New President's Plan on Disabilities

Now that we know who the next President of the United States will be, many people are curious about what changes the new Administration will make to the Social Security disability program.  Public statistics make it obvious that the Social Security Administration is currently underfunded and  understaffed.  Let's hope the new Administration takes the Social Security disability crisis seriously.  While we do not yet know specifics, President-elect Obama's website outlines his plan on disabilities.  The plan can  be seen here.

The plan involves providing the disabled with educational opportunities, promoting equal opportunity, helping the disabled return to work, and supporting community-based living when appropriate.  The website does not provide many specifics, but part three of the plan (helping the disabled return to work) sounds like a daunting proposition.  As I have noted in previous blog posts, the job market has become very competitive and employers will likely have more job applicants to choose from than ever before.  Finding unique and clever ways to help disabled individuals return to work has been a Washington, D.C. idea for a long time.  Experience suggests that disabled individuals usually return to work because of a combination of determination, an employer's willingness to take a risk (or a tax break), and not the government's intervention.