The recent experience with World March of Women gave me an opportunity to
reflect how we people with disability experience poverty.
A few reflection:
1) We cannot just look at disability poverty only as lack of income.
2) employment that gives people income just above poverty line , in
reality becomes income of poverty line
for most disabled workers.
3) Employment is not the best solution for all but neither are specific
programs.
This is because, our expenditure are greater due to environmental and
structure inequity.
On a personal " income expenditure analysis":
I need to pay to hear (hearing aids batteries) what everyone else gets for
free,
when I walk I consume shoes at a greater level, thus I need to buy more.
When I use
my wheelchair I get locked out of stores that tends to sell consumers goods
less expensively. I'm sure that each of us gets similar results in doing
this income expenditure analysis.
Social assistance programs are limited and short-term solutions, and often
lock people out of means to improve their lives. Or turn them to unlawful
citizen, again on a personal basis, but I know of many whom did the same
thing.
In the 1970 was not approved for welfare recipients to attend school, In
order to get around that I did so by correspondence; and then via night
course.
More money is only part of the solution. I don't have a total solution,
however, the old idea of revamping the system as well as 'strongly
requesting' that disability business do their part and re-invest in our
community seems like an answer.
What you may want to do is the s income expenditure analysis, to show people
the real flux of poverty.
Programs such as better jobs, money management are not very useful to people
if they are forced to make choice between medication and food.
Maria
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew Bolger" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2000 5:07 PM
Subject: poverty
> Yes, "just give us the money" is a good starting point
> but even doing that can be done more or les fairly and
> effectivley. Benefits take up campaigns, for example
> can generate more income for people who livein poverty
> than the original expenditure by a local authority.
> But what about schemes like work placements, training,
> investing in special equipment, or overcoming
> disabling barriers to employment? Or would the money
> be better spent on direct payments?
> andrew bolger
>
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