Jakki Johnston

Recent Activity

• 

  Jakki signed the petition | over 2 years ago

  Reform Social Security Disability SSDI and SSI Determination Processes, Laws, and Practices
• 

  Jakki commented on the article | over 2 years ago

  62% of Disabled Unemployed

  I'm glad Leigh wrote her post and got us all talking.

  
  

  It would be great to have a disability blog here where we could share experiences and maybe even ideas for change.

  
  

  Emily, I'm standing up for myself too, I am one of the millions.  I am trained and capable in a profession but have spent over 6 years out of work, when all I would need would be fairly minor accomodations.  Bless us all. I must say, while the situations of many writing here are terrible and I sure wish things were better for us, hearing from other people on these topics is a comfort, just in the sense of knowing of others living with similar challenges.

• 

  Jakki commented on the article | over 2 years ago

  62% of Disabled Unemployed

  While this article is in defense of disabled people, I have to say it contains some prejudices and wrong assumptions.  Why would disabled people necessarily be placed in entry-level positions?  That is a problem in itself.  Some people might be intellectually disabled and so those jobs might be appropriate for them.  But some peoples' disabilities are physical or emotional, not intellectual, in nature.  Many of these people would like to work but need accomodations to their particular disability.  Why should somebody only be eligible for entry level work when perhaps they are highly intellectually capable and educated, but need accomodations related to mobility, or perhaps need an intellectually challenging but low stress environment due to PTSD or another brain condition?  We need to think about these things as a society.  We are wasting the talent of many of our citizens when we take a narrow view of disability and what jobs disabled people can perform.  It's pretty bad when even the supposed advocates are getting it wrong.