Hire the Handicapped – They’re Fun to Watch!

Well, this is a new thing for me… talking about something out in the news. But, since it affects the disabled in some way, I figure it would be of some use. The US Government is suing AT&T for payments made to AT&T by the US Government for usage of their Relay service for the hearing and speech impaired. Each time a call goes out, there’s a payment that AT&T gets for usage of their lines that the government makes because they are complying with the law. However, it’s come to the government’s attention that the callers weren’t really disabled, but that they were Nigerians doing scamming and that they were using the free service to fasciliate those scams.

The way the Relay Service works is that a person calls a special number with a TDD and the Relay service calls the number that the disabled person wants to get in contact with and becomes the bridge between the voice call and the TDD. They do not edit what is said, they type exactly what is said on both sides. Type for one, talk for the other. It’s exacting work, and you have to be trained in it.

Now the US Government is saying that AT&T knew that the Relay service was being used by scammers and they want their money back that they paid AT&T. The volume of the calls rose 95% and were from out of the country. That’s a red flag right there.

PC Magazine reports that the government wants to service the disabled, but won’t tolerate scammers, and I wouldn’t either.

Let’s hope they can get back the $16 Million that the government paid AT&T. Unless and until AT&T can figure out how to (or actually DOES) screen the callers to make sure they really are disabled, I think the government is right to ask for its money back.

I called to get signed up for the Transportation service, and found they only have one van. I offered the use of my lift equipped van to transport me to my various outings so they don’t have to take their van to transport me, since I only need a driver. The person on the phone was going to talk to someone at a meeting tonight about my suggestions. Being that I’m so in tune with disability law, and how things work, I could make suggestions to ease their burden of helping and get service for myself as well. Yeah, I want to use their service, but I don’t see any reason to take their van when mine does just as well. No one else can ride with us, but that’s okay, as long as I pay for my own gas.

I was handed a folded piece of paper yesterday… it was a small ad for a paratransit company for the five cities in the valley here. It won’t take me to my PCP (Primary Care Physician) or Pump Refill appointments, but it’ll allow me to get to Physical Therapy. It runs from 9am to 2pm Monday-Friday. Costs $5, (donation), but I think well worth it. It’s FAR better than being stuck at home. I just have to find a place that will take me and do PT with me as Apple Physical Therapy wants nothing to do with me, as they feel a neuro PT would work better. They sent me to Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, but the hospital is down two therapists so they aren’t taking new patients. *sigh* And the paratransit won’t go that far. Only local. Say 10 miles. So, I’ll have to do research. I hope there’s a place that does PT around here.

I’ll also be able to go shopping and do other errands. No longer stuck at home and dependent on my inlaws and husband for going places.

Keith (the significate other/husband) just told me he doesn’t think that I should be walking, because it’ll cost too much, and it’ll take too much time. NOW what do I do? My doctor wants me to walk, Keith doesn’t want me to. I think it’s stupid myself, but I do have a few goals in mind that will require greater leg strength in the future. More on that later. But for Keith to tell me, NO, he’s not going to take me to PT, or get my braces fixed… ouch.

Dr. Khan won’t be pleased, and when I want to do this special project in October, I doubt he’ll be supportive because I didn’t go to physical therapy now.

The thing is, the local physical therapy place doesn’t want to talk to me, they want me to go to a neuro PT place, and the local hospital is down 2 therapists… so I need Keith to help me get to PT, as I can’t depend on my mother-in-law for that… and he just shot me down. And what I want to do in October, will require leg strength.

In Limbo…

Saw my PCP (Primary Care Physician) yesterday, and he wants me to start walking. I haven’t walked in over 27 years. When I was 21, I decided it hurt too much, and took too much energy to walk, so chose to use a wheelchair, much to the dismay of my parents. They thought I was giving up. Well, THAT didn’t last long, as my Mom took me shopping, and instead of being tired and complaining of being in pain ten minutes into shopping, it was 4 HOURS before SHE was asking if we could stop and rest. And when I needed a new wheelchair, my parents bought me a nice one, not a real cheap one, like the one that I got from DSHS.

Now, Dr. Khan, wants me to start walking. He’s written a prescription for me to go to PT (Physical Therapy) for four weeks. I seriously doubt I have the muscle for it. I’m sure the muscles have atophyed after so long. Even walking across the room will cause me to use so much energy that once I’m done, I’ll be so exhausted, I’ll be sleeping the rest of the day.

I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’ll go to PT, but walking just isn’t worth it to me… I don’t want to be in pain and exhausted. I have a life now, and while I’m still in pain, it’d be a lot worse if I was walking.