Episode 772
Ticket to Work: Real Stories of Going Back to Work
Why watch: Episode 772 introduces Social Security's Ticket to Work program through the people who have lived it.
Episode 772 introduces Social Security's Ticket to Work program through the people who have lived it. What is Ticket to Work, from Social Security's Choose Work campaign, explains the free and voluntary program that helps disability beneficiaries ages 18 through 64 prepare for work, find a job, and keep moving toward financial independence, with free services from Employment Networks and state vocational rehabilitation agencies. Three success stories follow. Michele Boardman, who has limb-girdle muscular dystrophy and has used a wheelchair since age 13, used Work Incentives to help pay for her education and vehicle modifications — and turned that knowledge into a career as a Community Work Incentives Coordinator at AHEDD, counseling others on how work affects their benefits. Robert Statam, an Army veteran and former postal carrier paralyzed after a surgical injury, connected with the program through the VA and Paralyzed Veterans of America and found the safety nets that made trying work feel safe. Rob McClain, a Wisconsin volunteer firefighter and business owner, lost 300 pounds to qualify for a kidney transplant, then rebuilt his working life with the program's help. For beneficiaries and families, this half-hour answers the fear at the center of it all — will I lose my benefits if I work? For workforce agencies, vocational counselors, veterans' organizations, broadcasters, sponsors, and funders, it shows AATV delivering Social Security's own employment education in a fully accessible broadcast.
In this program
- What is Ticket to Work
- Ticket to Work Success Story: Michele Boardman
- Ticket to Work Success Story: Robert Statam
- Ticket to Work Success Story: Rob McClain
Sound Tips™ Companion
During this broadcast, the Sound Tips™ ticker connects hearing loss to work and benefits. Hearing loss is one of the most common disabilities among working-age adults, and Social Security's disability programs cover people whose hearing loss, alone or with other conditions, keeps them from substantial work. The Ticket to Work Help Line serves deaf and hard-of-hearing callers directly at 1-866-968-7842 (voice) or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY). Work Incentives can let you test a job while keeping Medicare or Medicaid and, in many cases, cash benefits — a myth says working ends benefits immediately, and it is not true. Tips: if hearing loss affects your work, ask about a hearing evaluation and workplace accommodations such as captioned phones, amplified headsets, and quiet meeting spaces; tell your employer what communication works best for you; talk with a benefits counselor before you start a job so there are no surprises; and remember that vocational rehabilitation agencies can help with hearing aids and other technology needed for employment.
- Source: Choose Work (SSA): What is Ticket to Work? (video)
- Source: Choose Work (SSA): Michele's Success Story
- Source: Choose Work (SSA): Robert's Success Story
- Source: Choose Work (SSA): Rob's Success Story
- Source: Choose Work (SSA): What is Social Security's Ticket to Work Program?
- Source: SSA: Ticket to Work Help Line (voice/TTY)
- Source: NIDCD: Quick Statistics About Hearing
- Source: JAN: Workplace Accommodations for Hearing Impairment
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