Re: Disability Issues in Society

[Guest guest]

This is a very simple thing, but is a disability issue. Taking care of my

son, who is 25 and has SMA, has brought to light some things the ADA needs

to look into.

When I park in the disabled section of a parking lot, I find most often that

there is a step up to the curb on the passenger side, which is where most

disabled people sit in a vehicle, since they aren't typically driving.

Stranglely enough, the drivers side of the parking space tends to be the one

that is graded for wheelchairs. My son gets out of the car on the

passenger side, but then he has to bring his legs up over the curb to set up

to the walkway to get into the restaurant or where ever we are. I've tried

to learn to back into the disabled parking spot, so the graded edge (with NO

curb to step up on) is on his side. It's etiher that or get him in the

wheelchair and wheel him around the vehicle to the other side with the

graded edge.

It's the little things like this that just don't make sense to me, like who

ever came up with the standards didn't actually spend time transporting a

disabled person around! Why wouldn't both sides of the disabled parking spot

be graded????

Anyway, just a thought to ponder for your paper.

>From: Preet <dreamzofx23@...>

>Reply-

>

>Subject: Disability Issues in Society

>Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2006 09:11:46 -0800 (PST)

>

>Hey you guys,

>

> So I'm writing a 6 pg paper for my English class on problems/issues

>facing California/Nation(b/c normally many issues in Cali are also

>throughout the country).Anyways, I'd really love to do a paper on

>SMA/Disability issues that come up in our society but can't really think

>of anything great. So this is where you guys come in haha. I was wondering

>if any of you could think of issues facing the disabled community that

>would be great to talk about.

>

> What I have to do is write a paper stating the problem and try to

>find/give a solution for it. So ANY feedback or ideas would be greatly

>appreciated!! Thank you!!

>

> -Preet

>

>

>

>---------------------------------

>Access over 1 million songs - Music Unlimited.

>

>

[Guest guest]

I have some issues with parking also. One problem is that I've seen people use

the handicapped spaces for piling up snow that has been plowed from the parking

lot and I've also seen trash bins placed in handicapped spots. The way I park

depends on the location of the striped unloading area, I will either back in or

pull in so it's on the right side but there have been times where I come back

outside and either a car or a few motorcylces have parked in the striped area

and I can't get back in without someone moving my truck. Too many people don't

understand what that area is for...or maybe they just dont care. I also have

issues in some stores where they put displays of stacks of merchandise in the

aisles and my chair can't fit through.

Tom

--------- Disability Issues in Society

>Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2006 09:11:46 -0800 (PST)

>

>Hey you guys,

>

> So I'm writing a 6 pg paper for my English class on problems/issues

>facing California/Nation(b/c normally many issues in Cali are also

>throughout the country).Anyways, I'd really love to do a paper on

>SMA/Disability issues that come up in our society but can't really think

>of anything great. So this is where you guys come in haha. I was wondering

>if any of you could think of issues facing the disabled community that

>would be great to talk about.

>

> What I have to do is write a paper stating the problem and try to

>find/give a solution for it. So ANY feedback or ideas would be greatly

>appreciated!! Thank you!!

>

> -Preet

>

>

>

>---------------------------------

>Access over 1 million songs - Music Unlimited.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Here's an issue relevant to college-age people with disabilities:

Unemployment is a huge issue. The unemployment rate is somewhere

around 74% for working-age adults with disabilities. Barriers to

employment include lack of accessible transportation, a need for

affordable assistive technology, limited education supports, and

most of all, inadequate personal assistance services in the home, in

college and in the work place. Only a few states provide adequate

Medicaid Waivers that allow people to live independently without

much of our care being provided by family members. In order to be

eligible for Medicaid one must meet the low income and resource

requirements. Employer-sponsored health care does not fund personal

assistance services. When an individual uses Vocational

Rehabilitation services, as we are encouraged to do, and we go out

and get a job, we risk losing Medicaid funding that links us to our

personal assistance services. There are now 30 states implementing

some sort of Medicaid Buy-In to remedy this catch-22. In California

it's called the 250% Medi-Cal Working Disabled Program. See this

link:

http://www.disabilitybenefits101.org/ca/programs/health_coverage/medi

_cal/program2.htm#California%e2%80%99s_250%

25_Working_Disabled_Program

[Guest guest]

