The Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is inviting stakeholders to participate in their Section 14(c) National Online Dialogue to gather and consider perspectives on the present and future of disability employment, including the roles of subminimum wages and competitive integrated employment. ODEP asks you to share your ideas, individual stories, and personal experiences illustrating the impact of Section 14(c) on the employment of people with disabilities.

Since 1938, Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act has authorized employers to pay wages that are less than the Federal minimum wage to workers who have disabilities for the work being performed, after receiving a special wage certificate from Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division.

The purpose of this National Online Dialogue is to capture perspectives about Section 14(c) based on individual input from those "on the ground," including a wide range of stakeholders. The information gathered during this important online dialogue will provide the U.S. Department of Labor with an opportunity to better understand the current landscape, as well as the potential future of Section 14(c).

Three main topics within the dialogue are: 

• Use of Section 14(c) and observed trends
• Experiences transitioning from the use of Section 14(c) certificates
• Vision for the future of work and workplaces; the landscape over the next five to ten years

This online event is open to the general public. ODEP strongly encourages people with disabilities, their families, providers, disability organizations, employers, researchers, and other stakeholders who have experience with, or opinions about, Section 14(c) to share their perspectives and ideas for the future. INPUT IS DUE BY JUNE 14, 2019.