Marokey Sawo

Source: Kyle DeMaria (ed.) and Christopher McLaren, “Trends in Disability Employment,” Trendlines 13, US Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (October 2024), accessed December 7, 2024, https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/opder/DASP/Trendlines/posts/2024_10/Trendlines_October_2024.html.

In an increasingly interconnected world, reliable high-speed internet is essential for connecting people and places and promoting advancements in education, health, housing, and economic prosperity. However, the digital divide—the gap between those who have affordable access, skills, and support to effectively engage online and those who do not—threatens to leave some individuals and communities out.

In December, the Biden administration released a proposed rule that would phase out a program that allows some employers to pay disabled workers less than the federal minimum wage. As of July 2024, more than 38,000 disabled people (PDF)—90 percent of whom have intellectual or developmental disabilities (PDF)—earned subminimum wages. The majority of these workers earn under $3.50 per hour (PDF), less than half of the federal minimum wage ($7.25).