[paying workers with learning disabilities less than the minimum wage]

Reddit thread on question, "Should people with learning disabilities be allowed to work for less than the minimum wage" — or, "Should employers be allowed to exploit some of society's most vulnerable people?"

PS: Many questions:

--Do any employers justify this by appeal to employee consent?

--Do these employees do less than min-wage workers do? 

--If this practice were prohibited, would employers do without the same number of employees, or hire some number of better paid employees?

--Does the min wage statute permit this? If so, how does it describe this "exception"? What's the legislative history on that? What was the rationale?