Join YEAH Council members, Abby, CJ and Emma as they talk about their hopes and dreams for their futures including jobs, living situations and healthcare as they become adults living with their disabilities.
Transcript
PIC Family Voices Podcast (00:01)
Welcome to the PIC Family Voices podcast. Today you’ll hear from Abby, CJ and Emma, three YEAH Council members. YEAH Council stands for youth for education, advocacy and healthcare. In a previous episode, CJ and Abby spoke about their experiences in transitioning their healthcare from childhood to adult. And in another episode, CJ joined a conversation discussing her experiences with starting college while dealing with disabilities. Today we’re going to talk about their hopes for the future and how it pertains to healthcare, housing and employment. We are happy you’re here.
Abby, thank you for being here today.
Abby (00:40)
Thank you for having me.
PIC Family Voices Podcast (00:42)
As you enter adulthood, what are the two things that you’re planning for?
Abby (00:46)
As I journey throughout my young adulthood, am planning on moving out eventually and having a stable job.
PIC Family Voices Podcast (00:53)
What kind of job are you searching for?
Abby (00:56)
The long-term goal would be disability advocacy work or something like what New Hampshire Family Voices does and PIC or what the Area Agency does. I’ve known about New Hampshire Family Voices since I was very young. Sylvia has known me since I was eight months old and I’ve always known about PIC and my mom works with
PIC and New Hampshire Family Voices. I’m also on the Youth Health Care Transition Committee as a spokesperson for Yeah.
PIC Family Voices Podcast (01:29)
That’s great. Thank you for that background information how you came to know about our organizations. What information do you need in order to be successful and help you reach your goals?
Abby (01:40)
I need to visit some housing options with one of my supporters or my family members. I need to learn about how public benefits and subsidies impact housing options, and I need to begin to explore different living options. I also need to know federal housing regulations for people with chronic illnesses and medical conditions, and I need to understand basic housing terms like lease, sublet utilities, studio, efficiency, security, deposit, and references, for example. And I also need to understand the rental contract for housing.
PIC Family Voices Podcast (02:20)
That is really great that you are aware of the things that you’ll need to do. How did you figure out that you needed to learn all of these things and what resources were helpful for you?
Abby (02:29)
I figured out what I need to learn by compiling different life skills and independent living skills inventories around the internet and through different resources that I knew about via New Hampshire Family Voices and Yeah Council into an inventory. I can share that eventually. ⁓ I also worked with my direct support professionals, which are life skills helpers, and for more information you can see the direct hiring support staff podcast that yeah, Council did a couple years ago and my OT.
PIC Family Voices Podcast (03:04)
Excellent. Thank you, Abby, for sharing some of this information with us today. Thank you for being here.
Abby (03:10)
You’re welcome. Thank you, Emily.
PIC Family Voices Podcast (03:12)
Hi CJ, as you enter adulthood, what are the two things that you’re planning for?
CJ (03:18)
I’m planning to be a teacher, and I’d like to have a house at some point are really my two goals
PIC Family Voices Podcast (03:30)
That’s great. What are some of the challenges that you might anticipate as you work towards those goals?
CJ (03:35)
Part of the reason I’m being a teacher instead of any other job is to help with the challenges that I’m worried about in regards to having health care and insurance because teaching in a public school will make sure that I’m able to be on government benefits I know that I will need a good insurance and I’m worried about that. I’m also worried about my ability to work as a teacher, not because I don’t think I can do the job. It’s pretty easy for me to adapt the usual teaching, which might be harder for me. Things like… standing up and walking around the classroom a lot are pretty easy for me to adapt, but I’m more worried that I would not be able to get hired ⁓ because of what hiring managers might think I’m capable or not capable of doing in regards to teaching.
PIC Family Voices Podcast (04:44)
Okay, that’s great that you can recognize some of the things that you might need to work on or things that you might be encountering. What legal protections do you think are out there to help you navigate some of these hiring discriminations?
CJ (04:59)
I know that there are a lot of them in the IDA. For example, employers will not be able to ask about my health or disability in any interviews before I’m hired, or I think at any point. Lucky in that I don’t need to use my cane if I’m just walking for a short period of time so they don’t actually have to know that I have any health problems before I show up at work with my cane they also can’t not hire me because of disability or health issues, which is a good protection to have. ⁓ It’s not flawless because preconceived notions, their internal biases, can still unconsciously influence that kind of decision. But I think especially as telephone interviews, become more common, that will be less of an issue. I’m not gonna be working in a place where people have a ton of those internal biases. So, ⁓ it might end up as a vetting for me too.
PIC Family Voices Podcast (06:09)
Exactly. Those are all really good points and it’s really helpful information for people who are like you navigating first jobs and trying to figure out their rights are for themselves and what they need to know and what their potential employers may or may not need to know also.
CJ (06:32)
There is also the bonus that there’s such a shortage in teaching in New Hampshire right now that they’re much more likely to hire me. So that’s another bonus of going into that field.
PIC Family Voices Podcast (06:42)
That’s very true also. Are there any resources that you recommend that would help people in your situation?
CJ (06:50)
Yes. For insurance, I recently got on Medicaid, which there’s a lot of different paths to getting on it, but I would really recommend it either as primary or you could also have it as secondary insurance. That’s really good if you’re not working currently full time.
