The Basics
As you get older, you have more and more choices about what you want to do with your life. At the same time, you have greater and greater responsibilities. This article is an introduction to some of the issues and opportunities that you will face as you become an adult. It can help you understand new responsibilities and also teach you about a major new concept: “independent living.”
After presenting many aspects of day-to-day life, this article also introduces higher education and employment as major options for you in the upcoming years. When appropriate, this article will direct you to the more detailed articles for young people on DB101 that discuss employment, education, and benefits options.
The California Youth Transition Toolkit goes into more detail about a lot of the topics discussed here in DB101’s Young People and Benefits section. It is a guide for young people with disabilities who transition to adulthood. It includes valuable information discussing topics related to education, independent living, employment, finances, health care, recreational activities, and more. Click here to visit the Youth Transition Toolkit website.
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Understanding Yourself
As you become an adult, you gain more and more opportunities and responsibilities. Between school, work, relationships, and social activities, you probably wonder how to juggle everything. As you deal with these issues, you also have to reflect on your disability, what it means to you, and how you manage it in day-to-day life.
Here is a worksheet you can fill out to help you start to think about how you think about your disability and how your disability fits into to your life.
Think about these questions. You may want to discuss them with a family member or a mentor.
How do I feel about being a person with a disability?
Do I feel comfortable talking about my disability with others?
Do I think that having a disability is something to be proud of?
Whom in my life can I trust when I need to talk about my disability?
What are some aspects of living with a disability that I struggle with? What resources are out there to help me through those struggles?
What are some activities that I want to do that I think I cannot do? Is there another way of doing the activity that would work for me?
What are some things I can do that my friends cannot do?
To print this worksheet, click here.
It’s natural to feel uncomfortable with your disability or unsure about whom to talk to about it. As you read this article, we’ll try to give you information and resources that can help you feel more comfortable and confident and will help you find people who can support you.
Our perceptions of disability are shaped by the portrayals and reactions to disability in our society. Traditionally, people have thought about disability as a medical issue. The “medical model” looks at your disability as though it is a medical condition that must be cured. If you have a disability, you need to be “fixed.”
However, the disability rights movement has changed that perspective during the last 50 years, proposing that disability be viewed as a social issue. The “social model” says that the problem is not your disability, but the way society views people with disabilities. In the social model, disability is a natural part of the human experience; it’s a normal part of life.
Thinking about disability in this new way may help you realize that you don’t need to be fixed. You can live with your disability and be successful. What you need is to find ways of getting a job, getting a higher education, and pursuing your dreams.
Making Decisions for Yourself
In the past, a lot of people with disabilities were considered “burdens” to their families. People with disabilities couldn’t get jobs, many were sent to institutions where they couldn’t go out and do things, or they were simply ignored.
However, that’s changed. Today, many people with disabilities succeed at school and at their jobs. You can, too. Just like your nondisabled friends, as you become an adult, you need to make decisions and start planning so that you can succeed. Making your own choices about what you want to do is your first step toward leading an independent life.
Independent Living
For you, independent living could mean many different things. It could mean moving out of your parent’s home and going to college. Or it could mean getting a job and moving into your own apartment. The biggest thing independence means is that you decide where you want to go in life.
Independent living does not mean that you have to know all the answers or do everything by yourself; it means that you need to learn how to find resources that can help you reach your goals. You also need to learn to be in charge of how you use these resources.
If you don’t have clear goals yet, you’ll need to think about what you really want to do. Then, you need to set goals and learn about the steps and support necessary to achieve them.
Use Your Independent Living Center!
Independent living may sound scary, but there are many people with disabilities who have gone through similar situations as your own. They have created groups called “independent living centers” that offer information and support that can help you think about the decisions and opportunities facing you.
Independent living centers are one of the most important resources that can help you with independent living. Your local Independent Living Center has information about all aspects of living with a disability, including housing, transportation, personal attendant services, employment, education, and benefits. Many independent living centers also have programs designed for young people, like peer groups and volunteer and internship opportunities.
Nowadays, people with disabilities live in their own homes, graduate from college, work at good jobs, get married, and have children. In large part, this is thanks to laws, like the Americans with Disabilities Act, that prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities.
But this did not happen overnight. People with disabilities didn’t use to have the opportunities and legal protections they have today. It took a movement led by young people with disabilities to change society’s perception of people with disabilities.
Ed Roberts was a young disabled leader who changed the world. As a child, he got polio, a common disease in the 1950s. As a result, he had to use a wheelchair and also spent a lot of time in an iron lung, a machine that helped him breathe. Despite these challenges, Ed excelled in school and dreamed of attending UC Berkeley. However, when he applied to the university, he was told that the university did not want him because he was disabled. Ed fought this and won, gaining admission to the university.
