Action Alert #Fixwia Wednesday!

Action Alert—#FixWIA Wednesday!

Dear APSE Members,

TODAY we are asking everyone to participate in #FixWIA Wednesday—a social media campaign led by the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) that will alert our Senators about our concerns with the Workforce Investment Act. As you know, APSE has been working in D.C. and across the country to help many Senators understand our concerns with the proposed reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act.

We are asking you to please take a few minutes to send a Facebook post, tweets, and emails to your Senators that express our concerns with WIA. Please don’t forget to include the hash tag #FixWIA!

I understand that many of you are new to twitter but it is an important tool in telling Congress our concerns. To help you we have included a list of Senator’s Facebook pages and Twitter handles ( Keep in mind that a tweet can only be 140 characters.

Here is an example of a tweet for today’s campaign:

@SenatorFischer Please remove section 511 from WIA and keep RSA in the Department of Education. #FixWIA

As you know, APSE has two main concerns with WIA:

1. The proposed language in Section 511 contains a statement that individuals served by Vocational Rehabilitation can earn sub-minimum wage. While this language is intended to reduce use of sub-minimum wage, in APSE’s opinion, Section 511 will have the opposite impact, and will codify the use of sub-minimum wage within the Rehabilitation Act; and
2. The bill proposes to transfer the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor (DOL). RSA serves individuals from childhood to adulthood, and APSE is concerned that movement of RSA into DOL, will diminish RSA’s comprehensive scope. In addition, there has been no analysis or study done regarding the impact of such a move, and whether it would increase employment of persons with disabilities. Until such analysis is done, the movement of RSA from DOE to DOL should not occur.

If you would like additional information see APSE’s Letter on Section 511 and Alternatives and NFB’s blog at

I hope you help us by participating in today’s campaign and have found this information useful. We hope we can #FixWIA so that the reauthorization will truly strengthen opportunities for citizens with disabilities to become successfully employed, working side-by-side with their fellow citizens, and advancing economically.

This is a critical opportunity to have our voices heard and we shouldn’t let it pass us by.