Build Back America Plan Good for Americans with Disabilities
After 31 years since the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the United States has another chance to make a major difference for the disabled with the passing of the Biden-Harris administration’s Build Back America plan. This landmark legislation will forever change the support given to those with disabilities and family caregivers, and it deserves to be implemented.
With the issues facing Americans with disabilities and family caregivers, these programs are very much needed and needed right away. Congress should consider the benefits to the entire country by taking the right step in passing the plan with overwhelming support.
For the last 26 years, NTI has been a leader in providing at-home employment for Americans with disabilities and family caregivers. Making things better for the disabled has a good effect on the entire country.
Investing in caregiving will allow Americans with disabilities to have better long-term quality care and support while living in their homes. Caregivers are in demand but are often poorly compensated for their services. If they are not available, family members must make the difficult decision to keep working or to stay at home to take care of a loved one. That’s a difficult decision to make, and by providing services, more families won’t have to make it.
President Biden wants to phase out the sub-minimum wage provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which allows Americans with disabilities to be paid less. Part of the plan includes more investment to allow for more employment opportunities for workers with disabilities.
If passed, the plan will also help companies expand their talent pool to increase hiring Americans with disabilities, which is long overdue.
Build Back America also has plans to expand inclusive, accessible preschool and the hiring of special education teachers, both of which are dearly needed.
Other provisions like increasing Broadband, which will open remote work opportunities, improving transportation and eliminating obstacles Americans with disabilities face, increase voting accessibility, raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, and expanding access to affordable housing are all positive and much- needed steps.
Congress has an opportunity to make life-changing decisions for Americans with disabilities, for right now and in the future,
And it’s time to pass the Build Back America plan.
(Alan Hubbard is the chief operating officer of NTI, a nonprofit organization that helps Americans with disabilities find at-home employment. You can register for free at www.ntiathome.org.)