This year for the first time I’ve been faced with more preconception, short-sightedness and maybe even discrimination then we all sometimes experience as human beings living in a world with other human beings.
Those who have followed my weblog might remember that I’m a dialyse patient since July 2006 and then since end of last year I lost my hearing. Besides obviously not having the same amount of energy as a healthy person I continue to do things, I even went to my job solicitation the day after losing my hearing. Apparently when losing your hearing later in life you gain the ability of lip reading without needing to learn it, in my case anyway.
People who know me before all the health issue can see pass that, that I’m normal, intelligent and well spoken. But I’m starting to notice that some people who meet me after becoming deaf and kidney patient think that I’m slow or don’t know much. Many times I’ve wanted to tell people that I might be deaf but there is nothing wrong with my brains.
Also I’ve noticed people tend to talk about me thinking, “she can’t hear anyway”, but I know right away they are talking about me. You see when they say the blind have very good hearing, didn’t you never think what the deaf would be good at? Well I’ll tell you: the deaf are really good at reading body language and face expression. Even before I was deaf and still used hearing aids I was good at it.
My point being, this year more then ever I come across people who see me for less just because I have health issues and am deaf. And the government isn’t much better.
I wrote some time ago about trying to get government welfare payment for the chronic ill(before age 27) or people who get impaired for life before turning 27; A crossroad called Wajong which by the way it’s going to be 7 months waiting on their answer if I’ll get it or not.
The whole Wajong is a hot topic in the government because lots of people get the full amount as soon as they become 18 and no one helps them get a fitting job. So like roughly counted 150.000 people who are able to do some kind of work are sitting at home cashing in money. And of course the government doesn’t like that, even I don’t like that.
I managed to get myself a job, with the amount of hours I’m able to work. Because I want to work, I go crazy sitting at home day in and day out. And I want to be able to say that I work and pay my own bills, which I do. The welfare should be used to over-bridge the rest, because most chronically ill can’t work a 40-hours work week, and people who are impaired depending on their limitation can’t get a good paying job. And most important the welfare also provides a no risk policy for your employer in case you get sick and aren’t able to work for a long time, this way you don’t lose your job that quick.
So now the government wants to do something about helping people living on this welfare to get a job. This is the the news report that was released 3 hours ago about the government intentions. It’s in Dutch but I’ll sum it up. First see what kind of image they use for this news.
When they talk about getting jobs they think on one level only, working in kitchens, in factories, basically jobs where you do one or two operations only, routine work. For them all people getting this welfare are mentally disabled. No wonder the whole country reading this news also think the same way.
If it was up to the government to help me get a job, I with my degree, speaking 4 languages, with web development knowledge would have to work in a garden shop, no kidding I have it on my file here of when I applied for welfare.
I can tell them right now, half of this problem will go away if they make it attractive for employers to hire people who are chronically ill or impaired. I know in this capitalist world they all want us to work minimal of 32 hours work week. But start focusing in the result and not on how much time we spend behind the desk. Right now I’m being paid for my 20 hours work week, so I’m not going to feel bad about going home earlier then my colleagues, because they make more money then I do working 32 to 40 hours. And I do my best at my job to deliver quality on the projects I’m assigned and make sure I meet deadlines.
The Netherlands has always focused as much on the social aspect as the economy aspect. We pay a lot of taxes to be able to have all kind of social securities but lately things are going downwards on the social aspect. But they keep coming with new taxes and tax raise, basically we pay more and more and keep getting less and less.
Not only do I deal with preconception, short-sightedness from people around me but also form the government.
