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Beyond useless, a joke. They told me I was too disabled to work since I lost my drivers license last February. And participating in their programs is one of the reasons I lost my driver's license. Again, beyond useless. I think they could do the disabled and taxpayers a favor just by gutting that program. All it did was end me up with a caseworker who spent most of her time searching for job applications, the same sort of thing I've done in the past. Employers aren't interested in hiring somebody with no work experience with 12 percent state unemployment and thousands of applicants looking for work. A joke and waste of taxpayer dollars. Florida would have saved money by sacking the caseworkers and just giving me some money to rent an apartment.
I ended up complaining to the US Department of Justice. To their credit, the Justice Department's disability division wrote back and told me that my case had been forwarded to the US Department of Education for investigation. As far as I'm concern, Florida is a mismanaged banana republic. Don't move here.
That makes zero sense. How could participating in their program cause you to lose your license? There are people who are interested in hiring through their programs, even with high unemployment, because they get tax breaks for doing so. They also have federal funds that will send you for higher education, which your writing indicates that you are intelligent enough to do. You have something else going on my friend. I agree a bad attitude is a handicap but it is not, at least not yet, a handicap that qualifies you for SSI or other assistance designed for the handicapped. And don't blame it on the Aspberger's, that doesn't cause you to have a bad attitude either.
Most people here that are commenting about Asperger's being correlated with intelligence. Perhaps this is true but 80 percent of those with Asperger's are NOT employed full time and over half are unemployed altogether, often for decades. I went to a local state funded Autism group a few years ago and most of the adults there were unemployed, most living off college loans and their parents or SSI. The few that had jobs generally worked at part-time, low wage jobs. Most people with Asperger's do not work at engineering jobs and make alot of money. In my own case, I have a math learning disability and I'm horrible at math, I'm simply not wired to be an engineer and it never appealed to me. Technical writing is a possibility but I don't have the money to go back to school to be retrained in this field (nor would Vocational Rehab pay for it), nor are there many people in my area employing technical writers with my lack of experience.
That makes zero sense. How could participating in their program cause you to lose your license? There are people who are interested in hiring through their programs, even with high unemployment, because they get tax breaks for doing so. .
It is a long story. In the state of Florida it is relatively easy to lose ones drivers license and a rehab program I went to for help ended up revoking my license. I have low vision (due to optic nerve hypoplasia) but in the past I was given a drivers license, passing the state vision requirements easily and I had a flawless driving record for almost a decade, including a motorcycle endorsement. Now I can't drive and I depend on my parents or the paratransit to get around. I play videogames all the time on my big screen TV but of course reality and common sense are lost on your average Florida beaurocrat.
I was told in VR my disability status would have no leverage with employers. They are not interested in simply hiring "a disabled person" for a tax write off. If you lack work experience or the appropriate education they won't touch you. The tax incentives that some employers suppossedly get were not being leveraged in the VR program I was working with, if they exist at all. Again, this is my experience of this reality, and you have no real first hand experience of dealing with disability and employment. I do.
My "bad attitude" is largely due to my experiences dealing with underfunded social safety nets and its not likely to change soon. I think you are the one that needs an attitude adjustment, not me. I've met so many other people struggling with disability issues and I know my story is not at all unique. A suppossedly just society lets many, many people fall through the cracks and squanders human capital. No, I'm not the one with the bad attitude.
Again, this is my experience of this reality, and you have no real first hand experience of dealing with disability and employment. I do.
I worked three years as a co-teacher in a transitional education program, so yes I do. Not a single one of our students had work experience, part of our program's goal was to help them learn how to be employees. Go back to the vocational rehabilitation people and ask for a new counselor. Look into community/technological college, many of them also work with the disabled. If your Asperger's makes you argumentative at times, be upfront about that and it will help them help you. It may also influence who they assign as your counselor, they should have ones that are familar with how to work with people who have your type of disability. You do not have an intelligence deficit, that means you are employable if YOU are willing to work on some of your issues.
