Across the country millions and millions of people with disabilities want to work and have the skills and education to do so but are being forced to choose between work and Medicaid benefits. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 14.8% of people with disabilities are not employed in this country.
With the American economy in shambles and the federal government trying to revitalize the economy, it would be in their best interest to bail out not the auto industry, not the banks, but bail out the thousands of people with disabilities who want to work but cannot. Those people should be given free educational opportunities and housing with career incentives for them to be able to support their own services and needs. Social Security would be less of a long-term problem because more people would be paying into the system. The horrible conditions of states would be improved, and the U.S. deficit could be reduced. Statistically, it has been proven that disabled people who work are reliable, productive workers who work for longer periods of time. This is because they are able to get a sense of self-worth, a sense of pride, and full inclusion into our society. Full inclusion of people with disabilities in our society has been a law that federally is an unfunded mandate since 1999 supported and committed by the Obama administration.
Too many times, there are employers who are told not to hire people with disabilities because of the costs surrounding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and having to reasonably accommodate the individual. This is a bad myth because not only is the ADA there for employees with disabilities, but also gives employers creative ways to accommodate people with disabilities very economically.
People with disabilities who start their businesses are running into the same problems as the rest of America struggles with paying taxes, higher workman’s compensation rates, and a general decline of customers as a result of not having enough money. The Obama administration seems to mumble on and on about reinvigorating small businesses and getting people back to work. We must remember that people with disabilities could help reinvigorate the economy if we can get rid of all of the disincentives that get in the way of workers with disabilities. People who need job skills or higher education should get these amenities with the understanding that when they start making money the U.S. government also makes money. I have friends who I know across the country that have jobs and work, and they are constantly bombarded with meaningless redetermination for their benefits, despite the fact that these people are permanently disabled and just want to do their job. I happen to be one of those people. As disabled people’s services get cut back and they begin to lose the quality of life worth living, they begin to lose hope.
As I sat down at the Thanksgiving table this year and looked at the pie on the table, I could not help thinking to myself about all of the graduates I know from UC Berkeley who don’t have jobs but have unbelievable skills in all areas, including economics, genetics, law, public policy, art, writing, playwriting. I hope my words have demonstrated my severe frustration with the American Dream for people with disabilities and how they miss out on the taste of the American pie. We have a lot to be thankful for, but we all have a long way to go.
Nicholas Feldman resides in Berkeley, California with his fiancée. Nicholas received his B.A. and minor from UC Berkeley and currently runs Dare to Dream Attendant Services, a home care service that provides in-home care to all people with disabilities.
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