The Rising Challenges Faced by Disabled Americans

Many disabled people are feeling increasingly under attack by callous companies and various government entities these days. For example, Delta Airlines has reduced its services to disabled people, according to the Philadelphia Tribune; during the recent presidential election, a disabled journalist became a punchline during a rally; and Medicaid, which provides services to the disabled so that they can live independently, has been under constant attack over the last year.

One in Five Americans Has a Disability

According to the Pew Research Center, 40 million Americans, or 12.6 percent of the population, have a disability, as defined by an impairment with hearing, vision, cognition, walking, climbing stairs, or ability for self-care and independent living. Among the findings were the following;

• African Americans are the most likely racial group to suffer from a disability;
• Older people have a higher likelihood of disability than young people;
• The most common type of disability affects a person’s ability to walk or live independently;
• Disability rates vary vastly by state;
• Those with disabilities earn 70 percent less than what the average American without a disability earns;
• Those with disabilities were much more engaged in the 2016 presidential election than those without disabilities; and
• Disabled Americans have a lower rate of adopting new technology, which potentially hurts their ability to earn a living.

More Applicants Today, But Rewards Have Stagnated

With so many Americans suffering from some type of disability, be it a minor injury or major life-altering condition, one would assume that the total amount of SSDI benefits on offer would reflect this large portion of the population. This is unfortunately not true. In the year 2000, roughly one half of applicants received an SSDI reward. There were 100,000 applicants per month and 50,000 rewards per month, giving applicants a one in two chance of being accepted. In early 2018, there were just under 170,000 applicants per month and just 52,000 rewards per month, according to the Social Security Administration.

A Wisconsin Social Security Disability Insurance Attorney is Here to Help

With medical services possibly about to be cut over the next few years, it has never been more crucial to have an attorney at your side as you apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. SSDI benefits can be incredibly difficult to procure due to the vast amount of confusing paperwork and hoops to jump through. Call our Amery SSDI attorneys today at the law offices of Novitzke, Gust, Sempf, Whitley & Bergmanis for help.