Repeal state laws that allow less than minimum wage to be paid to Minnesotans with disabilities — that’s the objective of a bill being introduced today in the House. Noah McCourt with the “4 Cents Per Hour” Coalition has high-functioning autism and says, “So often [for] people with disabilities, there’s very little expected of us. The standards are oftentimes lowered, even though we can do a lot more than people allow us to do.”
McCourt says individualized plans would help people with disabilities get training and match them up with better jobs. He argues society will get a clear return on investment because they would then become taxpaying citizens. By contrast he says in sheltered workshops, “you’re just pumping in [taxpayer dollars] and you’re not necessarily getting a return on it.”