COMMENTARY: Minimum wage bill would hurt disabled Nevadans

There is an old adage that says, “The perfect shouldn’t be the enemy of the good.” This came to mind when we became aware of Assembly Bill 339. In essence, this bill would prohibit providers from offering job-training programs to individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities unless those participants are paid at least the minimum wage.

The bill was amended last week to conduct a study on the issue. But if this proposal is approved some time in the future, it will force the closure of job and skills training programs, such as those provided by Opportunity Village, United Cerebral Palsy and Easter Seals, which operate community centers that help people prepare for a minimum wage or higher-paying job.

Community centers refer to organizations that provide job and skills training for people with disabilities, and the law allows for them to be paid by a production rate as opposed to an hourly rate. This method can sometimes pay less than the minimum hourly wage because it takes some people with disabilities longer than others to complete a task. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

These centers are designed to provide more intensive training and coaching than typical workplaces. These types of settings provide a safe and appropriate atmosphere in which individuals with disabilities can learn skills in a comfortable, no-pressure, no-time limit environment. These are wonderful programs built on patience and compassion.

Let us give you an example of one such individual.

Our son Matthew is a young adult with Down syndrome. In May, Matthew will “age out” of the Clark County School District. Our hope and goal is to have him work in a community workshop.

For someone with Down syndrome, Matthew has wonderful skills. He is able to dress and feed himself, bathe, sight read, unload groceries and engage in fun things such as swimming and navigating through YouTube to find the songs he likes. Matthew is a wonderful human being who brings joy to everyone he meets and knows — and, quite frankly, enjoys life more than many.

However, Matthew’s intellectual disability negatively affects his ability to function in a typical workplace without directive and intensive supervision. For example, Matthew is unable to speak other than a few words. As such, he is unable to communicate with supervisors in a typical workplace by exchanging personal information. He simply does not have these skills despite 19 years of speech therapy provided by the school district and 12 years of privately funded therapy. He has no conception of time or money, nor is he able to apply general instructions to unique situations. Finally, he has no recognition of community-based survival signs — e.g. don’t enter, don’t walk, watch out for cars — that are common in workplaces.

Despite these issues, Matthew does learn and does enjoy working. It simply takes constant direction and hand-over-hand instruction for him to perform what may be simple tasks for individuals without a disability, such as cleaning the school lunchroom or helping the school’s custodial staff in setting up classrooms and the like.

Given his unique circumstances and abilities, whether Matthew earns either a minimum or subminimum wage is unimportant. What is important is that he has the opportunity to find a place in the world where he is safe, productive and can enjoy the company of peers. Right now, that place is a community center. In time, with the training and coaching the workshop provides, he might become more independent and find work in a competitive environment and earn the minimum wage or higher. He’s just not ready right now.

As the parents of a child with a disability, we certainly get the moral imperative that society treats those with disabilities as the same or perhaps with more patience than everyone else. However, the original idea behind AB339 would eliminate the much-needed job and skills training programs in pursuit of the perfect. And that, according to the old adage, is a bad thing.

Ed and Manola Zagalo write from Las Vegas.