It is about time someone said this ! This year I walked away from 8 years being a cashier at Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts because I just could not emotionally and physically go through another Christmas season in retail. In the 8 years I was working part time I recieved very little government help. What I got was Supplimental Security Disability - that "paycheck" would go up or down depending on how many hours/how much I earned from Jo-Ann. (Every month I had to turn in my pay stubs to the Social Security Office, so that they could calculate how much my "benefits" needed to be "adjusted".)

Once I had enough "earned income credits" I started to recieve Social Security Disability "benefits" and the Supplimental Security "paychecks" stopped.

In 1995 I graduated from Rivier College with a BFA in Graphic Design and in between the years of 1999 - 2008/9 I tried my best to re-enter the "work world" DOING SOMETHING THAT WOULD GIVE ME SOME REAL INCOME. (In between graduation 1995 to Spring 1996 I had not found a job in the graphic design industry and when the DCYF took my 11 year old male child away from me I spent the next four YEARS jumping through hoops, transplanting my life and attempting to get custody back. I worked at Kinko's and while I was not hired as a graphic designer, they did have a computer services department which I was hopeful to get in to ....... THAT did NOT happen.)

The government has a few programs for the disabled and the disadvantaged, but they need to be bolstered not done away with. These programs need to work WITH each other and more people need to understand the ins and outs about them to fix what does not work. First there is the Vocational Rehabilitation. http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/vre/
Wonderful -- IF you get a good case worker. (Government can make rules, but ultimately it is the "private" citizens that can either help others or "lord" over them how inferior and insignificant (worthless) they are ! The idea to get someone a job ... ANY job ... is of primary importance to most "government" workers. (Again, it is the private citizen that can choose to be genuinely helpful or a BITCH).

Then, there is the Social Security's PASS Plan. This is a "Plan to Achieve Self Support http://www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/pass.htm
I have spent many years and have changed my career goal a few times -- each time I came as close as I could to reach my goal and no job was forthcoming. The last job goal I had while working part time at Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts and working with both the Vocational Rehabilitation AND Social Security's PASS Plan was to work in a library. To this end the VR paid for a few on line classes and I earned a certificate in Library and Information Services. Then someone announced that the US economy was in trouble and library budget cuts were among the first to be effected. Before I left a Public Library List Serv I noticed that the librarians that were complaining all had something in common; each had been allowed the privaledge to START their "career" and many were able to MAINTAIN their "career" for many years. I saw this as a form of greed and in an uncerimonious  post I wrote these Public Libers that had i been given the opportunity to at least START my career of choice I would happily take a pay cut to continue getting paid for doing something I like to do!

Now, I am self employed (http://www.bead1threadtoo.com) and still getting Social Security Disability "benefits". I hope I can afford to pay my (one, small home) mortgage at least until the Spring when my beautiful back yard will again be growing and greening and my wall of lilacs will bring me some beauty in a world that is becoming more and more ugly.