The current welfare Social Security system or, as they are calling it now, “workfare” system is not set up for disabled people. The current system does not work for disabled individuals of color and most immigrants with disabilities.  Many disabled people cannot work the hours that most others do because of many personal health issues; yet the American system will not help those disabled workers with flexible work schedules. The American Disabled workers have a salary caps on a year’s stated amount; if they exceed the government starts recovering monies from their work salaries, this does not include income taxes. This is counter-productive and a big dis-incentive for any disabled person to enter the work force. 

It is also much harder for disabled immigrant workers to navigate this current system. Most disabled immigrants have a very limited vocabulary in English so the American working system can be very confusing to them.  Most disabled immigrants do not know what or why they are signing papers when they go to the social security office. Most immigrants come to America because they are not allowed to work in their homelands. These brave people come to this land seeking work only to be turned away. 

For black disabled males the picture is not bright. Unemployment is as high at 90.2% in some states. These numbers are the same for most ethnic disabled immigrant workers. Only Disabled Asian Americans fare better, with a 50% employment rate—again, most are females receiving these jobs. Disabled Asian American females make up the majority of the 90% disabled employment rate.  

Latino and Asian American Disabled males are not as lucky, with 5-10 % of the current disabled employment rate. Disabled Asian Americans may skew employment statistics because most of these individuals live only on the East and West Coasts.             

 One out of every fifteen minority disabled males is working, and the American public should be outraged by these statistics alone. The American public is currently paying for all of these disabled people who are out of work..  This should be an incentive for the American public to demand a better system for disabled workers in general and minority disabled (as a whole). 

How many minorities disabled elected officials do you know? Without contacts in the government it can be very difficult to change old laws. We disabled minorities have to start organizing and strategizing for changes in the current social security laws. Disabled minorities have to start forming political coalitions independent of the current disabled movement. 

Here is classic example of how power with results happen within the American Political agenda: In 1972 Alabama ranked last in the south for disabled access. Few curb cuts, very few buildings had wide doors or elevators for wheelchairs, no disabled awareness training by state officials.

Most disabled residents moved out of the state if they had the monies to do so.

This all changed after Alabama State Governor Wallace, yes, George C. Wallace, got shot in a Maryland shopping center. Governor Wallace was running for President that year as the American third party candidate. The run for President ended that day, and a new campaign started to make the state of Alabama the first southern state to be fully accessible. 

Governor Wallace became paralyzed from the waist down. Governor Wallace had to use a wheelchair to get around. It was not long before he could see his state was very hostile to anybody disabled.  Within ten years Alabama led the way in the south for wheelchair access. From Selma to Birmingham curb cuts could be seen. State government officials had to take a course on disability before they received their state jobs. Somebody in power said, “MAKE IT SO” and it was done. 

This is the kind of power disabled minority workers should be striving for. The disabled movement is involved in a new power struggle in Washington D. C. with the New Bush Administration, so the hiring and firing of black and minority disabled males is not a major issue.  The Bush Administration is not interested in these statistics, opting to pass on this issue to Independent Living Centers all over the country. ILP’s are still not doing their jobs. 

I beg to differ from our President Bush and the current disabled political movement. The movement needs complete inclusion of all disabled minorities or the movement will become stagnate and die. If you look at the disabled movement today that is exactly what is happening. A slow lingering death of one of the greatest political movements America has even seen. Why because they refuse to change just like the Civil Rights movement of the 60’s. As Brother H. Rap Brown would say, “status Quo ain’t no go” he has a beautiful point, the Civil Rights movement stood still after the 70’s and now African Americans have to fight to regain social and political loses of the 80’s and 90’s. The disabled movement is currently following this same destructive path of doing nothing. 

This issue should be a major concern for Independent Living Programs throughout the country, but I wonder if they care. This is the time for Independent Living Centers to reach out to minority communities and expand the disabled community with the inclusion of African Americans, Latino Americans, and Asian Americans. 

African American disabled males are still very last to be hired and the very first to be fired literally. The mirror image of the abled-bodied world where African American men are experiencing the same treatment in the American work force.  

It’s a disincentive for anybody to get a good job with good wages. Is it not one of our country’s motto “HARD WORK WILL BE REWARDED.” This is not so for the disabled; instead hard work and the working disabled will be penalized. Is this fair?         

That disabled person always has to worry if he/she will go over the limited on waged income. What other employee in the United States worries that he/she makes too much each year. Minority Disabled workers will not be getting rich anytime soon with these current restrictions.

In a country were the main goal is to always better your self, the disabled cannot do so. WHY? 

This should be the challenge of the current political powers of the disabled movement in Washington D.C. This should be the goal of most Independence Living Centers.  

The disabled have to limit his/her working skills and working income. WHY? America is losing and wasting so much talent with these restrictions.  

These old rules would and could kill anybody’s self esteem. The same self image that your parents, your teachers, and your friends have built up. All of your life you have been told to work and make a better life. This is what everybody strives for in this great land. Yet for many minority disabled its unattainable. 

Volunteer work has become the main staple of most disabled minorities. This is to avoid the constant hassles of SSI (Social Security Income) interviews at the end of the year. Minority Disabled workers do not work in order to receive attendant assistant monies needed to get up every morning, to cook breakfast, to wash clothes, to help put on clothes just to start the day. The Disabled do not work to receive government health insurance benefits. Most disabled workers cannot pay for the high medical cost. The disabled have to find jobs that are very high paying to make it worth their time and effort.

 To disabled immigrants this is very confusing. Many of them came here just to work. They too dream the American Dream; and they are faced with this new dilemma. Most disabled immigrants do not understand the double standard presented to them. 

In the end the disabled stop working because most of these individuals don’t see any advantage to doing so; THIS IS WRONG, everybody should be working toward the future. It is a shame our government is saying to the disabled American worker and disabled immigrant, “you have no future, so please don’t work. Go back into your house we really don’t want to see you anymore. Let’s go back to the good old days where mom and dad took care of you disabled folk. When mom and dad can not, then we will put you in a senior care facilities eventhou you’re not a senior”. 

 This is a very bad policy. It cost three times as much if these disabled individuals were housed in these senior homes instead of being independent in city apartments or renting homes. Does this policy make sense?

Ladies and gentleman this still is going on in minority communities today and my fellow Americans this must stop now. 

IN ADDITION, WITH WELFARE REFORM IN 1996 MANY IMMIGRANTS WITH DISABILITIES WERE CUT OFF FROM RECEIVING SSI, AND THEIR MEDICAL BENEFITS. 

This was a serious set back for the disabled community. Most of those disabled immigrants had to return to their homeland and a life of proverty and no hope. The American Disabled Movement did very little to stop this action by the United States Government. This tells other Minority Disabled Americans that the current Disabled movement will not help you.

I would like to see programs started for Minority American parents and children who are disabled.

1)     Teaching both parent and child how benefits work

2)     Providing Positive disabled male and female roles.

3)     How to start a career path for the future.

4)     Give them list of places where they could get job training paid for by the government. Giving both parent and child which place is minority disabled friendly and which places parent and child should avoid.

5)      How to start a self-support plains.

6)     What you can and cannot do while receiving SSI and SSDI.

Lets start turning the tide and give positive images and give our minority-disabled community a fighting chance. Lets help all disabled minority immigrants to achieve a better life in the United States.