I worked part-time for 8 years and not paid a subminimum wage. I stayed eligible for Medicaid the entire time I worked.
People have to WANT to employ people with disabilities. People have to WANT to pay their employees with disabilities a full wage. Action must be taken after the want.
Fund Medicaid By:
The non-disabled will search for a person with a disability to work for them. If a business doesn’t report they searched for employees with disabilities and if those exact people don’t confirm the job offer, Medicaid (State and Federal government) charges that business a fee.
Medicaid is a joint Federal and State program. Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) represents the percentage of Medicaid program costs that the Federal government pays for each state.
It is legal to work for a Medicaid provider while remaining eligible for Medicaid. Is this ethical?
A person stays eligible for Medicaid. Nobody is handed Medicaid. To stay eligible for (medical expenses) Medicaid coverage there is a limit of $2000 to a bank account I own, I cannot marry Brian (together 30 years), ownership limited to one vehicle. I cannot own a home to stay eligible for Medicaid. I have a lifelong permanent physical disability, yet an annual Medicaid application is mandatory. This current system creates dependents while being job security for many government non-disabled employees. I have 5 caseworkers, and there are countless more employees at numerous "health departments" at The State and Federal level.
Taxpayers are funding this systemic codependent Medicaid system.
This "business" structure reaches far beyond government. Policy follows the rules of caste when it comes to disability. I'm angry that the limits that this codependent Medicaid system has placed on me are also tied to employing the non-disabled when I'm not using a Medicaid Waiver* as intended. My opinion: Society is miserable because currently most people follow the unwritten rules of caste. We must serve/help each other while giving American Freedom to each other.
My Resume:
1 Work Experiences, 1 Certification, 1 Diploma, 3 Projects, 24 Volunteering Experiences, 31 Skills, 2 Publications www.linkedin.com/in/ivy-kennedy-aaab8731
I found employment by building my in-person network. I enjoy socializing and over the years and it became a heightened skill I used to thrive in my community. I'm a Xennial and can possibly get mad or sad when I see people on their cell phones instead of talking to one another. How I met my employer was over extended period of time. In that time we got to know one another in a sort of vacuum, away from the public and away from typical everyday life without the binds of conforming to present social structures. Also, the group was encouraged to socialize and we did because we WANTED to. Cell phones did not dominate the time we socialized.
Still in the exact moment of the job offer, a third person was there to communicate on her behalf. I refer to this person as a Gatekeeper/Social Etiquette in my report.* She didn’t come up to me herself and offer me a job. That third person was not specifically paid to introduce us, like with DARs funded by the State and Federal government. She was the founder of the company which meant only one person had to approve of me. No people with Control Disorders to say "Ivy has to go!" Nobody possibly trying to "put in my place" because they followed her lead on how to treat me. Why rub the boss the wrong way? We began working together. I was an unpaid intern for a short time. The skills I already had made work easy and she set aside time in her calendar to train me when necessary. Over those 8 years it felt incredibly good to be a team member, working together with other people. One other time I felt that way was in 8th Grade. I also felt good because it seemed like I was helping families and people with disabilities to take the information I was giving them as tools to live in their community.
My team WANTED me there and saw me as a part of their team. I felt like they genuinely cared about me. I know I cared for them. I felt like I had an inside key to how Medicaid services operated It felt incredible to be invited into a group of people who wanted to help people navigate Medicaid CD attendant services. I find joy in helping people, always have, always will. I find self worth in problem solving, as there was/is when navigating Medicaid. When working my wealth of knowledge that comes with living with a disability was valued and put to good work. My skills grew because my employer promoted me to new and more tasks. And yes, that was reflected with an increase in my paycheck. I haven’t meet too many people that looked past caste the way my employer did. What intelligence, empathy and trust!
SUMMARY: 1. Socialize 2. Invited in 3. Autonomy balanced with following guidelines when maximizing skills 4. Paid a full wage
To quote my unofficial adoptive mother, "This is not rocket science folks!"
National Disability Employment Awareness Month is October.
* Report: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZiGpDMH0MUseVmQ1PR2JFYauVFXSaVjyQhUduhQquhY/edit?usp=sharing
* The History of Medicaid Waivers: https://www.facebook.com/ivy.kennedy/posts/pfbid0egGxwGUqKekDo7f48Dvfm9M3udo4U3GD9dhHPtHmFoAeHt8qKPoQafmdyDdpLHjtl
Image description: A woman with blonde hair sitting in a power chair wearing a pink top and a pink and black paisley skirt. Hanging from the lanyard around her neck are 4 nomination ribbons and 1 length of service ribbon.
Ribbons:
Advocacy (won heart and soul certificate and award)
Support Team Member of the Year
Department of the Year
Founders Circle (won award)
8 Years of Service
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