I cannot believe the number of people that think getting SSI or SSDI is an easy path out of unemployment. I've been denied several times for SSI in the past 2 1/2 years, finally resulting in an administrative judge denying my claims. I am debating seeking an appeal with a federal judge at this point, outside Social Security's administration. This will take another year. The process is long, hard, and often their standards of what jobs are available are unrealistic. I've really resigned myself to have "failed" in the eyes of most of the masses of this country and I feel the need to cut myself off emotionally from "ordinary life" except for a few friends.. They will never understand how unfair the system is as long as people are blinded by ideological propaganda that portrays SSI and SSDI as just another "welfare" program full of "dead beats".
I was diagnosed with Asperger's, an autism spectrum disorder, 3 years ago, and I've had lifelong battles with depresion. I now have a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, and I've been hospitalized 3 times in the past 3 years for psychiatric reasons. But I was still denied. I expected a fair hearing from Judge Ann Adzell but her report is full of subtle libel against my family and erroneous interpretations of my doctors' and therapists' medical reports stemming either from ignorance or malice. The whole thing makes me sick. I'm 36, never worked a day for pay in my adult life due to disability, and I'll have to wait another year at least to get the money I wanted to be able to live on my own and help out my girlfriend and/or my family to support me, and to pay for my medical debts.
Questions: Did you ever see a Disability Attorney (SSI)? (what did he/she say?)
Have you EVER received SSI/ SSDI?
It's entirely possible that some of this could be hypochondria and that is why your doctors/therapists reports are getting you denied. Basically, they might be saying, "It's all in your head."
(Not saying it is.. or isn't).. Have you ever felt you were preoccupied with illnesses but your doctor's weren't concerned?
-Why should I pay fuel tax for the freeways you drive on?
-Why should I pay taxes for the military that protects you?
-Why should I subsidize ANYTHING that you take advantage of?
Because this is a United States of America with a common government set up for the common good.
Just because you are healthy and maybe wealthy today does not mean you will be tomorrow.
Have you ever heard the bible verse "If not for the grace of God, there go I"? That's one that right wingers who wave the bible around for votes conveniently forget almost always.
Well, Mr Finger, you have put out perfectly my point. Why should I subsidize ANYTHING? I have no problems paying taxes for military, police, fire and other public safety issues. I don't mind paying for roads and other like projects. However, that is where it ends.
I am not here to put money into your wallet, because you are sick, lame, and/or lazy. Social Security and Medicaire should be abolished. It is MY responsibility to pay my way and my families way through life. It is NOT your responsibility to work for me. Just because "its how it works," doesn't mean it is correct. How about we change "how it works" to how it should work?
In so far as "The grace of god," BS, I'm a right wing, conservative. And to throw a monkey wrench into your thought process and obvious bias, I am a black right wing conservative, who believes in abortion (in fact, we don't do enough of them), and God has no place in this argument.
This argument isn't about God, democrats, or republicans. This argument is about finances. PERIOD. I am NOT rich. No where near it and I am tired, each and every week, having to work more and more hours, just for me to take care of myself and my family. When millions sit around on their lazy butts and do nothing, because "they feel depressed."
You have no clue what I've gone through in my life and what I have overcome. Just read this thread and you have seen many you have been in much worse circumstances then the OP. Yet, they worked and continued to work. Of course, that too is the point: He doesn't want too. He wants it all given too him, which is the liberal way. Someone else pay for it.
As I have said before, how about you and all the other do good liberals out there, take every dime of their spare money and donate it too all these causes. In fact, better yet, sell all of your worldly possessions and donate the proceeds to every charity you can think of. Eat macaroni and cheese, Top Ramen, never eat out, never see a movie, nothing. ALL that money gets donated.
You will not. Nor will any other liberal out there. They want to stand up for the world, as long as someone else pays for it. A typical hypocrite.
1. Be a minority.
2. Act crazy at the hearing.
3. The paperwork was done incorrectly.
Wanted to say "sigh" another one who thinks that "minorities" get stuff that white people don't. It is like never ending around here and pretty crazy, it even comes from mods lol!
