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Ticket to Work ForumBy: Dino Manalis
Summary:
An eSight writer, facilitator Dino Manalis has a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's in international studies. He has optic atrophy and hearing loss. This dialogue board is about the Ticket to Work and Self-sufficiency Program. 
This is New
Our Mission Statement Procedure Most Asked Questions Other comments people have made about this topic:
Share your opinions with eSight Careers Network: This is New PASS or Ticket: Which Is Right for You? Our Mission Statement The objective of this forum is to continue a discussion about eSight's series of articles entitled, "The Ticket to Work and Self-sufficiency Program," in terms of what Ticket to Work means to job seekers with disabilities. Accordingly, eSight members will have the opportunity to help each other by clarifying the regulations and answering Ticket to Work questions. Procedure This forum will grow over time to answer many of the most asked questions. Please post suggestions for additions to this forum by using the "Share your opinions with eSight Careers Network" tool at the bottom of this page. Most Asked Questions How long can a beneficiary keep the ticket in inactive status? What Happens If I Don't Get a Job? What if I assign my ticket after a continuing disability review (CDR) has already begun? Can an EN receive payments for milestones or outcome payment months that occur before the beneficiary assigns a ticket to the EN? How can the Ticket to Work program help me obtain adaptive technology? Can I use my ticket to hire a career counselor or job coach for myself? If an alternate participant decides not to become an EN, can it still be paid as an alternate participant? How can I get more information about the Ticket to Work program? Is there any other Medicaid eligibility group for working people with disabilities -- besides the Basic Coverage Group and the Medical Improvement Group? Where can I find an employment network (EN) in my area? How can I select the right employment network (EN) for me?
Other comments people have made about this topic: Subject: Ticket to Work Forum Username: snakeman Sent: Wednesday, April 3, 2002 The societal attitudes towards blind and visually impaired people must be overcome by employers because the mere mention of a sight impairment where special equipment must be used most often than not shuts down the employer with respect to hiring the person in question. The bottom line is always just who is going to pay for the equipment and that is where the buck is passed from one to another. No one wants to pay and, unless the blind or visually impaired person has the resources to answer that question, he/she is usually overlooked. Why should an employer hire a blind or visually impaired person when a sighted person can be hired for the same position and there is no need to modify equipment in the work place? A shame, true -- but a fact of life. If there is not someone with the expertise who can come in to the work setting to solve a problem with adaptive equipment immediately, the employer is left asking him/herself: "Why did we hire this person when either our programs don't work with the adaptive equipment or no one has the answer, including the person him/herself, with respect to solving the immediate problem -- that is, accomplishing the job at hand?" Return to List of Other Comments Subject: Ticket to Work Username: John-Jay Location: Mississippi State Occupation: Research Scientist, ROTC on Blindness and Low Vision Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2002 I believe the most valuable thing about eSight is the ability it gives for peers -- people who have severe visual impairment -- to share the nitty-gritty, real life experiences that we believe are important and make a difference. It maybe helpful when this can be augmented with the opinions of professionals and experts in the field, but they may not know what it is like to live with severe visual impairment. For example; a big question with using rehab services was "who owns the stuff they provide you with, if you do not get a job, or if you do?" Thus, with Ticket to Work and SSA, this is an important issue within "what happens if I do not get a job, or do?" Who owns the stuff I got with the Ticket? What that means is, if I do not know the answer, I should not throw away my old computer, braille writer, etc. -- and they take up a lot of room. I think (hope) that speech programs such as Dragon Naturally Speaking will finally, with a new Pentium 4 computer, work well, but I do not know that for sure. The manufacturers claim miracles, but I was severely disappointed when it first came out. It takes a lot of time and courage to try again. I believe it is worthwhile to try, but it helps to be prepared, to ask questions, beforehand. I have heard it said that Ticket to Work will only be a benefit to those who can get a job at about $40,000 a year. I do not know why, but that seems to leave a lot of folks out. A person who is blind has to earn about, I think, over $1,200 plus a month to stop receiving SSA benefits and thus fulfill the Ticket requirements. I assume the work must be very desirable in order for someone to agree to just barely get off SSA benefits. A person may only want to work for substantially more. This makes the aim, or goal to begin with, the landing of not just any job but a fairly good and desirable one. The long trial period allows you to see if that is true. We do not know how this new program will work, but those who have lived with blindness and various other systems have some experience to share in the matter. Return to List of Other Comments Subject: Two Facts Username: TTWWIA Location: Baltimore, MD Occupation: Executive Director Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2002 Thank you so much for your e-mail of February 15, 2002, concerning Mr. F.'s perspective of the Ticket to Work Program. The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel's (Panel) received it with great interest. In responding to Mr. F.'s viewpoint of the Ticket to Work Program, I will state two facts. First, the main objective of the Ticket to Work Program is to allow Social Security Administration's (SSA) Beneficiaries the option to try to work. The Ticket to Work Program is voluntary. Second, SSA is studying ways to provide additional resources to Employment Networks to assist with beneficiaries who need more support to work. We encourage you to check the web site to stay informed about upcoming activities of the Panel. We appreciate your continued interest in maximizing the employment potential for Americans with disabilities. Return to List of Other Comments Subject: Ticket to Work FAQ Username: John-Jay Location: Mississippi State Occupation: Research Scientist, ROTC on Blindness and Low Vision Sent: Thursday, February, 14, 2002 The answer you provide to "what if I use a ticket and do not get a job?" does not answer the question and, in fact, may be quite misleading. The regulation cited clearly indicates that the provider of services will not be reimbursed if the person who is disabled does not work. This potential for losing $10,000 or so makes it very unlikely that there will be any or many networks other than the state/federal rehab ones that already exist. Thus "choice," the purpose of the new law, may be a fiction -- except that some employment networks may "cream the crop," that is, offer to serve the best and most able SSA recipients if they believe they can be hired. That is a big gamble for anyone but the state/feds to take. There is nothing in the regs in the answer given about the person who receives the services and does not get a job and get off SSA. This is a very important point as it invites scamming the system two ways. One, rumor has it that a service provider already has offered to pay outright to SSA recipients 75 percent of their ticket in exchange for working for that service provider for the allotted number of months. Two, an SSA recipient can take the services and not work. While the above points are important considerations, they do not automatically say the program is good or bad or that it will or will not succeed in helping some folks get off SSA and get jobs they want. Unless a clearer regulation can be cited, it does seem that recipients of SSA benefits should feel free to try to use the ticket and not worry about whether or not anyone will hire them. Note: all of the above is non-legal opinion; none of it should be treated as fact. Return to List of Other Comments Go to Top of Page Bookmark this article to: 
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