Times Observer screenshots Erin Willman, owner of White Cane Coffee in Warren, speaks during a Senate hearing on Thursday. Willman appeared at the request of Sen. Bob Casey, who visited White Cane Coffee earlier this year following February testimony by Willman in Washington, D.C.

Erin Willman didn’t go to college.

It wasn’t due to lack of interest, but instead the difficulty that the college application and admission process can pose for those with disabilities. Willman talked about her post-high school experience with members of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Aging on Thursday.

“Despite the fact I graduated high school at the age of 15 I felt wholly unprepared for the challenges that my disability would bring me in a college setting,” Willman said. “However my hope is the disabled community won’t feel that trepidation when they seek out higher education. But I recognize that there are things that need to change for that to happen.”

It was Willman’s second appearance before the committee this year. Willman’s testimony focused on the RISE Act, legislation Casey first introduced with Republican Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bill Cassidy in 2016. The bill would amend the Higher Education Act to clarify that documentation used in kindergarten through 12th grade education and other settings to receive special education or accommodations would be acceptable as proof of a disability for students in higher education.

Currently, students who have already been diagnosed with a disability in elementary, middle and high school or in other settings must go through new testing to re-qualify for disability services during their post-secondary education. Instead of forcing these students to expend the time and energy to go through new diagnostic testing, the RISE Act would allow previous documentation to be accepted as proof of a disability.

The RISE Act would also make school policies and data more transparent for students and families so they can make informed decisions on the college that best fits their needs. Finally, the bill also provides additional support for technical assistance to colleges and universities to better serve individuals with disabilities. A companion bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2023.

“I remember how nerve-wracking it was for those in my life who were going off to college. I can’t imagine putting more stress on a person with disabilities because they have to prove their disability to get the support they need to thrive. … While proving that a person has a disability is disheartening enough, there is also the issue that many schools make it difficult to find out what sort of assistance and accommodations are available to disabled students,” Willman said..“When looking into a college a student wants to attend you have to comb through websites and visit the campus and even in some cases contact the administration personally just to find out if the school has the accommodations they would need to access the education offered by the college. If one school does not have the accommodations a particular student needs, a student will need to repeat this process as many times as needed until they can find a school that is suitable. Not only can this be stressful, it can be so disheartening and possibly turn them away from going to college at all. It doesn’t have to be this way.”

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, asked Willman what the federal government could do to help those who want to employ those with disabilities or those who are disabled and want to open their own business. Willman replied treating people with disabilities as equal is a good place to start, as is passing the RISE Act and creating apprenticeships so that those with disabilities have work experience if they decide to go into business for themselves. Gillibrand noted it’s possible federal law could be changed to include tax policies to incentivize hiring those with disabilities and to create disability sponsors to advocate for the disabled in the workforce.

Casey also asked Willman about the sub-minimum wage paid to many with disabilities. A rule has been proposed to phase out the sub-minimum wages to workers with disabilities.

“I have bipartisan legislation to do that,” Casey said. “We’re working in these last number of days of the year and my time in the Senate to pass that. Erin, I want to ask you what advice you would give to employers because you are one and to people with disabilities how to ensure full equitable access to both fair wages and high quality jobs?”

Willman replied that those with disabilities need to know their worth.

“I think that employers should really do their research to see what’s in the benefits they can find to help them be able to pay their employees the proper wage,” she said. “It is difficult out here for us, and so we are doing our best. For the employees they should know their worth and know what they put into the job they will get out of it especially if you find a job that does pay a livable wage.”

Casey thanked Willman for her testimony.

“Your testimony is significant and compelling because you see these issues from the perspective of someone who lives with disability and also someone who has been an employer and a successful employer and an employer of people with disabilities,” the senator said. “We’re grateful for that perspective.”