Alana and others,

Thank you for bringing this very important subject up. I had always

heard the statistics of this high unemployment rate, but blindly

thought my advanced degree would help. Little did I know I was in

for a big reality check. I was foreced to move home w/ my parents

after not finding a job after graduation, and after seding out

hundreds of resumes and going on numerous interviews, it feels like

an uphill battle to get ahead and get OFF public assistance. and my

story doesnt even compare to my boyfriend Rob's who went on 300+

interviews before landing his job. What does it take?---A huge wake

up call and education to society. A task that is easier said than

done but cant be ignored. This is one of the major reason I went

into social work was to make a difference for those like myself and

advocate for change. I cant imagine doing anything else different

and hope someday soon I can find the job that will utilize my skills

and experience.

>

> Here's an issue relevant to college-age people with disabilities:

>

> Unemployment is a huge issue. The unemployment rate is somewhere

> around 74% for working-age adults with disabilities. Barriers to

> employment include lack of accessible transportation, a need for

> affordable assistive technology, limited education supports, and

> most of all, inadequate personal assistance services in the home,

in

> college and in the work place. Only a few states provide adequate

> Medicaid Waivers that allow people to live independently without

> much of our care being provided by family members. In order to be

> eligible for Medicaid one must meet the low income and resource

> requirements. Employer-sponsored health care does not fund

personal

> assistance services. When an individual uses Vocational

> Rehabilitation services, as we are encouraged to do, and we go out

> and get a job, we risk losing Medicaid funding that links us to

our

> personal assistance services. There are now 30 states

implementing

> some sort of Medicaid Buy-In to remedy this catch-22. In

California

> it's called the 250% Medi-Cal Working Disabled Program. See this

> link:

>

>

http://www.disabilitybenefits101.org/ca/programs/health_coverage/medi

> _cal/program2.htm#California%e2%80%99s_250%

> 25_Working_Disabled_Program

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/14/2006 8:48:25 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,

kendranicole@... writes:

Oh , you're making me so worried! I'm in the " find a job "

process right now. I have one more consulting position (like

internship but consultant!) before graduating and I haven't been able

to find anything. I've been on job interviews that I felt were really

positive but no success. I'm even attending an interview workshop at

the university this week. I'm hoping maybe I'm just interviewing poorly...

I'm just curious how many people on the list have jobs? I'm getting

discouraged hearing how many problems people are having. It seems like I'm doing

all

this school work for nothing. It's supposed to be a ticket to something

better and now it seems like it's not. ::sighs::

Deena

[Guest guest]

Oh , you're making me so worried! I'm in the " find a job "

process right now. I have one more consulting position (like

internship but consultant!) before graduating and I haven't been able

to find anything. I've been on job interviews that I felt were really

positive but no success. I'm even attending an interview workshop at

the university this week. I'm hoping maybe I'm just interviewing poorly...

I hate finding a job. I feel over qualified for the jobs I'm already

thinking about settling for. This is my only requirement left to

graduate and I have only 1.5 more months to find placement. The

university has not been helpful in this endeavor. However, they aren't

helping anyone so I don't feel singled out. Then after this comes

finding THE job... I'm already tired out from job hunting.

I hope you find a job soon, and one which deserves your talents and

skills.

