Tell the Obama Administration to continue discussions with the Disability Community before publishing final rules!Because the US Department of Labor (DOL) didn’t effectively consult with the Disability Community in the development of its proposed changes in federal labor rules regarding attendants, these changes will have a negative impact on people with disabilities and attendants! Initially DOL responded to these concerns by meeting with representatives from the Disability Community and ADAPT activists. However, after Deputy Secretary Seth Harris visited the folks in Rochester (NY) and heard once again how DOL’s proposed changes would hurt people wit disabilities, attendants and attendant services in general (consumer directed and agency model), these discussions abruptly ended.
DOL says that it can’t discuss the impact of these proposed changes because it is currently engaged in the rulemaking process, but there is a way to fix that! Advocates have proposed that DOL can finalize the change in the companionship exemption that would eliminate the exemption from third-party employers. After clarifying that this change would not affect consumer-directed fiscal intermediaries, the proposed change would cover 70 percent of attendants – including those who are taken advantage of by the home care industry. By leaving the rest of the rules intact, DOL could start formal discussions with the Disability Community about how to handle the companionship exemption in consumer directed services as well as those using the agency model.
Let’s make sure that the administration understands that it needs to continue to work with the Disability Community before it publishes final rules that affect our right to live in the community and manage our own services and supports! Tell the Obama Administration that there should be
NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US!
TAKE ACTION NOW! Visit the 'Center for Disability Rights':
http://www.capwiz.com/rochestercdr/issues/alert/?alertid=61552766
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