Crip Camp is one of those life changing documentary experiences. I had zero idea what disability rights advocates had to go through to get the ADA passed. It should be required viewing for all high schoolers.
Received my second SSDI denial last week, just in time for Solstice and Christmas 😏. I’m fortunate to get LTD, but applying for SSDI was a requirement of my LTD carrier and I am fearful of what will happen to my LTD if I ultimately am denied SSDI with no appeals left. Oh well. Can’t lose sleep over this right now.
Hope you enjoyed your secular festivities. Another thing we have in common ☀️
I just quoted the first paragraph of your comment and restacked my post. I am pretty sure I did it “wrong”, but I think the result is okay.
I am sorry you were denied again. Do you have an attorney?
I was briefly on LTD before I retired; they also required that I apply for SSDI, which I didn't want to do —anyway I was denied for procedural lack of follow-through. I am not sure if the private insurance was even informed. I LTD wants you to apply so that if get it, they can reduce the amount they are paying you.
I saw that - thanks! Glad you liked what I said enough to restack.
I don’t want SSDI either, but I’m going through the motions to satisfy the LTD insurer’s requirements. “I” have an attorney; one provided to me “for free” by the insurer. So essentially, the insurer has an attorney. Because I’m pretty sure these people will get paid whether I win or lose, and if I lose, the insurer can justify cutting me loose, and that’s why I think the attorney is really doing the bare minimum. But again, I don’t really care because I don’t want SSDI. I’m just going through all the motions and I have a different attorney in my back pocket should I ever have to file a civil suit against the insurer.
Crip Camp is on my watch list. I'll make time for it soon!
Honestly, with an invisible disability, I was surprised at how easily I got my SSDI. (I am NOT complaining!) I know a lot of people with VISIBLE disabilities who are having trouble getting it. I feel very fortunate.
We all in the disability community have our struggles. It's very hard getting by, sometimes.
Merry Christmas (or whatever you celebrate,) Teri!
Yes, many people I know have had had to go through multiple rounds of rejections and appeals. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to some of the decisions.
We do a very secular Christmas. Happy holidays to you as well.
I feel the same way. At the time I applied, I had no idea that so many people were denied and it didn't even occur to me to get a lawyer. It wasn't until after I was approved and began talking about it that I realized how incredibly lucky I was/am. Not that it matters whether someone has a visible or “invisible” disability, but for a while I felt guilty for getting it when so many others didn't.
You shouldn't waste energy on feeling guilty. There are so many "touch points" in life where things can turn on something that you have little or no control over. How you deal with whichever way things go is what matters.
I don't anymore, Im grateful just to be on it (though I wish it was enough to actually live off of)….and I've experienced that “turn” many times. Definitely agree that it is all about how we handle things and more important to focus on what we can control.
You were wise to get an attorney. Some people think that getting an attorney makes things harder because it makes it adversarial. Guess what, it was already adversarial, and you just need a ninja on your side!
The first time I saw “DEI”, I had no idea what it stood for. I was in a membership group and they were doing a Zoom meeting with a few people of color talking about their experiences, which was to be followed by more. After looking it up, I reached out to one of the people running it and asked if they considered doing one on disability. I can't remember the exact response, but it was extremely dismissive (almost critical) as if I’d said something outrageous, that just by asking I was taking away from the issue of race. I felt awful at first, thinking maybe I misunderstood what DEI was. Naturally, I looked it up again, reading more in-depth, which quickly led to frustration - both in the way I was treated and how little I found that disability was even mentioned.
Thanks for the recommendation on “Crip Camp” ! Happy Holidays!
Thanks for reading, and Happy Holidays to you!
💚♥️
Crip Camp is one of those life changing documentary experiences. I had zero idea what disability rights advocates had to go through to get the ADA passed. It should be required viewing for all high schoolers.
Received my second SSDI denial last week, just in time for Solstice and Christmas 😏. I’m fortunate to get LTD, but applying for SSDI was a requirement of my LTD carrier and I am fearful of what will happen to my LTD if I ultimately am denied SSDI with no appeals left. Oh well. Can’t lose sleep over this right now.
Hope you enjoyed your secular festivities. Another thing we have in common ☀️
I just quoted the first paragraph of your comment and restacked my post. I am pretty sure I did it “wrong”, but I think the result is okay.
I am sorry you were denied again. Do you have an attorney?
I was briefly on LTD before I retired; they also required that I apply for SSDI, which I didn't want to do —anyway I was denied for procedural lack of follow-through. I am not sure if the private insurance was even informed. I LTD wants you to apply so that if get it, they can reduce the amount they are paying you.
I saw that - thanks! Glad you liked what I said enough to restack.
I don’t want SSDI either, but I’m going through the motions to satisfy the LTD insurer’s requirements. “I” have an attorney; one provided to me “for free” by the insurer. So essentially, the insurer has an attorney. Because I’m pretty sure these people will get paid whether I win or lose, and if I lose, the insurer can justify cutting me loose, and that’s why I think the attorney is really doing the bare minimum. But again, I don’t really care because I don’t want SSDI. I’m just going through all the motions and I have a different attorney in my back pocket should I ever have to file a civil suit against the insurer.
Good!
Crip Camp is on my watch list. I'll make time for it soon!
Honestly, with an invisible disability, I was surprised at how easily I got my SSDI. (I am NOT complaining!) I know a lot of people with VISIBLE disabilities who are having trouble getting it. I feel very fortunate.
We all in the disability community have our struggles. It's very hard getting by, sometimes.
Merry Christmas (or whatever you celebrate,) Teri!
Yes, many people I know have had had to go through multiple rounds of rejections and appeals. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to some of the decisions.
We do a very secular Christmas. Happy holidays to you as well.
Same. I celebrate the Solstice, and our family celebrates Christmas as a secular holiday.
I feel the same way. At the time I applied, I had no idea that so many people were denied and it didn't even occur to me to get a lawyer. It wasn't until after I was approved and began talking about it that I realized how incredibly lucky I was/am. Not that it matters whether someone has a visible or “invisible” disability, but for a while I felt guilty for getting it when so many others didn't.
You shouldn't waste energy on feeling guilty. There are so many "touch points" in life where things can turn on something that you have little or no control over. How you deal with whichever way things go is what matters.
I don't anymore, Im grateful just to be on it (though I wish it was enough to actually live off of)….and I've experienced that “turn” many times. Definitely agree that it is all about how we handle things and more important to focus on what we can control.
Same. I still deal with that.
I'm glad that you didn't need an attorney. I got one as soon as I was denied, because I didn't want to get denied again.
You were wise to get an attorney. Some people think that getting an attorney makes things harder because it makes it adversarial. Guess what, it was already adversarial, and you just need a ninja on your side!
Exactly.
The first time I saw “DEI”, I had no idea what it stood for. I was in a membership group and they were doing a Zoom meeting with a few people of color talking about their experiences, which was to be followed by more. After looking it up, I reached out to one of the people running it and asked if they considered doing one on disability. I can't remember the exact response, but it was extremely dismissive (almost critical) as if I’d said something outrageous, that just by asking I was taking away from the issue of race. I felt awful at first, thinking maybe I misunderstood what DEI was. Naturally, I looked it up again, reading more in-depth, which quickly led to frustration - both in the way I was treated and how little I found that disability was even mentioned.