<3 Kendra

> >

> > Here's an issue relevant to college-age people with disabilities:

> >

> > Unemployment is a huge issue. The unemployment rate is somewhere

> > around 74% for working-age adults with disabilities. Barriers to

> > employment include lack of accessible transportation, a need for

> > affordable assistive technology, limited education supports, and

> > most of all, inadequate personal assistance services in the home,

> in

> > college and in the work place. Only a few states provide adequate

> > Medicaid Waivers that allow people to live independently without

> > much of our care being provided by family members. In order to be

> > eligible for Medicaid one must meet the low income and resource

> > requirements. Employer-sponsored health care does not fund

> personal

> > assistance services. When an individual uses Vocational

> > Rehabilitation services, as we are encouraged to do, and we go out

> > and get a job, we risk losing Medicaid funding that links us to

> our

> > personal assistance services. There are now 30 states

> implementing

> > some sort of Medicaid Buy-In to remedy this catch-22. In

> California

> > it's called the 250% Medi-Cal Working Disabled Program. See this

> > link:

> >

> >

> http://www.disabilitybenefits101.org/ca/programs/health_coverage/medi

> > _cal/program2.htm#California%e2%80%99s_250%

> > 25_Working_Disabled_Program

> >

>

[Guest guest]

As someone who interviews potential employees, my experience is that

the most frequent reason why recent college grads lose in a job

interview is their own attitude. Disabilities aside, the quickest

way for a recent college grad to turn off an interviewer is to go in

and tout their " advanced degrees " and academic accolades. If you

sit there and honestly feel that you're overqualified, then you

either shouldn't be there in the first place or you need to do some

soul searching because the problem may be your own attitude. In any

field, employers don't care about what you did in college. If they

are expressly interviewing people just out of college, they know you

don't have any experience and aren't expecting you to perform like a

seasoned veteran. In almost all cases, the employer is simply

looking for a person to do the job, and the skills developed in

academia rarely have much relation to a daily job. That's true in

even the most technical professional positions. A humble candidate

who speaks well and has experience using a fax machine will always

trump the arrogant guy whose only prior experience has been writing

for the prestigious Ivy League law journal. My observation is that

humility is a lost trait. Emphasizing all your school

accomplishments looks like your compensating for some hidden

limitation. I think that's even more of a problem with disabled

candidates. College students in general expect to come in at the

partner level, and frequently think it's demeaning to start out

simply answering the phone when they have a big degree. With

disabled job candidates, that attitude can be doubly self-

destructive.

> > >

> > > Here's an issue relevant to college-age people with

disabilities:

> > >

> > > Unemployment is a huge issue. The unemployment rate is

somewhere

> > > around 74% for working-age adults with disabilities. Barriers

to

> > > employment include lack of accessible transportation, a need

for

> > > affordable assistive technology, limited education supports,

and

> > > most of all, inadequate personal assistance services in the

home,

> > in

> > > college and in the work place. Only a few states provide

adequate

> > > Medicaid Waivers that allow people to live independently

without

> > > much of our care being provided by family members. In order

to be

> > > eligible for Medicaid one must meet the low income and

resource

> > > requirements. Employer-sponsored health care does not fund

> > personal

> > > assistance services. When an individual uses Vocational

> > > Rehabilitation services, as we are encouraged to do, and we go

out

> > > and get a job, we risk losing Medicaid funding that links us

to

> > our

> > > personal assistance services. There are now 30 states

> > implementing

> > > some sort of Medicaid Buy-In to remedy this catch-22. In

> > California

> > > it's called the 250% Medi-Cal Working Disabled Program. See

this

> > > link:

> > >

> > >

> >

http://www.disabilitybenefits101.org/ca/programs/health_coverage/medi

> > > _cal/program2.htm#California%e2%80%99s_250%

> > > 25_Working_Disabled_Program

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

> I'm just curious how many people on the list have jobs?

I've been retired since '95. Prior to that I was a customer

service phone representative for a bank. This only made

very limited use of my degree in psychology, but I got

it pretty quickly after starting my job search. I knew

that if I wanted to work in psychology I'd have to go

to grad school, but we couldn't afford it and I was burnt

out by my major anyway. I soon learned the reason

I got the job so easily is because it totally *sucked*

and paid a horrible salary.

Before having my first daughter, my immune system

seemed to tank and I was always getting sick. After-

wards it was even worse, and a specialist suggested

I retire so I could avoid the constant respiratory

infections that were plaguing me.

Now that I get an annual flu shot and got the

pneumonia vaccine, I seem to be able to shake things

off a lot better. But now my psychological

problems - chronic depression and anxiety - are

horrible. I doubt I could mentally handle going

to a job day in and day out. Especially the kind of

customer service job I'd be most qualified for.

