If anyone is now receiving any kind of disability check, taking on a job could affect their benifits. For example, someone receiving Suplimental Security Income (SSI) can work and earn a certain amount each month before their SSI is reduced. After they have reached their allowed earnings, their SSI will be reduced.

No matter what type of disability income you are receiving, it is your responisbility to find out how going to work will affect not only your payments, but any medical coverage you have, also.

WORH AT HOME

If anyone is now receiving any kind of disability check, taking on a job could affect their benifits. For example, someone receiving Suplimental Security Income (SSI) can work and earn a certain amount each month before their SSI is reduced. After they have reached their allowed earnings, their SSI will be reduced.

No matter what type of disability income you are receiving, it is your responisbility to find out how going to work will affect not only your payments, but any medical coverage you have, also.

Carefully consider the the following before giving up part or all of your benifits. If I do go to work, and after six months it is not for me, how long will it take to get my benifits back? Remember, it is up to you to find out all you can before taking on a job.

Here is something else to consider. Let's suppose you are currently receiving $530.00 a month from Supplemental Sucurity Income (SSI). How long would you have to work each month to replace that? If you take the figure of $530.00 and divided it by four, it comes out to $132.50 per week.

So, if you were earning eight dollars an hour and working 40 hours per week, your pay before any taxes were deducted would be $320.00. Each month, you would have to work for eight days and two and one quarter hours just to make the $530.00 a month you would be loosing. You would also have to carefully consider that you could loose any medical benifits you are receiving. You would then possibly have to work an additional three to four days to cover that loss. You would have to work for close to two weeks at $8.00 an hour to cover what you would be loosing. Yes, we know how working is fulfilling, rewarding, and all that other good stuff, but you must be certain that the trade off will benifit you.

WORH AT HOME

Millions of people with disabilities can and do make the commitment of going off to a job each morning. That's great! But there are millions of people with disabilities that want to work but for some reason can't meet the chalenging demand of getting out each day. After answering to yourself "Can I physically work a 40 hour week outside my home?", ask yourself, "Is it really a 40 hour week?"

What I mean by that is that there will be your daily preperation time. If you are a wheelchair user, it doesn't take years of trial and error to figure out that you don't get dressed and into your chair and then decied that you have to use the bathroom. How long is your morning bathroom/dressing routine? What about breakfast? If you have to use public transportation, are they relibale? If you are going to work outside the home, consider all. How much time is involved before you get to work?

Most people with a disability are aware of the extra time involved in prepairing for the day ahead of them. Would your daily dressing routine be too long and demanding on your caregiver, on yourself? If it takes three hours from the time you get up until you reach work, then realise you are not only working a 55 hour week, you are not getting paid for the additional 15 hours.

WORH AT HOME

With the help of modern technoligy, people with disabilities can compete in the work force.

WORH AT HOME

Check with your local Vocational Rehabilation office. Ask them if they know of anyone. Call local merchants that you think could benifit from your service. Here's an example...

Design web sites.

WORH AT HOME

Please send us your story. It will encourage others!

By the time paramedics arrived, Richard's other leg was also tingling and experiencing numbness. After an MRI at the hospital, it was discovered Richard had a blood clot in his spine. The doctors had to remove a piece of bone to access the clot. While in intensive care recovering, Richard was informed that it was crucial that he regain feelings in his legs within the next 72 hours. He did not!

While still experiencing and dealing with his newly acquired disability, trying to face life from his wheelchair and trying to make a go again at life, Richard's wife was diagnosed with cancer. She died within three months. Moving in with relatives, in Florida, Richard began experiencing depression; recalling a low point of sitting on his front porch and counting the cars that drove by.

Through an acquaintance, Richard learned of an organization in the area called Vocational Rehabilitation. There, he met Linda Brown. After learning that Richard enjoyed cooking, making some contacts and arraignments, Linda possibly had something available. Richard expressed he would not be able to perform from his sitting position. Linda acquired a wheelchair that enables the user to rise to a standing position. She also arranged for six weeks of rehabilitation for Richard to build up to standing for long periods of time.

Richard's trainer at the Hyett, now his supervisor, was very impressed at how fast Richard caught on. After the 30 days training period, Richard was kept on as an employee. Three years after his disability, Richard began working as a Salad Prep Cook. His duties include cutting and arraigning the vegetables, meats and fruit for the large salad trays.

Richard approaches his designated work area and with his upper body strength, raises his wheelchair to the standing position. Due to the fact that his ankles begin swelling, he only works five hours a day. He takes no breaks.

Public transportation picks him up at his apartment five days a week at 6 am and he returns at one pm. Richard has only missed one day in the first five months he has worked. Now totally independent, he does his own apartment cleaning and personal hygiene; including self-cath.

The Hyett is very opened minded when it comes to accommodations for people with disabilities. They not only saw the potential in Richard, they also made sure their building is accessible for their guests with disabilities. Recently, while anticipating a Disabled American Veterans convention to be held in their building, the management asked Richard to go into all available rooms, making sure doorways, showers, beds, etc. could be accessed.

------------------------------------------------

My morning dressing routine got to be too long and demanding for my caregiver as well as myself. It was a punshing job of usually three hours from the time I got up until I reached work. I did not have time to eat breakfast.

My daily dressing routine consisted of me going to the bathroom before I got dressed. But there were some days when that was not possible. There were some days that I just got dressed and hoped for the best.

I finally realized I was not working a 40 hour week but I was working a 55 hour week, and I was not getting paid for the additional 15 hours. I was doing mostly phone calls anyway, so I thought why not do it from home. I am now working at home and it is going just fine.

WORH AT HOME