The U.S. Could Learn Something from the United Kingdom, By: Jason Hahr


The picture above shows a disabled man in a grey suit shaking hands with a gentleman in a blue suit in an office. 

Last September, a publication called Living with Disabilities out of the United Kingdom published an article about a charity that funded work opportunities for people with learning disabilities. I will link the article at the bottom of this post. After rereading the article this week, I decided to write this blog about employment and disability in the United States.

Recently, my now fiancé had to give in her two weeks' notice to end her employment because if she had continued with the job, she would have been in danger of losing her aide care services. Her last day is the 22nd of April. She has enjoyed the job, but it has created many challenges for her.

 The current system within the United States is not designed well. It creates many barriers for people with disabilities in terms of employment. We are steered towards programs through Vocational Rehab, which are designed to get us "working," but one has to ask oneself, are they really designed to help people with disabilities, or are they just designed to check boxes?

We are told as young children that we can do anything we want, but as we grow older, we are forced to realize that society is not designed for people with disabilities, at least not in the United States. Why should someone be penalized if they need crucial services such as aide care to help them shower, dress, and perform other daily activities, yet they are penalized when they want to work. I currently do not support Donald Trump, but he is running the country like a business, and the way disabled people are treated is similar.

This may seem like a stretch but hear me out. Everything comes down to money. The humanity that people share has been forgotten. My fiancé was good at her job, but because it paid over the maximum amount, we are allowed by government to have in our accounts, she is screwed. Pardon my language, but I am really frustrated. She wants to be a "contributing member of society," but because of the way the programs we as disabled people rely on are designed, we get penalized for wanting to be "normal." How does that make any sense?

I've strayed a little from my original intent, but my point is still the same. The article I will link at the bottom of this post shows how the United Kingdom provides more funding and prioritizes its citizens over the economic bottom line. One may think that I am going out on a limb by making that statement, but I believe that the priorities of humanity and America need to be rethought. In other words, are we forgetting that people matter more than money? We need people to print money, so wouldn't you want to take care of those people?

Anyway, I hope my long-windedness hasn't left anyone disillusioned or annoyed, but if you are annoyed like I am over the state of people with disabilities in America, then I will have done my job. It's time we stopped being silent and gave a voice to the voiceless.

https://www.livingwithdisability.org/post/charity-funds-work-placements-for-adults-with-learning-disabilities

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