Jenn

[Guest guest]

Ditto ,

I too sat in the " hiring driver's seat " and heard a lot of boasting about what

they have achieved, paper-diploma-wise.

I would add that one could detail what they have volunteered to do. This may

provide indirect information about the actual hands-on skills you have

without sounding braggish.

Angie

On Wednesday 15 November 2006 10:10, wrote:

> As someone who interviews potential employees, my experience is that

> the most frequent reason why recent college grads lose in a job

> interview is their own attitude. Disabilities aside, the quickest

> way for a recent college grad to turn off an interviewer is to go in

> and tout their " advanced degrees " and academic accolades. If you

> sit there and honestly feel that you're overqualified, then you

> either shouldn't be there in the first place or you need to do some

> soul searching because the problem may be your own attitude. In any

> field, employers don't care about what you did in college. If they

> are expressly interviewing people just out of college, they know you

> don't have any experience and aren't expecting you to perform like a

> seasoned veteran. In almost all cases, the employer is simply

> looking for a person to do the job, and the skills developed in

> academia rarely have much relation to a daily job. That's true in

> even the most technical professional positions. A humble candidate

> who speaks well and has experience using a fax machine will always

> trump the arrogant guy whose only prior experience has been writing

> for the prestigious Ivy League law journal. My observation is that

> humility is a lost trait. Emphasizing all your school

> accomplishments looks like your compensating for some hidden

> limitation. I think that's even more of a problem with disabled

> candidates. College students in general expect to come in at the

> partner level, and frequently think it's demeaning to start out

> simply answering the phone when they have a big degree. With

> disabled job candidates, that attitude can be doubly self-

> destructive.

>

>

>

>

>

> > > > Here's an issue relevant to college-age people with

>

> disabilities:

> > > > Unemployment is a huge issue. The unemployment rate is

>

> somewhere

>

> > > > around 74% for working-age adults with disabilities. Barriers

>

> to

>

> > > > employment include lack of accessible transportation, a need

>

> for

>

> > > > affordable assistive technology, limited education supports,

>

> and

>

> > > > most of all, inadequate personal assistance services in the

>

> home,

>

> > > in

> > >

> > > > college and in the work place. Only a few states provide

>

> adequate

>

> > > > Medicaid Waivers that allow people to live independently

>

> without

>

> > > > much of our care being provided by family members. In order

>

> to be

>

> > > > eligible for Medicaid one must meet the low income and

>

> resource

>

> > > > requirements. Employer-sponsored health care does not fund

> > >

> > > personal

> > >

> > > > assistance services. When an individual uses Vocational

> > > > Rehabilitation services, as we are encouraged to do, and we go

>

> out

>

> > > > and get a job, we risk losing Medicaid funding that links us

>

> to

>

> > > our

> > >

> > > > personal assistance services. There are now 30 states

> > >

> > > implementing

> > >

> > > > some sort of Medicaid Buy-In to remedy this catch-22. In

> > >

> > > California

> > >

> > > > it's called the 250% Medi-Cal Working Disabled Program. See

>

> this

>

> > > > link:

>

> http://www.disabilitybenefits101.org/ca/programs/health_coverage/medi

>

> > > > _cal/program2.htm#California%e2%80%99s_250%

> > > > 25_Working_Disabled_Program

--

Angie

Please visit my favourite websites:

for Ford Model A enthusiast

http://www.recap.on.ca

a memorial website of my father

http://www.roybebee.ca

The Monarchs (50's & 60's band my Uncle plays in)

http://www.the-monarchs.ca

a chapter of Model A Owners of Canada Inc

http://www.trilliumchapter.ca

an electric wheelchair hockey league

http://www.cewha.ca

[Guest guest]

I hope both of you find a placement/job soon! I know it's so hard!

L

Kendra wrote:

>

> Oh , you're making me so worried! I'm in the " find a job "

> process right now. I have one more consulting position (like

> internship but consultant!) before graduating and I haven't been able

> to find anything. I've been on job interviews that I felt were really

> positive but no success. I'm even attending an interview workshop at

> the university this week. I'm hoping maybe I'm just interviewing poorly...

