Sometimes pulling yourself up by your bootstraps is the only way to accomplish things.
I suffered from a disabling horrible event of traumatic brain injury with a semi-paralyzed arm and have made huge strides forward by pushing myself to become whole again. I spent a fortune on professionals and experts who had no idea what they were doing anyway and took the mindset that if I wanted to achieve my goals,it was up to me to do so.
My last team of cognitive therapists now use my methods as a part of their recovery model.
Last year during some advocacy work at their facility,I went to a talk they had about using technology,both low and high tech as compensatory strategies and basically stole their whole show from them
Yes,the entire world is unfair to the disabled,but knowing about it and only crying about it solves nothing.
I didn't say that people shouldn't do anything or subvert responsibility.
I'm referring to the deafening lack of services and funding for those with
NON PHYSICAL disabilities.
The majority of people regardless of disabilities or perfect health put the effort in, in their lives.
They don't sit on their butts twiddling their thumbs and crying waiting for someone to do something (There are some that do, but they are in the minority.
If you are born below the middle middle class, you will face numerous roadblocks and obstacles because you lack the time, money and resources to pull ahead because the state you live in, is most likely structured to benefit the middle middle class and up giving them the bulk of taxpayer resources and money.
Since 1980 the following has happened in the U.S. and states:
- The federal and state governments (cities and counties) defunded practically fully all mental health services
- They also shut down nearly all the mental health hospitals and clinics (in Metro Detroit alone there is 1 remaining and there is a wait time to get in for those who need it).
- Mental Health medications are mostly not covered by insurance (most don't even cover generics)
- You need to seen a mental health doctor or therapist, it's not covered by insurance in most states.
- You want job support or help finding a job with mental health issues... Good Luck most states don't have programs or provided any help. Prepared to get fired for it and or not hired again (it's illegal, but YOU have to prove it).
- You suffer from a neurological disorder be it MS, Parkisons or something else, most states have defunded practically everything.
- You want federal help for neurological stuff... TUFF Luck that's been defunded too for the most part and only people under 26 are eligible (you get cut off at 26).
- You want autism support and help... Well only CA and NY have anything, and PA is just getting started. There's nothing in the other states at all (Some give you medicad but most end at 23 in most states).
- You want federal help, well there isn't much and it lacks funding and research. Oh once you turn 26 you are cut off (not that it was much to begin with).
- Even those who have physical disabilities, are stuck in states who have cut the budget on all things for disabilities. But you at least get good federal support.
- If you are going to the agency that helps people with disabilities find employment, you most likely have to take a number in your state due to budget cuts.
In Michigan we changed the law in 2010 that does this:
- If you go from high school to higher education, you cannot get medicad, welfare and/or any other state benefit until you are 1 year out from completion of the higher education program.
- For those who develop disabilities and/or health disorders while in higher education the law applies.
- If you had these state benefits due to a disability and/or illness prior to graduating high school, you get to keep them except for welfare.
- If you develop a disability or severe permanent illness while in higher education (provided you came directly from high school), you have to complete/meet:
- Leave Higher Education program and cannot resume for at least 3 years
- Cannot have received federal student aid and loans in that term.
- Must be older than 23 in most cases
As someone who had a near break down and treatment starting at age 25, I couldn't get any state help for my medical stuff and my then Blue Cross insurance covered very little of it (they don't cover most mental health and non physical disability stuff).
I have literally paid over $10,000+ in out of pocket healthcare expenses because Blue Cross of Michigan wouldn't essentially cover my newly diagnosed mental health stuff and Asperger Syndrome. I was lucky to 30% of my prescription costs covered, normally it ran 10% if at all.
Even as a minor, Blue Cross wouldn't cover any medical expense related to my disabilities (I have more than Just Asperger Syndrome) because I was born with them. They wouldn't even cover prescriptions related to it.
My mother's Ohio Teacher's insurance wouldn't cover that stuff either when I was minor.
My parents literally paid thousands of dollars each year I was a minor because Blue Cross wouldn't cover most stuff related to my neurological disability. Some years it was over $10,000.
This wasn't even factoring in prescriptions.
To get into program that offered disability help in any form, I was either not disabled enough, My parents made too much money, or they made not enough money (yeah they were told this)!.
So now I am trying to figure out if I can stay permanently on Medicad, though no one can give me a clear answer.
I am so sick if dealing with private insurance companies and not getting coverage for my disabilities related stuff.
Also what little is available in Michigan in terms of Autism support, I am
not eligible for because I am too
functional and "normal".
I mean I hope I finally land a job soon... Though with companies requiring asinine amounts of experience and certifications just to get an unpaid internship, let alone an entry level job, it may still be a while.
I'm working with the state agency but I haven't gotten anywhere yet and that is after three years of looking on my own and applying to hundreds of jobs and interviewing...
It doesn't help that Americans with disabilities are
heavily stigmatized in the workplace to the point most employers actively find ways to
avoid employing those with disabilities. Hell if you develop a disability of any sort while working, y
ou will most likely get let go for some made up reason or "no reason given".
Employers see people with disabilities as extremely costly employees who are huge legal liabilities, who cannot get much work done.
Add in the fact that American employers actively avoid hiring people under the age of 35, because they don't want to pay the costs that go with training and learning in the work environment, it means if you are under 35 and have an official diagnosis, you might never get hired.
American society as a whole
actively stigmatizes people with disabilities and actively discriminates against them (it's well documented).
I believe everyone should be active in their lives and take responsibility for their lives.
But I am well aware of the discrimination, active roadblocks and bans the state and federal government impose on groups of society including the disabled, the active shunning by society and employers and other negative stuff that occurs in this country.
Those not born into and never become part of a negatively effected group, will be better off every time (unless they screw up horribly). They will always be that much farther ahead in life and be that much more successful (studies have proven it time and again).
That is due to them having more time, resources and money at their disposal without the huge and exponential costs that are negatively inflected on the negatively effected groups.
My overarching point is people who are negatively effected group normally fall behind in life and never overcome that due to how badly American society works against them and actively blocks them using the powers of government.
These groups are effectively punished by society and the government.
We have 50+ years of these studies.
The same goes for other developed and non developed countries.
