For most people in society, they go to school, get a degree, get a job and slowly climb up the ladder at that job. For most people, that can afford it and are able to endure years of schooling after high school, this is how their life goes.
However, if you are a person with a disability, your future may look a little different. For me, it did for a long time. I have tried going to post secondary school, online and in person, a total of four times. Due to a myriad of circumstances, including my PTSD from what I endured in junior high school being too high, I am unable to complete a course in a school or online setting.
When I first moved out on my own, with my friend and ex, I was being told by certain friends and family that I didn’t need to work because I was getting Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH). in fact, I remember my mother telling me once that, I didn’t want to work too much because I would lose some of my AISH. so I bought into this belief. This ideology that became I have a disability, and because I’m getting money each month from the government, that I didn't need to work. However, this belief meant that I began relying on my ex, who was working, to pick up the bigger tab for the things i couldn’t afford. This was absolutely not ok, and I will never put that kind of financial burden on anyone ever again. I learned this when we broke up and suddenly I had to pay for things on my own.
In 2015, I moved to Edmonton and got a job with the Self Advocacy Federation. I was making about $200 a month, which helped a little bit with the bills, but it certainly wasn’t much. I left that job for the last time in 2019 due to a toxic work environment which was negatively affecting my mental health.
in February 2020, I got a job doing scanning for a department in a little company called ATCO. This job was part time, 18.75 hours a week, and paid a lot better than my first job. They paid me an inclusive rate for the work i was doing. In 2021 I moved to another department where I entered material requisition. I was still working part time and still getting paid the same rate.
in December 2021, I got the best Christmas present I could have ever asked for. I was told, that as of January 31st I will be made permanent full time and will be moving up from a clerk 1 to a clerk 3! I know my friends and family are tired of me gushing about this. However, most of them don’t understand the reason why. Most of them don’t understand the amount of relief and hope that a full time job with, as my grandmother in law put it, professional pay, fills me with.
Most people, luckily, don’t know the struggle of living pay cheque to pay cheque. They don know the struggle of wondering if you have enough food for the week. They don’t know the struggle of wondering what kind of financial security you will have after you retire. They don’t know the struggle of wondering if you’ll ever be able to afford a down payment on a house.
I don’t boost about this because I‘m some kind of egocentric, heartless person. I wholeheartedly believe that every single human being deserves the kind of financial security I will have because of this job. No one should have to live in poverty. No one should ever have to wake up every day worried about money. This job only serves to make me a stronger advocate for inclusive employment and for universal basic income.
Everyone deserves the overwhelming gratitude, elation and relief I feel.
Thank you, ATCO!
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