What Classifies as “Disabled”?
By Nick “Novel” Gabanski
“You are not disabled enough.”
No one who suffers from any form of disability should ever have to hear or read those words when applying for SSI. I’m not asking for sympathy or begging for charity with this post. I merely wish to point out the asininity and thoughtlessness of our government, as I’m sure many are already all too keenly aware of.
My girlfriend is disabled. But she does not suffer from one or two disabilities; she suffers from many. She has a weak immune system, epilepsy, chronic migraines, hip/leg/back injuries, nerve damage, manic depression, PTSD, severe anxiety, paranoid schizophrenia, ADHD, asthma, and deafness in one ear.
Every single illness, disorder, and disability has been clinically proven by doctors, psychiatrists, and neurologists. Bearing all this in mind, SSI has deemed it necessary to deny my girlfriend’s appeal for financial aid simply on the grounds of “not being disabled enough.” I mean, they all but said that in their letter of denial. As they so blatantly say in the letter,
“We have determined that your condition is not severe enough to keep you from working. We considered the medical and other information, your age, education, training, and work experience in determining how your condition affects your ability to work.
“Although you have little or no work history, your condition allows you to do work that is simple, not stressful, and not physically demanding. Based on your age, education, and current abilities, you can work.”
How dare they?
How is she “not disabled enough”? People suffering from schizophrenia alone have a hard enough time gaining employment thanks to a negative stigma courtesy of social media and general ignorance people have of what schizophrenia is. I’m not going to bother going into why each disorder/disability alone should entitle my girlfriend to financial aid. If I did, this post would be several pages long.
One other thing I will draw attention to, though, is SSI’s utopic, naïve, and inane concept of jobs for not-disabled-enough people. Sure, some jobs are simple, for those with full cognitive capacity. However, no job in existence is “not stressful.” Every single job in this country is stressful, in one way, shape, or form. Especially those delightful minimum-wage, entry-level jobs where you work for eight to twelve hours a day or more, performing tasks day after day, that make you hate life and resent humanity. Now throw someone with severe anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc. into a “simple” and “not-stressful” job and see what happens. And finally, my absolute favorite type of job of all: not physically demanding. America, have you seen people in the lower end, in retail stores and supermarkets and warehouses? Everyone who works these thankless jobs has one thing in common: they’re on their feet for the entirety of their shift. Because here in America, this sadistic, neglectful, star-spangled chamber pot, if you’re not standing, you’re not working!
So please, regale me and everyone else getting the short end of the feces-caked stick, how this is a just and fair process of denying a severely disabled young woman from financial aid because she cannot work. But as I’ve said before, I’m not looking for pity or sympathy. I know my loved one is not the only one getting screwed in this country, and things could be worse. But I cannot fathom what kind of person would look over a disabled person’s claim and casually deny the help. Nor should I have to. But this is what we live in now. Make America Great Again. Peace.
Edited by London Koffler
By Nick “Novel” Gabanski
“You are not disabled enough.”
No one who suffers from any form of disability should ever have to hear or read those words when applying for SSI. I’m not asking for sympathy or begging for charity with this post. I merely wish to point out the asininity and thoughtlessness of our government, as I’m sure many are already all too keenly aware of.
My girlfriend is disabled. But she does not suffer from one or two disabilities; she suffers from many. She has a weak immune system, epilepsy, chronic migraines, hip/leg/back injuries, nerve damage, manic depression, PTSD, severe anxiety, paranoid schizophrenia, ADHD, asthma, and deafness in one ear.
Every single illness, disorder, and disability has been clinically proven by doctors, psychiatrists, and neurologists. Bearing all this in mind, SSI has deemed it necessary to deny my girlfriend’s appeal for financial aid simply on the grounds of “not being disabled enough.” I mean, they all but said that in their letter of denial. As they so blatantly say in the letter,
“We have determined that your condition is not severe enough to keep you from working. We considered the medical and other information, your age, education, training, and work experience in determining how your condition affects your ability to work.
“Although you have little or no work history, your condition allows you to do work that is simple, not stressful, and not physically demanding. Based on your age, education, and current abilities, you can work.”
How dare they?
How is she “not disabled enough”? People suffering from schizophrenia alone have a hard enough time gaining employment thanks to a negative stigma courtesy of social media and general ignorance people have of what schizophrenia is. I’m not going to bother going into why each disorder/disability alone should entitle my girlfriend to financial aid. If I did, this post would be several pages long.
One other thing I will draw attention to, though, is SSI’s utopic, naïve, and inane concept of jobs for not-disabled-enough people. Sure, some jobs are simple, for those with full cognitive capacity. However, no job in existence is “not stressful.” Every single job in this country is stressful, in one way, shape, or form. Especially those delightful minimum-wage, entry-level jobs where you work for eight to twelve hours a day or more, performing tasks day after day, that make you hate life and resent humanity. Now throw someone with severe anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc. into a “simple” and “not-stressful” job and see what happens. And finally, my absolute favorite type of job of all: not physically demanding. America, have you seen people in the lower end, in retail stores and supermarkets and warehouses? Everyone who works these thankless jobs has one thing in common: they’re on their feet for the entirety of their shift. Because here in America, this sadistic, neglectful, star-spangled chamber pot, if you’re not standing, you’re not working!
So please, regale me and everyone else getting the short end of the feces-caked stick, how this is a just and fair process of denying a severely disabled young woman from financial aid because she cannot work. But as I’ve said before, I’m not looking for pity or sympathy. I know my loved one is not the only one getting screwed in this country, and things could be worse. But I cannot fathom what kind of person would look over a disabled person’s claim and casually deny the help. Nor should I have to. But this is what we live in now. Make America Great Again. Peace.
Edited by London Koffler
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