Disability Caucus 7/26/16: "Get a Job or Start Your Own Business!!!!111!"
When I argue with some people online, these are two of the responses I get with regards to employment or disabilities. Then there's the classic "Stop using your disabilities as your excuse!!!!111!"(Yeah, let's see these assholes live a day in the life of someone with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy and the physical problems that go with it and say that.) There are problems with all of these.
The people making these arguments often don't understand nuance. Or even, dare I say, empathy. They all assume that if we have computers we all must have cars too. Not me. I can't physically drive one, and I've tried time and again to get my license.
They also assume we haven't tried working jobs that 'nobody wants to take'. Wrong. Believe it or not, just after high school I did try my hand at a little construction removing old floor tiles. Worst. Day. Ever. I'd sweat so much and my back hurt so bad I could barely get out of bed the next morning. In fact, that's usually how it goes with most physically intense jobs be they working at the grocery store, busing tables the summer before my junior year of high school (That was pure hell. I dropped many trays of dishes.), fast food, you name it.
So let's go back to the whole 'start your own business' argument. If I may be blunt, unless you have connections or other infrastructure to help you out, there's no money in it. Maybe that's not so true these days, but I'm not business savvy. I just have skills I wanna use before I lose them but I have no choice but to waste time 'looking for jobs' just to keep SNAP benefits every month.
Hell, I even tried to make a website for my home scanning and archiving side work and I gave that up because I was overthinking it. Perhaps I'll try again as that seems to be the only promising lead I have. It's one of the few things I actually do well and have repeat customers with. We'll see.
See ya around,
Aspie
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Hi
I wish I had some workable suggestions, but I don't. All I can do is wish you well.
Hang in there, Aspie! Leave a message when you get a rough
draft Web site designed, if you like. We could check it out and give critical feedback. Make it easier on you, maybe.
Please check out Pet Vet Help, consider joining us to help pets, and follow me @ElenaCarlena on Twitter! Thank you.
Unfortunately,
libertarians have been running around spreading their idiocy for years in this country. The result of it is that a lot of people have useless responses for people with real disabilities. They want to simply assume that people with disabilities are lazy. Whenever people come up with that automatic response to someone who posts online about their disability, they are talking about someone they don't know and making assumptions about his ability to work that they shouldn't make. Only one thing is being demonstrated. The person making those assumptions is an asshole.
The truth is, social security disability is underfunded and insufficient for most people. Given any other option, most people would prefer to be working if that were possible, rather than take it. It simply isn't enough. Most countries in Europe give higher payments.
Hey there Aspie
We just got our son accepted into a cutting edge job training program that is unlike any program I've seen before. It's not about getting crappy jobs to disabled people. It's about helping them find their strengths, weaknesses and how to find fulfilling jobs/careers to match their skills and the needs of the community/corporate world. It's a very intense 9 months and from the meetings and such we've had, it seems to be amazing.
There are some corporate leaders out there who were raised well enough to grow up and want to help others.
It's called Project SEARCH and it's international. I'm not sure of the age restrictions, it seems to be young adult.
http://projectsearch.us/About.aspx
I do know that my son has gone through some pretty dehumanizing job searches. The questions he gets asked are just disgusting. All for a crappy job picking up cigarette butts in a parking lot.
He gets SSDI - what a pain in the ass that is and all for $700 a month. If he wasn't with us, he'd be in the street. He has done so much volunteering and charity work - more than anyone I know and yet he still can't get through an interview or land a part time job. It's brutal out there.
He will be doing this SEARCH program while volunteering at hockey games on the weekends. We hope the hockey games or sports venue can be his future but who knows - he might find a job/skill he hadn't thought of before.
For once, he has a bit of hope for his future.
"Love One Another" ~ George Harrison