Author Archives: Thomas Summers

Marriage Rates among People with Disabilities

We all want to love, be loved, get married and have our own home. A percentage of people don’t have the opportunity to enjoy their love or worse can’t be with their loved ones. People with disabilities are mainly affected by the earlier stated problem.

Technically, they are allowed to marry, but what is on the line is what they are not ready to sacrifice. Am talking about basic needs such as food, medication, without these needs, they are pretty much helpless. 1234

Marriage affects their SSDI, it is deemed to be the spouse responsibility. If you consider the amount of work the spouse will have to do to ensure his or her spouse is catered for, is next to impossible. How will he or she be able to go work and earn for their daily needs as well as be there to cater for his or her spouse needs?

These leaves the person with no choice but to not marry. In case you decide to do the ‘come we stay’ marriage, if detected you still lose your benefits from the SSDI.

If you decide to face the challenges and get married. It is wise to call on the advocates and assess the participant’s income and see if it is worth losing your SSDI for marriage. The advocate can search for another solution like look for a supplement policy or be insured by the spouse work.

Also one has to be careful with the gifts offered in the wedding. If it is tangible objects, it does not affect the SSDI but if it comes in cash, it will be counted as income hence affect the SSDI benefits.

10 % end up getting married even after the challenges they faces, but this does not mean the tide is calm. Divorce becomes a major challenge even after all the hardships they have faced together. As many know, the divorce is never easy and it’s definitely harder for the disabled people. The disabled spouse may receive less settlement which will be less to cater for his or her need. In case they had a child the disabled spouse will have to pay for the child support or even the alimony from the SSDI. It is good before divorce to meet with a marriage counsellor and help you solve the marriage problems. Also meet up with your legal counsellor to guide you to ensure you get a fair settlement.

A research was done by the American Community in 2009 and they discovered that 13.6% of the 1.04 million disabled men were divorced. 12.4 of the 1.2 million disabled female population are divorced. Most of them, their main cause is usually on the disability issue, which is very sad.

Income and marriage is a major thing that people with disabilities are deprived. It is hard to get a job to ensure you are self-sustainable. In case you get a job, you may lose your SSDI. The job may have low salary that cannot sustain your needs, hence leaving you to be unemployed.

Is it fair for one to live alone yet it is not their choice?

Housing Choices for Young Adults with Disabilities

housing

 

There is a time when a young one is ready to move out, so how do you ensure they move out to a house that is well suited for them.

Here are some of the factors that you need to consider when choosing a house:

Finance

This applies to everyone who wants to move out. You need to be sure you can afford the rent for at least 3 months. Check on the funding you child gets after the age of 18 and research for the financial help for housing. This will make sure you get a house that will not strain your pockets.

Talking with other parents who have been in the same situation

It is said one cannot survive by doing things alone. You will always need your fellow neighbor. Asking other parent how they dealt with the situation will guide you. You will try to avoid the challenges that they faced.

A supportive environment

Looking for the house in an environment that supports the child who is disabled is very important. Check on the close proximity of school, restaurant, bus stage or work. Do the roads support the disabled? This way you are assured that your child is in a safe home.

Safety

Consider the neighborhood safety, in terms of get to know the neighbors. Check on their criminal backgrounds. The environment safety, are there lights, good locks or even a fire evacuation plan? It is also good to follow your guts if you feel something is wrong in the area, then don’t force yourself into it.

Do you want roommates or not?

What is your child interested in? Living alone, living with someone else or in a group. In case they are living in a group, you can choose whether to live in a private or an apartment community. It is very wise to know your roommates, don’t choose them online. They can be your friends, schoolmates and neighbors.

