Podcast Summary
Hidden costs of living with a disability: Beyond healthcare and devices, living with a disability involves home modifications, care assistance, and mobility challenges. Invisible disabilities can lead to societal stigma and self-doubt, delaying acceptance and accommodations.
Living with a disability comes with hidden costs that go beyond the obvious expenses like healthcare and accessibility devices. These costs can include outfitting a home, paying for care and assistance, and dealing with mobility and transportation challenges. Disabilities can be visible or invisible, and society often stigmatizes those with invisible disabilities, leading them to internalize ableism and overlook their own needs. Jenny Burke, a co-founder of the Inclusive Traveler, shared her personal experience of being diagnosed with an invisible disability, ulcerative colitis, and how it took her a long time to acknowledge and accept it as part of her identity. The Inclusive Traveler is an accessibility-focused travel community that raises awareness about living with a disability, and they emphasize the importance of recognizing and addressing both visible and invisible disabilities.
Financial Challenges Faced by Disabled Individuals: Disabled individuals often face unexpected high costs for accessible housing, medical supplies, transportation, and more, which can add up to tens of thousands of dollars in the first year alone, and long-term disability coverage is crucial.
Living with a disability comes with significant financial challenges, despite the pride many disabled individuals have in their identity. Kelsey, who became disabled at age 25, shared her experience of unexpectedly facing high costs for accessible housing, custom-fit wheelchairs, medical supplies, transportation, and more, which often aren't covered by insurance. These expenses added up to almost $100,000 in her first year out of the hospital. Moreover, she was out of work for a significant period due to her disability and lacked long-term disability coverage, leaving her without an income after her short-term disability ran out. As she ages, Kelsey knows she will face even more costs as she loses some independence. This highlights the importance of an accessible society that addresses the financial needs of individuals with disabilities.
Navigating healthcare and disability access challenges: Being informed and prepared for unexpected health crises is crucial, especially when dealing with the financial burden of retrofitting costs and long-term disability insurance.
Navigating the healthcare system and affording necessary modifications for disability access can be a significant challenge for many individuals. Kelsey's story highlights the financial burden of not having health insurance cover essential retrofitting costs and the importance of having long-term disability insurance. Unfortunately, those who need it most may not be able to afford it. Additionally, understanding and dealing with the complexities of health insurance and disability benefits can be overwhelming for many people. Kelsey's accident at age 25 left her with a spinal cord injury, which led to a life-altering experience. She was unable to walk and required immediate surgery, but the emotional and financial challenges continued long after her hospital stay. Her story serves as a reminder of the importance of being informed and prepared for unexpected health crises.
Traveling with a Disability: Overcoming Challenges and Finding Independence: Meticulous planning, including booking accessible accommodations and arranging transportation, is crucial for traveling with a disability. Despite challenges, the benefits, like free admission to tourist attractions, make the journey worthwhile. Accessibility in city planning is essential for an enjoyable travel experience for all.
Despite facing significant challenges, having a disability doesn't mean giving up on things we love, like traveling. Kelsey's experience of regaining her independence after an accident and Jenny's passion for showcasing the possibilities of disability inspired me. Kelsey highlighted the importance of meticulous planning when traveling with a disability, from booking accessible hotel rooms to arranging transportation. Yet, she also shared the benefits, such as free admission to tourist attractions for disabled individuals and their companions. This conversation underscores the importance of accessibility in city planning and how small changes can significantly improve the travel experience for those with disabilities. Overall, Kelsey and Jenny's stories remind us to appreciate the abilities we have and to never underestimate the potential for adventure and independence, no matter the circumstances.
Unexpected benefits and challenges of accessible travel: Improvements needed in handling mobility devices during air travel and ensuring accessible restrooms, particularly in Europe, for better travel experiences for individuals with disabilities
Accessible travel can offer unexpected benefits, such as priority access to attractions, while also presenting unique challenges, particularly in air travel for individuals who use wheelchairs. These challenges include the potential for wheelchair damage during air travel due to untrained handling and the lack of independence that results. It's crucial for the travel industry to prioritize better accommodations for wheelchair users to ensure their mobility devices are handled with care and their independence is maintained. Another important consideration for travelers with disabilities is the availability and accessibility of restrooms, especially in Europe where many public bathrooms require payment. These issues, while not always top of mind, can significantly impact the travel experience for individuals with disabilities. Overall, it's essential to raise awareness and advocate for improved accommodations and accessibility in all aspects of travel.
Advocating for disability accommodations: Speak up for disability accommodations in the workplace and public spaces, self-identify in HR systems, and benefit from cost-effective, simple adjustments for a better quality of life for individuals.
Everyone, at some point in their lives, may require accommodations due to a disability, whether temporary or permanent. Advocating for better policies and accommodations can benefit not only individuals with disabilities but also their colleagues and allies. In the workplace, self-identifying a disability in an HR system is crucial for requesting accommodations, which are often cost-effective and simple to implement. For instance, accommodations like adjusting lighting for those with migraines or providing curb cuts for wheelchair users can significantly improve the quality of life for individuals. It's essential to speak up when observing accessibility issues in public spaces, as small changes can have a significant impact on many people's lives. Ultimately, creating an inclusive and accessible environment benefits everyone.
The Importance of Accessibility for All: Creating accessibility benefits everyone, including parents with strollers, and it's crucial to consider the long-term disability perspective for a more inclusive world
Creating accessibility benefits not just the disabled community, but also others, such as parents with strollers. Disability can be permanent, situational, or temporary, but it should not limit one's ability to live a full life. It's important to have allies and encourage people to continue traveling and experiencing new things. Jenny and Kelsey emphasized the importance of this conversation, and I'm grateful for their insights on this topic that I have limited personal experience with. I encourage everyone to consider the long-term disability perspective and embrace the positive impact of accessibility for all. This week's episode of "Money with Katie" was produced by Jenna Velez and me, Katie Gaddi Tassan, with audio engineering and sound design from Nick Torres. Devin Emery served as our chief content officer, and fact checking was provided by Kate Brandt. Tune in next week for another informative episode.