>

> I hate finding a job. I feel over qualified for the jobs I'm already

> thinking about settling for. This is my only requirement left to

> graduate and I have only 1.5 more months to find placement. The

> university has not been helpful in this endeavor. However, they aren't

> helping anyone so I don't feel singled out. Then after this comes

> finding THE job... I'm already tired out from job hunting.

>

> I hope you find a job soon, and one which deserves your talents and

> skills.

>

> <3 Kendra

>

>

> > >

> > > Here's an issue relevant to college-age people with disabilities:

> > >

> > > Unemployment is a huge issue. The unemployment rate is somewhere

> > > around 74% for working-age adults with disabilities. Barriers to

> > > employment include lack of accessible transportation, a need for

> > > affordable assistive technology, limited education supports, and

> > > most of all, inadequate personal assistance services in the home,

> > in

> > > college and in the work place. Only a few states provide adequate

> > > Medicaid Waivers that allow people to live independently without

> > > much of our care being provided by family members. In order to be

> > > eligible for Medicaid one must meet the low income and resource

> > > requirements. Employer-sponsored health care does not fund

> > personal

> > > assistance services. When an individual uses Vocational

> > > Rehabilitation services, as we are encouraged to do, and we go out

> > > and get a job, we risk losing Medicaid funding that links us to

> > our

> > > personal assistance services. There are now 30 states

> > implementing

> > > some sort of Medicaid Buy-In to remedy this catch-22. In

> > California

> > > it's called the 250% Medi-Cal Working Disabled Program. See this

> > > link:

> > >

> > >

> >

> http://www.disabilitybenefits101.org/ca/programs/health_coverage/medi

> <http://www.disabilitybenefits101.org/ca/programs/health_coverage/medi>

> > > _cal/program2.htm#California%e2%80%99s_250%

> > > 25_Working_Disabled_Program

> > >

> >

>

>

[Guest guest]

I have been at the same place of employment since 4 months out of

graduate school (16 years...wow). I was lucky that the supervisor and

director who hired me had worked with other disabled people before and

gave me the opportunity to show them that I could be a good employee. I

am now the senior most staff member in my department and well respected

by my peers.

Lori

DeTannous@... wrote:

>

>

> In a message dated 11/14/2006 8:48:25 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,

> kendranicole@... <mailto:kendranicole%40kendranicole.com>

> writes:

>

> Oh , you're making me so worried! I'm in the " find a job "

> process right now. I have one more consulting position (like

> internship but consultant!) before graduating and I haven't been able

> to find anything. I've been on job interviews that I felt were really

> positive but no success. I'm even attending an interview workshop at

> the university this week. I'm hoping maybe I'm just interviewing poorly...

>

> I'm just curious how many people on the list have jobs? I'm getting

> discouraged hearing how many problems people are having. It seems like

> I'm doing all

> this school work for nothing. It's supposed to be a ticket to something

> better and now it seems like it's not. ::sighs::

>

> Deena

>

>

[Guest guest]

I stated that I'm going to start applying for positions I'm

overqualified for - not the ones I have already applied to. If you

can't get a job in your field, then you need to search elsewhere for

temporary work just to pay the bills. For college educated individuals

that means taking a position you're overqualified to do.

I do believe your personality and specific interview skills do matter

a lot in an interview. I think everyone, disabled or not, could

benefit from an interviewing workshop.

<3 Kendra

>

> As someone who interviews potential employees, my experience is that

> the most frequent reason why recent college grads lose in a job

> interview is their own attitude. Disabilities aside, the quickest

> way for a recent college grad to turn off an interviewer is to go in

> and tout their " advanced degrees " and academic accolades. If you

> sit there and honestly feel that you're overqualified, then you

> either shouldn't be there in the first place or you need to do some

> soul searching because the problem may be your own attitude. In any

>

[Guest guest]

I'm not working right now, but I'd sure better have a job by this time next

year! I'm going into special education, where everyone tells me they're in

desperate need of more teachers. If I can't find work, then discrimination in

the work place really is worse than I thought.

