Fear is something everyone experiences in life and those fears vary from person to person. I'm personally afraid of death, spiders and rodents.
Halloween is approaching, a date used to remember those whom have passed on, to have fun by dressing up, scaring others and getting candy. I point this information out to ask what do you think individuals with disabilities fear the most?
Every individual experience with disability is different so the challenges are different. Growing up, a child with a physical disability might not interact with other kids out of fear of being excluded or being made fun of. Adults may struggle with going out in public for the same reason. How can we change or eliminate the fear of exclusion? One way is by reminding our children about previous struggles we had as kids or remind them of struggles doing things like reading or writing. Hopefully, if we teach this lesson to young people they will develop a better sense of compassion and understanding as they grow older. Another way we can make a more inclusive environment is by politely asking a disabled individual or someone close to them the nature of their disability to be able to work around or accommodate their needs. This might sound like an easy thing to do but in a real situation this can be awkward or uncomfortable, but it is important to get past this. Avoid making the assumption that one accommodation such as lowering the height of basket ball hoops can help everyone.
Alright we've talked about exclusion enough, lets talk about something we all need at every age and every stage financial support Before we begin, the facts and figures expressed are strictly according to the current Acts regarding disability in the province of Ontario and may be subject to change or differ by province, territory and country respectively. Individuals who apply for disability benefits have to go through a lengthy process to qualify which can be considered understandable or ridiculous depending on your situation. Once qualified for disability benefits or ODSP for short, the maximum amount allowed for a single individual monthly in Ontario is $1,368 as of July 2024. People on ODSP are able to apply for employment; however, if your monthly earnings exceed $1000 dollars a month there may be a 75 percent deduction to your ODSP. So basically, if you're a single, disabled person in Ontario the most you can make before deductions is $2,368 a month. Now let's talk expenses. If you're only allowed to keep ODSP and work you may need to apply to a waiting list to be in a geared-to-income housing apartment complex which may take years to acclimate. Then once placed, you pay a reduced rental rate and $300 for a few weeks in groceries plus other bills. Exceptions to these rules can be made if you have a family or are a full-time student. These rules are in place to make sure that individuals with disabilities have the means to survive but not become wealthy on tax payer money. I hope this leaves you with a better understanding of the difficult financial issues for young disabled individuals.
Now that I've explained the problems of financial stability, let's talk about an equally difficult problem within the disability community, equipment and retirement. A brand new power wheelchair can cost around ten thousand dollars. Given how much money people receive on disability, your most likely going to need to apply for assistance. You can receive assistance in Ontario by having a valid health card, be an Ontario resident and have a disability that requires a mobility aid for six months or longer. Once your application has been approved which can take up to 8 weeks to review, under the Assistive Devices Program or ADP, 75 percent of the costs for new mobility aids are covered and you must pay the rest. To have the costs of replacements covered you must provide proof that your condition has not changed, the mobility aid in question can't be repaired at a reasonable cost, or the mobility aid is no longer under warranty. Be careful when examining this policy as there are many items not covered under the ADP program.
Lets talk retirement, the plan for many people in Canada hopefully after a long career, careful investments and putting money away for the future is to retire at age 65 and receive monthly payments under the Canada Pension Plan or CPP, receiving on average $815.00 a month this is the hope for every able-bodied Canadian. The future is an uncertain thing regardless of what disability you or your loved ones experience in life. I hope this article has opened your eyes to the importance of research into your provinces' or countries' disability policies. Long term savings plans are some of the real concerns that might keep a disabled individual up at night.
We here at RollingDragon Media wish you a safe and happy Halloween until next time Keep Calm and Roll On
#finances #disabilitypride #future #longtermplanning #fear
sources https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-disability-support-program-eligibility-income-support
https://www.ontario.ca/page/mobility-aids
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/publicpensions/cpp/cpp-benefit/amount.html
