FACES AND FACTS OF DISABILITY- KIRA'S STORY
I'm 34 years old and I live in North Carolina. I use a power wheelchair because I live with Cerebral Palsy.
I love my life for the most part.
I earn $400 a month from my job but it is not enough cover all of my expenses. At the end of the month if I don't have a lot of extra money for food, I usually end up buying Oodles of Noodles. I eat that for the rest of the month. That doesn't just happen to me...It happens to a lot of people with disabilities.
I am uncertain about my financial future. My current job ends in May. I will no longer have the $400 that helps pay for my expenses. If I don't find other employment, I don't exactly know what I'm going to do after that. That is where Social Security comes in. Social Security Disability Insurance benefits allow me to have the quality of life afforded to every human being.
My parents taught me as a young child that I had the right to be independent and had the right to be employed as a person with a disability. I have the right to speak up for the rights of people with disabilities. I'm so proud of that.
In closing, I have a thought that I would like to leave you with. My life is full of love and happiness but it is also very difficult at times. When lawmakers think about cutting funding towards Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, I would like them to picture my face and think about me not being able to have a life outside of my apartment.
If you need help applying for disability or need to appeal an unfavorabled decision from Social Security, I can help. Call me at 407-738-3718.
