Why I decided to start a Blog
Welcome to
my new Blog! KD Disability Chat.
Over the
past 7 months since the beginning of the pandemic I have watched the news
updates daily and find myself asking myself, “What is the government doing for
people with disabilities?” I’ve seen the gap widen between those who have
sufficient money and those that are struggling just to get by.
To put my
blog into context I will first give you an introduction of who I am and why now
I felt the need to voice my opinions about the inequities persons with
disabilities face on a daily basis and are seeing more inequities due to the
pandemic. My name is Krystine and I am a 45 year old woman with a physical
disability (Cerebral Palsy or CP). My type of CP is athetoid, spastic, which
effects my ability to walk properly (I can walk independently with a noticeable
gait).I have a communication disability and my speech can sometimes be unclear
which is made worse by certain situations, but for the most part people can
understand me. My fine motor skills are effected as well, for me my hands get
sore after a period of time of either writing or typing. I live alone, drive a
car, and am highly educated (Master of Arts degree). I have worked numerous
jobs, all on contract. One of my main reasons for wanting to start a blog was
as things shut down in mid-March I saw more and more groups of people with
disabilities being left out of the equation, almost like we don’t exist. This
blog will touch on many of the topics that have been highlighted over the last
several months but will also show how some of the health guidelines in some
cases as making life more difficult for persons with disabilities.
CERB and ODSP do not mix well
One of my
many jobs is that I am an exam invigilator for Brock University. This means
that during exams I may of five to seven students with disabilities who require
exam accommodation, such as extra time to write there test and I am in the room
with the ensuring all the exam procedures are followed. By the end of March,
the University had decided to stay with virtual learning for the remainder of
the semester. Shortly after this announcement exam invigilators were informed
that as there would be no in-person exams, our help was not necessary. My other job is working as a Job Coach
with persons with disabilities, helping client with resume writing, interview
preparation and assisting clients with any on-line training courses. As the
office was now closed and people working from home, I was not getting calls for
work, thus no work no pay.
When the
Federal Government announced the CERB I did not think that I would qualify. Yes
I was working but I did not think I had enough hours to meet the requirements.
A friend of mine encouraged me to apply saying “What is the harm in applying?”
So, I applied and to my surprise I received it. I was still unsure if this was
the right decision as I knew that I would need claim in to ODSP and they would
probably take the money off dollar per dollar just as they do when you claim Employment
Insurance. After receiving my first payment I did not continue with my reports
as I had figured out approximately how much income I was going to be loosing
and decided that one month on the CERB was enough. I claimed this to ODSP and
not surprising they deducted $900 off my amount.
Very clear and susinct introduction to your blog. FEW Abled bodied people have a thorough understanding of the financial complications.
ReplyDeleteWell written Krystine. You continue to be an inspiration and educator to many people.
ReplyDeleteHello Krystine, my name is Mike and am also an artist/stone mason now on ODSP due to 35 years of work injuries and would like to receive your blogs but can’t afford a cell phone which one needs for Twitter, so, is it possible that you email your blogs as they are posted? That would be great! My email is mosaicisti4@gmail.com. Thanks
ReplyDeleteKrystine thank you for bringing this to us. So many people have no idea how extreme the gaps are in our system. You are an inspiration
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