The wages are subminimum. But is the offer of something more? (video)
In the United States, tens of thousands of people with intellectual disabilities work in “sheltered workshops,” performing simple manual tasks and paying according to their productivity. More than 30,000 sheltered workshop workers earn less than the federal minimum wage of $7.25, according to the Department of Labor. Nationally, the average wage for workers is about $4 an hour.
Critics say these workers are treated as “less than” and may even face abuse. About a third of states have banned subminimum wages for workers with disabilities.
“I felt — my whole family felt — that I could do a lot more than what I was doing,” says Carrie Varner, a disabled activist with autism, of her time in a Minnesota sheltered workshop in the late 2000s.
Others offer a different point of view. Although workshop organizers are required to hold annual information sessions so every worker can learn about regular employment, few show interest in this type of work, says Kit Brewer, who leads an advocacy group in favor of sheltered workshops.
For promoters, the workshops provide meaning to a small population that often lacks realistic pathways to employment and may be isolated or exploited in the broader community. A study of two states that ended sheltered workshops found that most workers became unemployed.
In July 2025, President Donald Trump’s Department of Labor withdrew a proposed Biden-era rule aimed at ending subminimum wages for disabled workers nationwide. And some sheltered workshops are exploring new ways to serve their participants, offering a mix of minimum-wage work and classes that teach the skills needed for more traditional employment.
John Sweeney returned to his sheltered studio in rural Pennsylvania after trying a part-time job in a bookstore. He loves his workshop, he says, because people there celebrate him as “a hard worker.” As he and his peers received their bi-weekly paychecks recently, there were scenes of pride and joy. Worker Mike Newby said: “I did a good job. »
