This story was originally published by ProPublica.
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Kerstie Bramlet is 30 years old. She is autistic and has intellectual disabilities. Intellectual disabilities are disabilities that affect the way people think and learn.
Bramlet works at a place called the Warren County Sheltered Workshop. Warren County Sheltered Workshop is near St. Louis, Missouri.
Bramlet’s job was putting plastic labels on dog treats. She put the labels on the dog treats with about 12 other people. One time while they were working, they talked about a Special Olympics event. Many of the people she worked with were also disabled.
The workers worked together to label the dog treats. Some people put labels on the dog treats. Some people counted the dog treats.
After the workers labeled the dog treats, other people sold them on Amazon. Six dog treats would cost $14.99. Bramlet earns $1.50 an hour for her work.
The law says that every business has to pay its workers a minimum wage. The minimum wage is the least amount of money a worker can be paid. It is illegal to pay most people less than the minimum wage.
Warren County Sheltered Workshop pays Bramlet less than the minimum wage. Money that is less than the minimum wage is called a subminimum wage. It is legal to pay some disabled people a subminimum wage.
Most people work 40 hours per week. If Bramlet worked...
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