As we prepare to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, I am very introspective and do strongly believe that we've made extraordinary gains in community living, access to public places, including transportation and telecommunications but we're still the poorest minority group in the world. Here in the US, 80% of people with disabilities don't work. We've been lulled into thinking that life on SSI or SSDI, hence poverty, somehow is sufficient and has become the norm. By default, poverty is our lot in life, never having more than $2000 in the bank at any one time and fighting for precious subsidized housing. Living on $9000 a year keeps us from the basics of the so-called American Dream; working hard to save money to buy a home, provide for our families, and generally achieving success and prosperity.
I spoke to a group of young adults with disabilities last week and asked them if they thought living in poverty was an acceptable future for them and, to a person, each was vehemently opposed but when I asked if they knew about SSI and either had it or wanted it, most everyone thought it was a good idea. As leaders, we've failed young adults by not mentoring them early in their lives to build leadership and set the bar higher than a life of poverty. On some level, it's our fault but naturally, there's much more to the story. The Social Security rules are completely biased toward a future on the public dole by penalizing people when they go to work in such a way that the fragile foundation beneath us is pulled out completely. It's too black and white and there needs to be a less risky path out of benefits to employment that rewards work. The same is true of Medicaid especially if you rely on it for Long Term Services and Supports like personal assistance. If you go to work you lose your Medicaid and your support system goes away.
Both systems have tried projects and initiatives to encourage employment and provide an opportunity to keep some or all of your benefits but, in general, they've failed. So, as a community, we need to redouble our efforts to push for full employment and I can't think of a better time to make that commitment than now. Let's fulfill the promise of the ADA and bang away at the systems that have marginalized us and kept us in poverty. Let's work with the Congress and the president to start over and completely revamp Social Security, Medicaid, Vocational Rehabilitation and Labor and Workforce Development to create and keep a permanent pathway out of poverty and into mainstream employment.