Reviewing the system for awarding disability benefits is
necessary but it will not solve the real problem.http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204844504577098810070396878.html?mod=rss_Health
It is true that the trust fund for Social Security
Disability benefits is running out of money and will not survive another
decade. It is important that this system
get reviewed. However, just reviewing
this aspect of the system will not even come close to resolving the issues both
the government systems and persons with disabilities face.
One problem we have is that we keep trying to fix pieces
of the system. Our disability policy has
more Band-Aids than substance at this time.
But, it appears that we will keep on adding more. It is a system that is based on the fact
that, in the past, persons with disabilities were totally incapable of
substantial gainful employment and were likely to die in a few short
years. That is no longer true, but the
policy has not changed.
If we had a disability policy and system that reflected
today’s reality, we could save the government a great deal of money and, at the
same time, make life better for persons with disabilities.
As things stand now, most people who receive disability
benefits live in poverty and are forced to remain in that state in order to
receive critical services. At the same
time, persons with disabilities are viewed as lazy (just check the comments at
the end of the article) and unwilling to work.
This perception is perpetuated by the lawyers who advertise that people
are entitled to these benefits, as though a life of poverty were something to
strive for.
It is really time to look at the big picture.
Annette Bourbonniere
Twitter: @AccessInclude
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