Cathy Brown

In September, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights released a report supporting the phaseout of subminimum wage for people with disabilities. For St. Louisan Colleen Starkloff, co-founder of the Starkloff Disability Institute, it’s about time. While she’s quick to acknowledge the good intentions of the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act exception when it was first created, she’s convinced that phasing it out is critical to human dignity and inclusive employment practices. “There’s a way to do that, and sheltered workshops aren’t it,” she said.