As an addendum to yesterday's diary about the woman with 4 shit wage jobs, I'd like to add a little something about part-time work. Those of us with disabilities have always had to live with the 'Walmart' economy because the majority of us usually end up with part-time, shit wage work. This has always been a reality for us.
We're always the first to have our hours slashed. We're never given the time of day when it comes to advancement opportunities. And if a manager really doesn't like you, he'll ride your ass and look for any excuse to get rid of you. Employers do this to many with disabilities and I speak from direct experience on that one.
Applying for anything such as Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid is a complete nightmare. Even when one does get it, it does nearly nothing to help those who need it the most. The rest of the time, the administrations are looking for any excuse to make sure you never receive them.
I think I speak for most disabled folk when I say we'd rather have decent jobs with a chance at advancement. Will we be given those opportunities? Nope. After all, big business has a lily white image to maintain. Even college education in STEM fields doesn't help us because those jobs are G-O-N-E, gone. Outsourced to countries that pay even shittier wages than we do because some short-sighted corporate overseer didn't get enough in his quarterly dividends.
Like I said, we're willing to work, but the opportunities we strive for just aren't there no matter how much work we put in or how hard we fight for them. It's the kind of thing I wouldn't wish on anyone.
See you around,
Homer