It’s a Workplace Wednesday during A-Team’s National Month For Choice! A perfect opportunity to check out this video and message shared by A-Team Minnesota mom Dawn Kovacovich: “In case you missed the PBS Newshour broadcast that featured a segment of “Disability Reframed” on the topic of special wages (they refer to it as “subminimum” wages), which included my daughter, Laura, and I and the Hubbard County DAC.”
“Although I am not surprised, they left out the bulk of the HUGE amount of important information (GAO report, ect.), statements, and videotaped footage that we provided, most notably the vast range of scope and severity of disabilities and the fact that 14c programs are voluntary and primarily nonprofit organizations. They also omitted information about social/emotional benefits, transportation, lack of DSPs and job opportunities in rural areas, hours of programming, lack of data, basic economic reality, and so much more. Much of the testimony against 14c was not relevant to the actual conversation. As most of you know, it is up to the news organization how they want to frame a story and what they choose to include or not include. Even so, I know for a fact that when they first started digging into this story, they had no idea that there was even another side to it. This report could have been directly damaging instead of walking both sides of a fence to please all audiences.”
“If you want the WHOLE TRUTH and NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH I am absolutely thrilled to share and promote this amazing book Chasing the Intact Mind: How the Severely Autistic and Intellectually Disabled Were Excluded from the Debates That Affect Them Most by respected author and historian, Dr. Amy S.F. Lutz. I cannot say enough about it! Among other advocates and disability service providers in MN, my daughter, Laura, and I were interviewed as subjects for this well researched book and could not be more pleased with her delivery of this sadly misunderstood issue. Chapter Four of this important book focuses ENTIRELY on the 14c Commensurate Wage option (often called “subminimum” wages) and articulately reflects the whole story. Please read it if you want to know the whole truth about disability support services for the severely handicapped in this country!”
A TEAM USA 