- Target:
- State and Federal government
- Region:
- United States of America
I am aggravated with this state’s policies/guidelines and laws regarding disabled people and I am not taking it anymore! I am a thirty-eight year old woman with Cerebral Palsy and confined to a wheelchair. I’m married to a wonderful man and I have my Associate Degree in micro computer science. I need care most of the time. I’m on Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults (CAP/DA). I have a nurse aide for 5 hours a day and then my husband takes care of me at night and on weekends.
Last year, he went to get his Nurse Aide Certificate so he could get paid when he was taking care of me, it was not a lot, but it helped. We need all we can get because:
• I can’t receive Supplemental Security Income because my husband earns too much.
• Nobody will hire me because of my handicap and if I can find someone to hire me, I can’t work because of CAP/DA’s policy; if someone is on CAP/DA, they must be homebound.
Recently, Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults (CAP/DA) said that my husband couldn’t get paid to take care of me because one of their policies states that a family member can’t get paid as their loved one’s CNA if they have another job.
In my opinion, CAP/DA and state of North Carolina need to change their policies/guidelines/laws. It is not right my husband went through the trouble to get his CNA and now he can’t get paid to be home with me. He can’t go out on “a guys’ night”, hunting, fishing or anything without me because I need someone to be with me to do everything physical for me. I can’t express it enough how I think CAP/DA’s policies are wrong. In my opinion, he should be getting something for taking care of me and for what he keeps on giving up to do that for me. Yes, we love each other very much, but we are a one income family and as many people know, it is very hard to live on one income. I would work if I was allowed to and someone would hire me or I wish I could receive SSI for my handicap; I think that Supplemental Security Income should be based on my income and assets, not on my husband’s.
I’m on the destination to change the policies and laws regarding disabled people whatever it takes.
We, the undersigned, would like to change laws regarding disabled people in NC and what they are able to receive in benefits and for the CAP/DA's policies regarding a family member taking care of the disabled and elderly.
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The Reform NC policies regarding treatment of disabled people petition to State and Federal government was written by Terrie Birney and is in the category Law Reform at GoPetition.