Choice

Litany Esguerra

6/15/2018

Choice

            I’ve been beginning to think a lot about choice, and the nature of choice, and what it really means to me and how others define it. Is freedom of choice inherently good? Is having the ability to choose better than the concept of promoting something that is deemed as “good” or “better” than the negative consequences that can result from a “bad” choice?

            These are just some thoughts that popped up related to my work at the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN). I started working on policy related to sub-minimum wage laws and sheltered workshops. Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act permits sheltered workshops (places where people with disabilities work together under contracted labor) with a certificate to pay people with disabilities wage below the minimum wage based on the “productivity” of a person based of their disability.  Some people with severe disabilities work only a few cents an hour under this law. A lot of the organizations and sheltered workshops that employ people with disabilities through this law promote this on the basis of... choice. The goal of many in the disability community is to promote employment for people with disabilities, within the community, at or above minimum wage.  Sheltered workshops are promoted as a “choice” for people with disabilities because of the proposed benefits of safety and having a place to spend time during the day while their families are at work. But what about this is a choice for the population affected to get paid below the minimum wage?

            The situation is definitely complicated and something I know I will be grappling with as I continue to look more into these policies. In general, I am enjoying my time at NDRN. Despite the frustrating aspects the issue I am working on, it is encouraging to contribute to the work of the people in the organization. I know that very little substantive change may occur within the two months that I am here, but I am glad to be doing something towards it.

            On a lighter note related to choice, I am overwhelmed- in a good way- about the options  of things to do in D.C. I have been invited to a lot of events from my internship. It’s nice because my supervisor encourages us to go to events that interest me (and the other interns) since it makes each day a little different than the next depending on the event. This past week, I went to a Congressional briefing, a nonprofit briefing on fiscal policy and government spending, a networking event, and a conference. It’s great to be out and about going to different events where I can learn information from organizations and still come back to the internship to work on important issues.

            Especially since it’s summertime, there are also a lot of free events available. Last Saturday, I went to an awesome farmer’s market nearby (and found this really YUMMY gelato place). Yesterday, I went to the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery and saw the portraits of all of the past presidents, including the recently added portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama. And just before writing this, I went to jazz in the Sculpture Garden down the National Mall! There is definitely a lot to do. While I cannot necessarily answer the questions I asked earlier on choice, it’s different according to each scenario you apply it to. Perhaps I’ll be exploring it in unexpected ways these next few weeks.