Making a living

One of the greatest challenges the extraabled community faces is, the autonomy to make a living. This is a global issue with an extreme spectrum, from poverty to wealth. In America, there is an all-encompassing system that defines the resources available to the extraabled community. If you qualify as being legally disabled there are resources made available to you. You can receive SSI, which is a small living stipend, usually less than 1000 per month. Or, if you have a work history, you can receive SSDI, which offers slightly more than SSI. These programs also offer medical and food support, on the State level, and each state program differs. The medical programs cover basic medical care and mobility equipment expenses. These medical programs do not cover eye care, dental, or mental health care. Additionally, every State offers an in-home care program, which are greatly lacking in funding and result in wait lists and a gross underserving of this need within the community. And if the individual is unable to be employed, or requires in-home care, the care usually requires their family or a roommate to provide in-home support, or worst case scenario, the individual has to live in a nursing home. In a second scenario, if the individual is able to work, this provides another set of challenges. It is standard across these programs that if the individual makes more than $1000 dollars per month, their benefits begin to be garnished and the medical programs start requiring monthly premiums. This 1,000-dollar cut-off has been the same for the past 30 years. This essentially means that unless the career of the individual is lucrative enough to cover these expenses, the person has to either garnish their wages or choose to not work. Thirdly, if the individual does come into wealth, they lose almost altogether, every benefit offered Federally and on the State level. The issue with this is, that because of supply and demand, every expense regarding disability services and equipment is inflated by 20%. For example, an accessible vehicle is $100,000. Due to these programs being calibrated, this way, most disabled Americans live below the poverty line, and those who do not, accrue debt, because of the inflated costs of disability services and equipment. The solution is to change Federal and State policy, to allow a greater margin of income while being able to keep disability medical coverage and services. Everything regarding these programs has been frozen since the early 90s. It will require that we rally for change on a State and Federal level.