After a Supreme Court ruling in 1999 that pushed public entities to move towards more integrated workplaces for persons with disabilities, it appears that Rhode Island is leading the pack. The small state just passed a law which will help to move about 2,000 people with disabilities from segregated settings into integrated work environments. Moreover the law guarantees that about 3,250 of the persons with disabilities living in the state have the opportunity to receive state-funded employment that pays at least the minimum wage. Currently, people with disabilities earn an average of $2.21 per hour and as little as $0.50 per hour in the segregated day programs. The law goes above and beyond employment to ensure that non-work activities in the community are accessible and that transportation is available.
See "Rhode Island Landmark Pact Aims to Ease Disabled Access", Jon Kamp, The Wall Street Journal, April 8, 2014