On the other hand, student teaching is showing me exactly why the country has

such a shortage of special educators. I'm pretty convinced this field is the

most difficult and the least appreciated of any job anywhere. But that's just my

slightly biased opinion at the moment.

e

Re: Re: Disability Issues in Society

In a message dated 11/14/2006 8:48:25 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,

kendranicole@... writes:

Oh , you're making me so worried! I'm in the " find a job "

process right now. I have one more consulting position (like

internship but consultant!) before graduating and I haven't been able

to find anything. I've been on job interviews that I felt were really

positive but no success. I'm even attending an interview workshop at

the university this week. I'm hoping maybe I'm just interviewing poorly...

I'm just curious how many people on the list have jobs? I'm getting

discouraged hearing how many problems people are having. It seems like I'm

doing all

this school work for nothing. It's supposed to be a ticket to something

better and now it seems like it's not. ::sighs::

Deena

[Guest guest]

I have been employed for seven years at my job. Before

that I worked for two and a half years at a job that

was really a paid student assistant position, except I

had already graduated. At that time I was trying to

hold on to my social security, and since I had never

worked before, I took a low paying, part time position

to try to ease myself into working.

I have an undergrad degree in education and a master's

in library science. I am now working at my dream

job...a disability reference librarian position. It is

a half time, professional position, which is perfect

for me, and a rare find. I work 25 hours per week. The

job and my supervisors could not be more understanding

about my disability and health conditions; they have

made big accommodations for me, and I could not be

more appreciative. I can work from home when needed,

and when I had to be out for nearly four months

co-workers donated hours to a sick pool leave so I did

not lose my job.

The original question on this thread was disability

issues in society, and since I am a person with a

disability working in the field of disability, I would

have several answers to this question. But the one I

am going to go with is transition. I pick that one

because I think it is very important and encompasses

so many important topics in the field of

disability...rehab, education, employment, independent

living, self-determination, personal care assistance,

etc. And transition is important at several stages of

life, not just from high school to either higher

education or a vocation.

In some ways I think transition out of high school has

improved since I was a senior, which was nearly 20

years ago (WOW!) :-) But in some ways it hasn't. I

still encounter so many families who have teenagers

with disabilities and are not informed about programs

and supports that are available to assist them. I did

not know until I was a senior in high school about my

state's rehab program. It would have been difficult

for me to attend college without that economic

assistance, and probably impossible for me to have

continued on to grad school. I sort of " fell into "

scholarships rather than being informed by counselors.

And I never received any assistance regarding

independent living. I did not live in my own apartment

until I was 28 years old and had received my master's.

I did move in with a friend, but still, those first

few months of apartment life were pretty terrifying. I

didn't know how to do laundry, I barely knew how to

grocery shop or cook, and even though I had a checking

account, I had never had to pay bills or really manage

money before. I also had to learn how to get around in

the city, after living in dorms for the past nine

years, and having little experience with public

transportation.

Dina

--- jennifer <nekrosys@...> wrote:

>

>

> > I'm just curious how many people on the list have

> jobs?

>

> I've been retired since '95. Prior to that I was a

> customer

> service phone representative for a bank. This only

> made

> very limited use of my degree in psychology, but I

> got

> it pretty quickly after starting my job search. I

> knew

> that if I wanted to work in psychology I'd have to

> go

> to grad school, but we couldn't afford it and I was

> burnt

> out by my major anyway. I soon learned the reason

> I got the job so easily is because it totally

> *sucked*

> and paid a horrible salary.

>

> Before having my first daughter, my immune system

> seemed to tank and I was always getting sick.

> After-

> wards it was even worse, and a specialist suggested

> I retire so I could avoid the constant respiratory

> infections that were plaguing me.

>

> Now that I get an annual flu shot and got the

> pneumonia vaccine, I seem to be able to shake things

> off a lot better. But now my psychological

> problems - chronic depression and anxiety - are

> horrible. I doubt I could mentally handle going

> to a job day in and day out. Especially the kind of

> customer service job I'd be most qualified for.