PIC Family Voices Podcast (07:08)
do you have any pointers or tips on how to get started with that process?
CJ (07:14)
Yes, it’s going to be different depending on how you’re applying. For example, if you’re applying ⁓ through disability, it will be different. But I applied to it for financial reasons. that you just in November, you just go to healthcare.gov and you fill out the application. It took me like half an hour. ⁓ And then it’s sent to the state government for evaluation. And they just tell you whether you get it or not. ⁓ You do have to make sure that you do it before the beginning. There is a date that is on the website. I think it was December 6th, but I might be misremembering that. But you want to make very sure that you do it by that date. But if you do, it’s not really a difficult process at all.
PIC Family Voices Podcast (08:16)
That’s great. Thank you. think that is helpful for everyone listening who kind of needs like a starting point on what to do next as next steps. CJ, have you looked into disability insurance as something to know about? And what are some other disability insurance options that you know of?
CJ (08:35)
Yes, disability insurance is ⁓ insurance for if you are suddenly disabled or suddenly more disabled. For example, I have several conditions that are currently in remission and my ability to work as a teacher is really contingent on whether those stay in remission. So if those came out of remission, It would be really important for me to have disability insurance because that would cover my pay that I would no longer be getting because I’d then be unable to work until I can have some time to get on my feet. Maybe not literally, but… It’ll give me some time to figure stuff out and what I’m doing next. I’d recommend that for anyone who is working ever. Most jobs, I think, have some paperwork. And you can request to be put on disability insurance. Ask about that when you’re being hired. I was not able to find any resources for teachers with disabilities. And I think that that’s a gap that… wish wasn’t there. So be aware that if you’re going into teaching with a disability, is something that needs to be filled.
PIC Family Voices Podcast (10:03)
That’s very true. Also, thank you for pointing that out. I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who are in the same situation and of course are teaching with disabilities and they would really benefit from like yourself resources. So very valid point. Is there anything else you wanted to talk about to let our listeners know things that you’ve navigated and challenges that you’ve had as well?
CJ (10:29)
I know that as a teacher, using mobility aid in the classroom has not been nearly as difficult or contentious as I originally was afraid it would be. My students have never had a problem with it, and actually most of them don’t even mention my cane. At most, they just ask me why I need it, and I say, well, I got sick when I was younger. And now it helps me walk and they’re like, okay. So if you’re working with people. Don’t be worried about how they’ll react. My students, my coworkers also have all been very chill about it and very accepting. ⁓ So as much as you’re careful about the hiring process, also be aware that most people don’t have a problem at all. Or at least they’re going to try to be accepting.
PIC Family Voices Podcast (11:35)
It’s another really great point and I think trying to remember that everybody has something that they struggle with and everyone is dealing with a disability. Possibly it might be a hidden disability or a physical limitation, ⁓ but trying to understand that aspect as well. But thank you, CJ, for bringing all these points up. There really is an interesting conversation and I enjoyed talking to you.
CJ (12:02)
Of course.
PIC Family Voices Podcast (12:04)
Hello, Emma. Thank you for being here.
Emma Wheeler (12:08)
You’re welcome.
PIC Family Voices Podcast (12:09)
As you enter adulthood, what are the two things that you’re planning for?
Emma Wheeler (12:13)
As I enter adulthood, I plan to live on my own in an apartment at some point. Then I can be doing things on my own without my parents helping. I am also planning on continuing my job that I currently have at Staples so I can build more money and skills.
PIC Family Voices Podcast (12:31)
What do you hope your future looks like in the next couple of years?
Emma Wheeler (12:36)
In the next couple of years, I hope that I am able to keep my Social Security and earn Medicare benefits on top of my Social Security to have enough money and everything that I need to keep me stable on my own without my parents’ help with everything.
PIC Family Voices Podcast (12:50)
That’s great that you are aware of those different things. Why do you want to have social security?
Emma Wheeler (12:56)
I wanted to get Social Security to more money for things that I will need later in life that are helpful. Also for me to make and sustain money with my disability, then I not have to use some money from my parents while having my money saved and earning it from Social Security to pay for valuable things that I might need later on.
PIC Family Voices Podcast (13:17)
That’s great. And what have you learned about the process of getting Social Security?
Emma Wheeler (13:22)
I have learned that the process to get Social Security is very difficult and they include a lot of steps and questions including what are your hopes are for the future. You have to have a lot of records and tests to prove that you can get it based on what your disability is. Then someone has to decide if you can get it or not. If you get denied twice, you have to present all your tests and documents in front of a judge for them to decide if you can get it or not. I had an attorney help me with this process after I got denied.
PIC Family Voices Podcast (13:53)
That seems like that could be a stressful process to undergo. Is there a resource that you found particularly helpful for you?
Emma Wheeler (14:00)
I found a link to the information for my state on Social Security and my link that I provide dives deep into the different requirements for it. need to have Social Security. Also what you can earn from it as benefits and what happens when you do not keep the requirements and lose it.
PIC Family Voices Podcast (14:21)
Thank you, Emma. We will provide that link at the end of our episode with all the podcast resources. Thank you for being here today and sharing all this information.
Emma Wheeler (14:31)
You’re welcome.
PIC Family Voices Podcast (14:34)
Thank you, CJ, Abby, and Emma, and our listeners of the PIC Family Voices podcast for tuning in today to this episode about the Yeah Council, Take care.