 14(c) doesn’t just support opportunity, it supports choice for those with a disability. “The fact that any population would seek employment where they are respected, where they are amongst peers, and where there are the services needed for their success should not be denigrated and that choice should be respected,” he said.

In his line of questioning, Rep. Owens asked  Mrs. Kathy Armstrong, Parent of a 14(c) employee, about her daughter’s experience with the program. “[These individuals] are able to say ‘I have a job! I have somewhere I can go to every single day and work every day just like [everyone else].’ They still can have that pride and joy,” she said.  

Work is about far more than a paycheck, and 14(c) certificates recognize this broader value.

Bottom line: Employment offers not only income, but dignity, purpose, and community engagement. Denying individuals with disabilities the chance to participate in employment is wrong—Committee Republicans are working to protect that opportunity.