Straight Talk: Understanding Equal Opportunity for People with Disabilities
By Andrew Furey
Businesses, government, advocates and the entire community need to recognize that people with disabilities to have the right for an equal opportunity to go to college, get a job or just live independently. I have muscular dystrophy and I've had to fight my own battles to achieve these goals.
For someone with a disability, obtaining a post-secondary education can be quite difficult. The process can have many obstacles, many of them seemingly insurmountable. One of the biggest things that can get in their way is making use of Vocational Rehab and navigating the services that they provide. I have had many problems with this agency and continue to do so. Vocational Rehab is supposed to provide things like home health aides, help with obtaining room and board, and even help paying your tuition. Though, in my experience, it's very difficult to get them to provide all of these things.
Another major obstacle in the way of going to college is the school itself. The schools do not understand the daily challenges students with disabilities go through to even go there. They are required by law to provide reasonable accommodations, but it is up to the school determine what they consider to be reasonable. Some schools like Georgia Tech don't really provide that many accommodations, but others like the University of North Georgia go above and beyond to make sure every student has the same opportunity.
Schools and government agencies need to understand the obstacles to obtaining a higher education people with disabilities face in order to provide better services and accommodations.
Even though there are laws against discriminating against people with disabilities in the workplace, some employers may not realize the full potential of an employee with disabilities. Employers and businesses need to understand that with some accommodations, a person with disabilities is as able as an employee without disabilities. But, even with a job, people with disabilities have to remain below the poverty level in order to get government assistance with healthcare. They cannot get the same benefits from an insurance company or afford it and this forces dependence on the government for the rest their lives. In order to continue receiving help from the government, they are limited on how much money they can earn which keeps them living at or near the poverty level.
People with disabilities should be allowed to work as much as they are able without fearing the loss of adequate healthcare. Living independently can be difficult or just about impossible. If they are like myself and have a severe physical disability, then there are few options available. We have some degree of independence, but to live completely independent from family members and government assistance through programs like Independent Care Waiver Program is unlikely. The staggering cost of paying for one's personal assistants and healthcare means this goal is unrealistic. It is more likely that they will have partial independence combined with support from other sources.
There are many groups and organizations currently working to educate the entire community about equality for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and encourage them to support legislation that creates or maintains support systems that allow people with disabilities to live independently and have a chance at the same opportunities like everyone else.
It is my hope that one day people with disabilities will live more independently, have better access to higher education, and work in more accessible workplaces. What I really want is an equal opportunity to participate in and contribute to the community.
Tags: GCDD, Making a Difference, Straight Talk