Traveling can be stressful for any family. If you’re traveling with a loved one who uses a wheelchair, it can be overwhelming. Recently, I presented to about 160 Hilton Grand Vacations team members on “What I Wish Hospitality Workers Knew about Traveling with a Disability.” It always feels good to educate any community about disabilities. The purpose of the presentation was to give team members a “feel” for what it was like when I was
Category: Disability
Too many times schools misuse school removals as a behavioral management strategy and this is a clear violation of their right to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). Disciplinary removals impact a student’s learning. Rather than address the behavior, they call the parents to pick their child up because the child needs to “calm down.” Then, the school does not record that as a removal from school. The Office of Special Education Programs’ has a
The mission of SSI is to provide monthly payments to people with disabilities and older adults who have little or no income or resources. The rules about assets and income for SSA can be very confusing. SSA has been working to make applying for and keeping SSI benefits easier for individuals. The new SSA Rent Subsidy Rule is a major step in helping people with SSI keep their full benefits. There are too many acronyms
The Children with Special Needs Fund’s mission is to “help families with children with special needs obtain equipment and services not covered by insurance or other programs.” The goal is to help families purchase equipment that enhances their child’s quality of life. My daughter received funding through CSN for a Rifton bike, an adaptive swing, and a beach wheelchair (partial funding). Background It is always difficult to remember or even figure out how all the
It is complicated and unnecessarily burdensome to apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). But, there are some recent changes that indicate the federal government is hearing the complaints and implementing changes that will make applying easier. SSI is a federal program run by the Social Security Administration (SSA). It provides assistance for people with disabilities (or people over 65) with little or no income. They assist by providing Medicaid health insurance (in most states) and
(originally published February 2024) Many parents ask about the work rules for someone receiving SSI. They are complicated. A key determinate in qualifying for and keeping SSI benefits is whether someone reaches the threshold of Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). Essentially, this is a way for SSI to know how much a person could earn even if they are disabled. So, someone could qualify for SSI due to a disability but not receive SSI because they
(originally published March 2024) I am often asked about Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) when I present on Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Most families I speak to will deal with SSI first, so I don’t discuss SSDI other than to tell them it exists. Lately, I have been receiving more questions from parents about SSDI qualification for their adult disabled child when they retire. The Social Security Administration (SSA) can be very complicated and confusing.
If your adult child is getting ready to apply for SSI, they may need a representative payee. A representative payee is a person who manages SSI payments on behalf of a beneficiary. This means they can receive cash benefits and have the authority to use the money on the beneficiary’s behalf. Unless SSA has specifically permitted it or you are a legal guardian appointed by the court, you may not collect a fee for services
Parents often think of Assistive Technology (AT) as high-tech devices. Communication boards that can be controlled with eye gaze are used by students who cannot speak and might not have functional use of their limbs. Or an app that reads text to students on the computer. But, while not as exciting, it can also be modified scissors so the student can take part in class activities. It could be a graphic organizer to help the