When Ed saw how inaccessible the university was to students with disabilities, he decided to change things. He and a few other students in wheelchairs formed a group called “The Rolling Quads” and created the very first disabled student services program on a college campus. Today almost every college and university in the country has a disabled student services program that helps students with things like personal care attendant referral, in-class accommodations, and accessible housing. In 1972, Ed Roberts and others founded the Berkeley Center for Independent Living, the first independent living center in the country. Today there are independent living centers around the world, including dozens in California.
Read more about independent living in the Youth Transition Toolkit.
Learn more
Your Family, Your Friends, Your Community
Talking to Your Parents
One of the hardest things about getting older is that your relationship with your parents or guardians changes. When you were a little kid, they made almost every decision for you. By the time you’re a teenager, you get to decide some things, like who will be your friends and what you’ll do with some of your free time, but you’re still limited by restrictions your parents place on you.
Your parents have good reasons for participating in your life; they love you and have cared about you since the day you were born. They have been your advocates and done everything they can to help you succeed.
However, as you get older and after you turn 18, you become an adult. You become the person who has the final say in most of the decisions that affect you. For some people, the transition to adulthood goes pretty smoothly; their parents understand how they can support their children. However, as they become adults, many young people have a difficult time with their parents. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t worry, it’s natural.
If your parents think that you can’t be successful because of your disability, it’s important that you find a mentor or peer counselor and also that you refer your parents to an independent living center so that they can learn more about disability. There are also a set of Parent Focus articles on DB101 that can give them more information on how to help you succeed.
Often, money can also become an issue in a relationship between young people and their parents. This may be because your parents are giving you financial support. Alternatively, it may be that our parents got used to getting your benefits checks, like SSI checks, and now those checks are being sent to you. The best solution for this type of problem over the long-term is for you to develop a plan that will eventually lead to you getting a good job.
Even if you and your parents don’t agree on everything, don’t reject all of your parents’ ideas and opinions just because they’re your parents. A big part of being independent is that you lead your life, but in order to be independent, you need to make sure that you have a circle of family, friends, and people you trust who can give you support and advice. Your parents, who have been there for you for many years, are key people in that circle.
Self-Advocacy
To be successful as an adult, you have to make sure your rights are respected. Making sure your rights are respected is also called “self-advocacy.”
Self-advocacy doesn’t actually mean that you have to do everything by yourself. Your family and friends can give you support. There are also community organizations, like independent living centers, that can help you. If you work for a large employer, you may find an organized group of disabled employees at your workplace. Or, if you’re in college, join your school’s disabled student group.
Here are some great organizations that can help you become a self-advocate:
Youth Organizing! Disabled and Proud (YO!)
YO! connects, organizes, and educates young people with disabilities. YO! works on advocacy issues and also helps young people find mentors. Click here to visit the YO! website.
Youth Transition Toolkit
The Youth Transition Toolkit is a guide for young people with disabilities who transition to adulthood. It includes valuable information discussing topics related to education, independent living, employment, finances, health care, recreational activities, and more. It also includes links to many more sources of information in California. Click here to learn more about the Youth Transition Toolkit.
California Youth Leadership Forum (YLF)
The California Youth Leadership Forum is an annual event for young people with disabilities who want to meet other young people, learn about options to meet their educational and professional goals, and get a chance to spend time on a university campus away from home. Click here to visit the YLF website.
People First
People First of California offers role models for people with developmental disabilities and opportunities for personal empowerment, leadership, and advocacy. This is a great way for you to learn how to speak up for yourself, learn what your rights are, and become involved in the disability advocacy movement. Click here to find a chapter in your local area.
The National Consortium on Leadership and Disability for Youth (NCLD/Y)
NCLD/Y has information about becoming a leader, disability history, the disability movement, your rights, and more. Click here to visit the NCLD/Y website.
The National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN)
NYLN helps promote leadership development, education, employment, independent living, health, and wellness among young people with disabilities. Through NYLN, you can become involved in advocacy at national, state, and local levels. Click here to visit the NYLN website.
The Youthhood
The Youthhood is a website designed for young people with disabilities that talks about the transition from being a teen to being an adult. It has lots of information about education, rights, health, finding work, participating in the community, getting a mentor, finding activities, making friends, and getting an apartment. Click here to visit the Youthhood.
Being a Part of the Community
You will often hear that “independence” is a major part of being an adult. However, it is important to understand that being independent does not mean being alone. It means making your own decisions and leading your own life.
An important part of being independent is deciding what to do with your time. Traditionally, many people with disabilities had few options. Some people had to stay in institutions; others were pressured to stay at home. Because of this, people with disabilities didn’t have the opportunity to choose to spend their time with other people in their communities and join in the day-to-day activities that everybody else could do.