>

> Jenn

>

>

>

________________________________________________________________________________\

____

Sponsored Link

Rates near historic lows -

$200,000 mortgage for $660/ month -

http://.ratemarketplace.com

[Guest guest]

I have worked for Hewlett Packard for 6 years and have worked there since

graduating college. Before I graduated, I had several interivews at other

places which did not work out, most of the time because they only saw my

wheelchair not my potential. Unfortunately, all I can say is to stay strong and

keep at it. It may get discouraging but eventually the job your meant for will

come along.

GL all job hunters!

Re: Re: Disability Issues in Society

In a message dated 11/14/2006 8:48:25 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,

kendranicole@ kendranicole. com writes:

Oh , you're making me so worried! I'm in the " find a job "

process right now. I have one more consulting position (like

internship but consultant!) before graduating and I haven't been able

to find anything. I've been on job interviews that I felt were really

positive but no success. I'm even attending an interview workshop at

the university this week. I'm hoping maybe I'm just interviewing poorly...

I'm just curious how many people on the list have jobs? I'm getting

discouraged hearing how many problems people are having. It seems like I'm doing

all

this school work for nothing. It's supposed to be a ticket to something

better and now it seems like it's not. ::sighs::

Deena

[Guest guest]

I have very rarely had difficulty finding work. Early on I took

advantage of the cushion most non-disabled people don't have in that

I had my government-funded cash and medical benefits. This allowed

me to get real experience, create and network and to establish a

diverse skill set. It also allowed me to try things I thought I

might like and found out otherwise. I truly stumbled down this path

and the process has served me well. For me, experience and a

diverse skill set was more important than my education. I never

even finished my degree but have no lack of work and offers for

work. I'm happy to answer questions about how earned income will

affect one's benefits, as that's what I ended up doing professional.

Here's a general chronology of how I stumbled through employment (I

wrote this for & Rob's listserv on employment issues):

I'm Alana. I live and work in Berkeley, CA. When I was 16 I began

volunteering at my local independent living center reading for blind

staff and consumers and doing paperwork for the attendant referral

department. I soon was asked by another organization affiliated with

the center to do occasional paid disability culture training in area

public schools. I volunteered at a cooperative food store where I

learned to cashier, do double-entry bookkeeping, order and receive

inventory, and provide community education about sustainable

agriculture and nutrition. At some point I joined a disabled women's

theater group where I wrote, performed and tried my hand at grant

writing.

I tried a job doing telephone fundraising at a social justice group

that sent doctors and engineers to Nicaragua. I hated making cold

calls and they refused to provide accommodations. I quit. Tried

another telephone fundraising company that was very accommodating.

Still hated it and quit. I was then asked to apply to be an

attendant management support group facilitator at the independent

living center. I was hired instead of someone with with a master's

degree in psychology because (my boss said) I role-modeled

confidence and good self-esteem (I was scared to death). I was soon

promoted to peer counselor and independent living skills trainer. I

was about 22.

I then went to college, got into the student housing cooperative and

had a few jobs during college working within the co-op - workshift

manager, hiring commission chair, and vice president of member

services. When I dropped out of college I was hired on a six month

contract as a grant writer for a rape crisis center where I also

assisted training volunteers about how address disability issues

with clients, and then took a job as a benefits advocate at the IL

center. I eventually got in management, quit for less stressful data-

entry work, and was eventually recruited to a vocational school for

adults with disabilities to run admissions and student services.

Now I'm out on disability and have been running a low-key consulting

business working with individuals and policy advocates on public

benefits and work incentives. I charge $50-$125 per hour. People and

agencies actually gladly pay these amounts. I do barter and pro-

bono for those who can't (about 1/2). I want to grow my business,

but am unsure about my health.

I've never had a lack of work opportunities because I've always put

myself out there, met lots of people and have tried different

things. Heck, one summer I even volunteered to coordinate 30 people

to cook and serve food for 10 people for 17 days on an independent

film shoot. My willingness to try things, acquire diverse skills,

and make mistakes has served me well.