JG, California

SSI gave me the ability to get on my feet and out of the black hole I lived in. But it stuck me in a different one- the conundrum of choosing to be mentally well and having health insurance but being stuck in eternal poverty vs losing it all to potentially live comfortably and have basic needs met. Why can’t disabled people get medical and financial help without stipulations on their ability to be full people and live in society? The current SSI system isn’t enough to keep us alive, nor is it accessible to all who need it, and is more of a punishment for being disabled and not having the ability to work. Something HAS to change and we, as disabled people, are not the problem. The system is.