Number of disabled people has increased dramatically
The New York Times has a story about research that was done by the Christopher Reeves Foundation that shows there are many times more disabled people in The US than first thought. Up until this time there has not been any serious research done to determine the number of disabled people in the United States and how they are being helped. Previous guesses put the number of disabled people in this country to be around 4 million. This study showed that there were 5 times the number of spinal cord injury patients than was thought. Other parts of the study showed that other types of disability are typically 2 to 4 times the number of disabled people than the government was setting up programs for. This research clearly shows that the disabled are overloading the few services that exist to help them and that congress and senate members were using bad information to decide if programs for the disabled needed to be improved or increased budgets to handle the influx of people.
Now that everyone knows that the disabled are everywhere, are in desperate need of help, and that the present programs are sagging to the point of total failure, lets get the problem fixed! Many parts of the economy have been bailed out so that people can get back to work and keep their homes and transportation. But what about the disabled? Many of us are shut-ins that cannot easily et out of the house and live on tiny amounts of money from Social Security and insurance if the person happened to buy it before they were disabled. There are so many disabled people that need basic help to feed themselves, take care of their families, and figure out a way of paying for medical procedures that a disability czar from the White House is in order. Never has it been shown that Americans are virtually starving in the streets and have no real medical coverage and are little more than collateral damage every time programs are cut. Most are in chronic pain and cannot pay for their medication after Medicare stops paying for prescriptions at $2500. What do they do then? Live with excruciating pain for the next six months until Medicare picks them up for another year?
The Obama administration has been the most disabled friendly in many years and it is hoped that someone there will read this report and come to the conclusion that the disabled have – we are in deep trouble. Most cannot drive and depend on special buses and taxis to get to the grocery store. Those programs are either being cut to removed entirely from state budgets. The federal go9bernment needs to look at what he disabled need to live a reasonable life and get money to the states so these programs don’t disappear. Many of the disabled ended up that way from work related accidents so they have been paying into Social Security and Medicare for many years. It is only fair that these systems be there in their time of need. Explaining that there is no money and you will have to live under a freeway overpass with your children is unacceptable in the United States. We are supposed to be the most powerful and rich nation on the planet, yet we cannot take care of those that made this country what it is.
As we have asked many times before, this is the time to grab your phone and get to know your congressman and senator. The squeaky wheel gets the oil and the reason the banks got bailed out is because our government sees and hears from these folks all the time. The disabled don’t descend on Washington D.C. demanding basic civil rights so we are relegated to living from a cardboard box. Don’t let this happen. Te more we call and write, the more congress will realize we are a voting block that is very interested in what is happening in our government. Democracy is not a spectator sport and the sooner the disabled community learns this the better. Don’t wait for someone else to make things better than they are now. Only we know what is required and how to best help the community.
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User Comments
I am 54 years old and have been struggling with MS since I began having symptoms in 1977. I started with foot flop and now I am confined to a electric wheelchair unable to care for myself, my husband on my home. I can’t feel anything from my chest down — except the PAIN (explain that) my latest symptom attacks my arms and hands. My right arm is bent at the elbow — cannot extend it to the point where I am having a difficult time reaching my joystick to drive my chair. My right hand is in a constant fist (unable to open it) my left hand is getting close. I am right-handed, never was ambidextrous so… I live a HARD every day!! I can’t believe MY government taxes my unemployment
I became disabled nine years ago in a car accident after I left my job. I had disability insurance; full insurance on my car; disability as part of my life insurance policy; and really good health insurance. No one paid one penny of medical care or the life long after effects of me being disabled at 27. Everyone of those insurance companies found a loophole to getting out of paying on the policy I paid for. Social Sercurity and Vocational Rehabilitation both denied me. So for nine years I have lived on less than ten percent of what I made before the accident. My disability and the horrible care I received has left me with a pre existing condition so now I cannot even get health insurance unless I buy a HIPA plan which is more than I make a month. If you are able bodied reading this and think this will never happen to you I have news for you in that yes it can. Insurance companies are out to make money and they very rarely ever pay on any policy. When they do pay it is very very minimal. The only way this problem will be fixed is if everyone does as this article suggests.
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This is an incredible article. Nothing will be done if there are no voices heard. I think the article is correct – contact your congresspersons and senators in the USA. The problem is also in Canada and across the world. We need to come together and decide that this is not appropriate and the world must be accessible to everyone. We have started a website that we hope will help and we encourage everyone to sign up for it – it is free. The site is designed by and for persons with disabilities and it will launch in the summer 2009. It brings all resources and communication, education, shopping, information – everything – under one site. Check it out – and if anyone has any suggestions or comments we would love to hear them!! http://www.ourtownearth.com
Great article!! Thanks so much!