Disability Rights Watch

Last year the UK government ratified the United Nation Convention on the Rights of Disabled People. This forces UN member states to take active steps to ensure that the human rights of disabled people are respected. It is a very important and powerful process that affects all disabled people. It actively promotes equality and the inclusion of disabled people in society. The Convention, now signed, requires the UK government to change laws and policies, eliminate discrimination and actively consult with disabled people and their organizations. It covers a range of rights, including; the right to life, freedom from inhumane and degrading treatment, respect for integrity, privacy, family life, access to information, health, education, work and living standards. The Convention is based on the social model of disability and requires that disabling barriers and attitudes are removed. However, the Convention is not enforced by going to court rather disabled people can use it as campaigning tool and make reference to it when challenging decisions and policies that affect our lives. You can find out more about the Convention on the UN website at www.un.org/disabilities.

The Convention requires the UK government to monitor and report to the UN on how well they think they have done in protecting and promoting the human rights of disabled people. The UN committee then tells the UK government what they think they have done well on, and where they can improve. It is important for the UN and the government to hear the real life voices and experiences of disabled people. Many of us face barriers every day, our human rights are denied too often, but we could work and use the Convention to make these rights a reality. The United Kingdom Disabled Peoples Council (UKDPC) and 9 Disabled Persons Organisations across England are working together on a project called Disability Rights Watch and have developed a website to collect information and evidence. You can go online to tell your story if you, have or think you may have experienced a situation when you were discriminated, excluded, disrespected or treated differently because you are a disabled person, please get in touch and tell us what happened. This information will be used to create a report that will inform the UN about the human rights for disabled people and shape future policy in the UK. Please find further information attached . Sheffield Centre for Independent Living ( Sheffield CIL ) is supporting the project if you need any further information or assistance.

Long Term Neurological Conditions (LTNC) Case Management Service

The Case Management Service (CMS) is a NEW community team dedicated to working closely with service users, service providers and other agencies in Sheffield to ensure people with LTNC have timely and appropriate professional support. The team will work with the individual, a professional or several service providers (both Health and Social Care) to facilitate change and help provide a seamless service. The aim of the team is to set up a register of all patients in Sheffield with a long term neurological condition, ensure a care plan for immediate and future needs is in place and assist in the co ordination of neurological cases which are defined as complex due to the amount of services involved, the diagnosis and social circumstances.

Hidden Impairments E Learning Package

The Hidden Impairments National Group is developing an e-learning package on hidden impairments for use in the Yorkshire and Humber region of the NHS. It is anticipated that the e-learning package will be available for staff in a wide range of public facilities (eg hospitals, GP practices, prisons). The Hidden Impairments that the package is focused around are for people for who have dyspraxia, ADHD, Asperger’s syndrome or autism. To enhance the learning the group would like to include patients’ or carers’ stories about their experiences in hospital in outpatients or inpatients – whether they be stories of good care or of situations that could have been improved or a mixture of both.

Support the RNIB Campaign on Accessible Bus and Coach Travel

In early December the Royal National Institute for the Blind achieved some great results during European negotiations on legislation to provide new rights for disabled people when using buses and coaches across the EU. RNIB and other disability organisations across Europe have campaigned harRNIBd and the European Parliament and EU governments have now agreed to include in the proposed legislation: new rights on access to travel information before and during the journey and the obligation for all bus and coach drivers to take part in disability awareness training. In addition, there will be free assistance for disabled people at terminals and on board all long distance bus and coach journeys of 250 km (155 miles),and where necessary, free transport for companions. Assistance will be provided as long as it is booked 36 hours in advance of travel. In order to become law, the legislation now needs to be agreed by EU transport ministers and Members of the European Parliament in early 2011. If you would like to support this campaign the RNIB has created a new template letter to help you send a message to your MP now calling on the UK government to support the legislation.

Meeting Point

Scope has launched a new online forum for young disabled people. This is a secure place to talk, share ideas and information and raise concerns with peers. The forum, Meeting Point, has been setup as part of Scope’s young people’s project Trendsetters, developed to highlight priorities for support and information and enabling young people to work with Scope to produce resources that will be available to other young disabled people facing similar challenges in their day to day lives. Meeting Point can be accessed via Scope’s website. On the forum you will find “day in the life of” videos, a disability quiz, interviews and useful contacts. Meeting Point is a closed forum that requires registration and parental consent.