Overlooked Victims of the Economic Crisis

Imagine being in chronic pain that severely limits your daily life and requires taking medications with debilitating side effects. Imagine having a neurological condition that makes it impossible to stand up for long periods of time without fainting or having a seizure. Imagine living on your own while in a wheelchair and relying on a poorly managed public transit system to get across town. There are many different types of disability, and most disabled people manage to live normal and rewarding lives despite setbacks like these.

A few serious problems are starting to come up for many disabled people now as jobs become more scarce by the day.

Not everyone has a college degree or certifications, including a large percentage of the disabled population. Unfortunately, with so many overqualified people applying for jobs, it's almost impossible in some cities to even get a secretary or receptionist job without an education. Many temp agencies don't have anything available, and would definitely favor those with a degree of any kind. Depending on where you live, you might even be unable to find so much as a telemarketer job.

That leaves the typical standby jobs that are usually reserved for those without college experience: retail, restaurant, and service work. The glaring problems arise when you consider that almost all minimum wage or entry level jobs require physical effort to make up for the lack of formal education. Most disabled people can't physically handle demands like constant bending and kneeling, lifting heavy boxes, or being on ones feet for several hour shifts. Many of them are unable to drive, leaving out less strenuous options such as delivery work.

As unemployment climbs higher and higher, employers have the luxury of picking and choosing when a job opening arises. Disabled people are usually casualties of practicality. Why would someone hire a person that needs accomodations (sometimes extensive) when there are 9 other people applying for the same position that can do it without?

You're probably wondering whether it's legal to refuse to hire somebody based on a disability. It is. However, it's also impossible to prove that an employer is actually doing this. They can always say they chose a different person because they were better qualified or had more experience. Or they don't have to say anything at all; employers are never required to call every applicant and tell them why they weren't chosen for the job.

Some people manage to get jobs by not disclosing their disability on the application and telling the boss after being hired. But this leaves you open to the possibility of being fired for lying on the application, which is legal for an employer to do. Usually, the employer will allow you to keep the job, but only if you can attempt and handle the same demands as a non-disabled person. Some people last less than one day before their disabilities interrupt; other last longer, but often in unbearable pain or while exacerbating health problems they can't afford to keep up with. Some put coworkers and customers at risk by performing physical duties they shouldn't be doing under their circumstances.

So imagine being physically disabled, without a college degree, and unable to find a job that will accomodate your disability. You're probably wondering whether there's a program that helps the disabled find work or receive federal payments. One exists, but the extent that it actually helps anyone is up in the air.

Each state has a federally funded program that helps match disabled people with jobs they can physically do, or provide them with financial aid. The major shortcoming is the extreme length of these programs. You must schedule and attend group and individual counselor meetings, followed by scheduling doctor's appointments to prove your disability, followed by further counseling. Between waiting for appointments, more than 6 months can pass before an individual gets anywhere near a job or financial assistance. The sad truth is that most people don't have enough money in their bank accounts to float them for several months while they wait for help.

So what happens to a person in this position when they run out of money before finding a job or qualifying for assistance? Most people have the good fortune of having friends and family to rely on until the economy improves and they get back on their feet. Some find a different fortune in a rare sympathetic employer that will go out of his way to provide accomodations. Others aren't as lucky.

Disabled people have the same hopes and dreams for their future that anyone else does, and are often willing to work just as hard to get there if given proper accomodations. Unfortunately, they might just be the most overlooked victims of the economic crash.