I have a friend who was in a devastating car accident. He had a moderate brain injury and was in a coma for a few weeks. After his recovery he had some speech and mobility issues, which persist until this day. He had to have more than one brain surgery and could not work at all for 3 years. He applied for SSDI and was denied 3 times and never received it. He is a pretty dark skinned minority and I don't think that helped him out at all. He is lucky that he has a wife who is a teacher who has wonderful benefits as he lost his job, they tried to hold it for him but his recovery was too long, most buisnesses won't hold a job for you for 3 years, plus he worked in a warehouse, he was the supervisor and was well liked, but they needed someone to work in the warehouse so they had to let him go. He did get a severence package and luckily his wife's great teacher benefits package got him some great physical and rehabilitational therapy and he has recovered very well even though he still does not have the full use of his left arm and walks with a limp as the left side of his body was permanently damaged. He also still has speech issues but is way better than he was after his accident as everyone can understand him now.
He has a part time job now, but nothing like what he was making at the warehouse and he and his family had to downsize as they could not afford the home they were living in after his injury. They also have a ton of medical bills as even though his wife has good insurance, there are co-pays and deductibles to contend with that take up a large amount of their home's income.
I just don't understand it when people think that minorities get more SSDI. I know way more white people, which is something considering I live in a majority black city, who get SSDI for things that most of you would not think is necessary. I work in public housing and most of our disabled residents who get SSDI and housing assistance are not black. The "young disableds" are usually white, which is interesting to me as even though the largest percentage of our residents are black, they usually get to stay with us because they are old (over 65 years old and receiving SS that they paid into their whole working lives) not because they have a disability.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WannaliveinGreenville
Questions: Did you ever see a Disability Attorney (SSI)? (what did he/she say?)
Have you EVER received SSI/ SSDI?
It's entirely possible that some of this could be hypochondria and that is why your doctors/therapists reports are getting you denied. Basically, they might be saying, "It's all in your head."
(Not saying it is.. or isn't).. Have you ever felt you were preoccupied with illnesses but your doctor's weren't concerned?
I agree with this for the OP. You may need a new attorney. I hope your family is assisting you with this process as well. I have read the statistics on those with ASDs and it is true what you are saying, that they usually are unemployed. Many employers do not want to hire disabled people. Those of you who don't want to acknowledge this are being very strange.
And OP, you should look into freelance work in regards to technical writing. If you have a little experience, you can usually find some tasks to do online with creating new editions of manuals and such. You seem to write pretty well. I used to do technical writing when I was a SAHM and even though it does not pay a lot, if you build up a good reputation you can make a decent part time income. You can also look into companies who hire people to work from home doing various tasks including customer service. I also worked for Alpine Access before but they do not hire people from every part of the country. They provide home based customer service representatives for many big name companies in this country.
You never worked so I don't see why you should get anything from Social Security. Apparently the system is working.
And this is the BOTTOM LINE. The United States CANNOT sustain this sort of program, without more people paying into it. I don't know if the liberals of this country have been looking at an increasing national debt, however the more social entitlement programs, the more its going to cost.
WHO is going to pay for this? This person, the OP, hasn't paid one dime into a system he is whining about wanting to get money from. And liberals stand up and say that is ok. Give it too him and in fact, give him more (but you pay for it, not me).
No one is really wanting to tackle the overriding issue with this: Where are his parents? Where are his family? Why are they not paying for the OP? He states he has been depressed his whole life. What did his parents do to turn this around? Stop it and correct it?
This "person" has leeched off society his entire life. EVERYTHING for 36 yrs has been GIVEN to him for NOTHING. He hasn't lifted a finger to do anything for himself. Not even so much as a part time job at 7-11. And all of a sudden, its OUR responsibility to give him more free money?
Please elaborate: do you mean "middle class"? Or something else.
The federal government _might_ find it useful to wean people off of SSDI and onto make-work jobs, replacing federal workers through attrition, perhaps. Or it might not. My point is that disability pay should be withheld from those who can do _any_ type of work, rather than the work they are most highly qualified for. Those who cannot do any job at all, of any kind, should receive disability pay.
Unemployment insurance is the primary benefit program for those who have worked, and who are no longer working. Not disability pay. Disability pay should be for the disabled. Unemployment pay is usually a bit higher as well.
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another one who thinks that "minorities" get stuff that white people don't. It is like never ending around here and pretty crazy, it even comes from mods lol!
