FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

On February 6 and 7, 2007, a groundbreaking summit was held in Atlanta, GA, titled “Voices for Change: Beneficiaries Paving the Way to Work.”  This first-ever summit was attended by delegates representing every U.S. state, District of Columbia, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, raising their voices in support of enabling Social Security disability beneficiaries to work and become economically self-sufficient. The delegates included individuals with a wide variety of disabilities, ages, and backgrounds.

As an unintended consequence of public policy, many government programs discourage individuals with disabilities from even attempting work.  Countless people with disabilities cannot risk losing public health insurance, which is tied to eligibility for the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs.  These programs strictly limit the amount people can earn without risking the very benefits they rely upon.  Others fear that their disability may make it impossible to work at a later date, but they may be unable to get their benefits quickly reinstated.
 
The delegates drafted numerous recommendations for changes that would support people with disabilities who want to work. Their recommendations included:

• Specific changes to SSI, SSDI, and other government programs
• Improved programs enabling work and support needed for work
• Access to health care and related services that people can take to work
• Better outreach and clearer, simpler materials about programs, in accessible formats
• An ongoing voice for beneficiaries in the Social Security Administration (SSA) policy development and program operations.

Immediately following the summit, the delegates briefed their recommendations to invited representatives from SSA, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the White House, Senate Finance Committee, Social Security Advisory Board, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Education, and the National Council on Disability. The recommendations will be available soon in a report on the summit.

The summit was hosted by the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel. The Panel provides advice to the President, Congress, and SSA on the implementation of the Ticket to Work and Work Improvement Act of 1999, a federal statute designed to bring people with disabilities into the workforce. In accordance with “Nothing About Us Without Us”, summit planning was accomplished with a group of seven current/recent SSA beneficiaries from across the country. These planners participated in the selection of the 55 delegates from a group of more than 300 nominated.

CONTACT: 
Jill Houghton
Executive Director, Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel
202-358-6419 – phone Jill.Houghton@ssa.gov