What would make the risk of losing a benefit check worthwhile for a young person who could potentially be self-sufficient for life?

As a parent, the responsible thing to do for my daughter is to save money in a college fund for her. However, because she is a minor, the account should legally be in my name. According to current SSI and Medicaid guidelines, I cannot have more than $1500 between my checking and savings account so it is impossible for me to save money for her. Of course, I know there are ways around this but it should not be difficult... View full idea »

Individual's with disabilities should not be on waiting lists for 8 years before they receive assistance. There should be a NO WAIT IN ANY STATE POLICY for services for individual's with disabilities.

It is not an uncommon situation for a parent of a child with a serious and debilitating disability to leave their job to take care of their child in the home. Families in this situation should receive some type of benefit or deduction and receive financial credit for the lost income.

One of the most aggravating systems to navigate is the application/renewal process for Medical Assistance. When my children moved into their adult years, the amount of hassle and paperwork to keep their Medical Assistance active was overwhelming.

There are some disabilities that are simply never going to change. Why then do we have to reapply for Medical Assistance insurance just because they changed in age from... View full idea »

The best outcomes are derived when young people (who are planning for employment after high school) work before they leave high school. Since there are often not enough funds for adequate job services in schools to get kids to work outside, ensure job placement in paying jobs before the end of high school (17-21), with the support of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR).

Having grown up in the aftermath of IDEA and ADA, I believed that I was living in a much more progressive situation for people with disabilities. I was shocked to learn that under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers may pay individuals with disabilities below the minimum wage. This law was passed in 1938, long before deinstitutionalization and integrated education. Individuals with disabilities deserve equal... View full idea »

Federal student aid defines a full time college student as one who is taking 12 or more credits. Very often, students with disabilities would benefit from taking a lighter course load - 6 to 9 - while still being considered as a full time student. Our state funding now makes accommodations for this, but the federal funding does not.

Students with IEPs are identified through special education and connected with VR services/transition services. However, schools have different individuals oversee 504 students (counselors, vice prinicipals, etc.) and getting these students referred by the schools has been very problematic. At the high schools I work with IEPs are only given to students with learning disabilities. 504s are for students with other health... View full idea »

All students should be required to take a course focusing on transition skills built with units to provide exposure to transition related questions and topics including state agencies, disability awareness, employment possibilities, college readiness, family involvement and support, consumer mathematics, recreation and safety (just to name a few). The idea would be to give our students a strong knowledge base and idea... View full idea »

The age to begin transition service planning should be lowered back to 14, or sooner. Waiting to age 16 to initiate planning is too late.

Individual Transition Plans of course are used to write transition goals and objectives for students with disabilities but they should be updated to better reflect the evolving world where jobs and careers require more technological skills and more outside resources other than community agencies can be involved. Also there should be an added section where documentation can be added so that those involved with the transition... View full idea »

Currently, if a person who continues to need employment support is funded for that support in one state, parents are unable to leave that state without losing that support. A move can mean going to the end of a very long waiting list. IEPs transfer from state to state. Adult services should, also.

Require all US pre-service programs leading to secondary special education teacher certification to include both coursework and practicum work to ensure the candidates have mastered professional personnel competencies in secondary transition topics.

We need higher educational opportunities for young folks. While there has been progress on availability of programs, it can be expensive for many of these folks. Unlike typical peers, those who may need to depend on the social safety net programs cannot save for college in a 529 plan as it would disqualify them for MedicAide and SSI if needed. ABLE Act (currently in both houses with bipartisan support) would fix this.... View full idea »