However, disabled leaders and new laws have changed things. Now, public buildings are much more accessible and people with disabilities can join in activities, meet people, make friends, and get jobs. It’s important for you to do the same, because spending time with others and sharing in community activities are a major part of what makes life fun!
Community activities include all sorts of things, like going to movies, going to parties, or even just going to the supermarket. However, the community doesn’t just have to be your local area. It could be events that take place online, over the phone, or any other way that involves being in touch with other people.
For example, there are many statewide and national networks where you can meet other young people with disabilities and share experiences with them, including the organizations and websites listed in this section. If you don’t know a lot of people, you can also look into clubs, volunteer at an organization, join a church group, or find other ways to meet people.
Finding a Mentor
In addition to joining groups and organizations, you can also get more involved in the community by getting a mentor. A mentor is a person who can provide you with guidance and support. A lot of people have found ways to work around obstacles to reach their goals and have interesting lives, and many of them are eager to share their time and ideas.
Talking to somebody living with your disability or a similar one can help you learn about tips and resources that are available to help you succeed in whatever you decide to do in life. You might have a mentor you just talk to on the phone or communicate with by email; or you might have a mentor you meet in person.
You may be able to find a mentor through family or friends. Here are a few other resources that can help you find a mentor:
- Your local Independent Living Center
- Youth Outreach! Disabled and Proud (YO!) helps young people with disabilities find mentors
- University students with disabilities can participate in school-supported mentor programs
Read more about being a part of the community in the Youth Transition Toolkit.
Learn more
New Responsibilities
In addition to new decisions, as you get older, you also gain new responsibilities. When you’re younger, your responsibilities are often small, like doing your homework or chores. However, when you are older, you have to take care of important things, like finding a place to live and a job.
Many of the new things you will have to take care of and make decisions about are things that your parents have decided in the past. These include extremely important tasks like managing your money, paying bills, handling your benefits, dealing with your health care, managing personal assistants, and all of the decisions related to living on your own. Here we’ll explore some of these issues and how to approach them.
Managing Your Money
We need money to carry out our day-to-day lives, but we also need it for the long-term. We have to be able to figure out how to meet our needs now, but also be prepared for our needs in the future. Thinking about how we spend our money now and how we’ll save money for the future is called money management and financial planning.
The words money management may sound frightening to you. Maybe you think that you’ll never have enough money to live comfortably or independently, or that you’ll never be making so much money that you can save for your retirement. Don’t think that you have to have all the answers now. Your goal should be to continually learn more about money and how to handle it wisely, so that you can make good decisions about your financial needs and abilities for today and the future.
One of the most common reasons people have money problems is that they don’t know how much money they have and how much they spend. Have you ever looked into your wallet and wondered, "Where did all my money go?" Sometimes it seems like it just disappears.
Try this exercise to see how much you really spend:
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Think about all of the things you spend money on over the course of a month. Write them down and then write down how much you think they cost. Some of your expenses are only once a month, like rent or your phone bill; other things might be weekly, like gasoline or groceries; and still others are things you spend money on every day, like lunch. Keep the list in a place where you won’t lose it
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Write down all of your actual expenses for one month in a small notebook or calendar. Every time you spend money, write it down, including anything you buy and any bills you pay
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At the end of the month, compare the list of things you thought you’d spent money on with the list of things you really spent your money on
When you know where you spend your money, you can control your spending by making better choices. Use this exercise to figure out what expenses are necessary and which ones you can cut.
Paying Bills and Credit Cards
Paying your bills is an important part of managing your money. Pay them as soon as you can, so that you don’t have to pay any extra fees or interest. Also, check with your bank to see if you can pay your bills online or automatically. This option can make taking care of your bills a lot easier and also ensure that you don’t forget to pay your bills. No matter what, you always need to make sure you have enough money in the bank to make your payments!
Avoiding Debt
If you spend more money than you make, you’ll probably end up in debt. Debt is dangerous! If you don’t do anything about it, your problem will just get worse and worse. Also, it’s really easy to get into debt, but very hard to get out of. You might be tempted to just ignore your bills and stop paying them, but that’s not a good idea, because your debts will just grow.
If you are in debt, take action now. If you feel overwhelmed by your debt and need help, click here to find a nonprofit debt counseling service. Click here to read more about choosing a debt counseling service.
In 2008, 25 percent of people with disabilities aged 21-64 in the United States lived in families with incomes below the poverty line. In comparison, the poverty rate for people without disabilities in the same age group was just 10 percent.
However, the situation is improving. Over the last few decades, people with disabilities have gained greater and greater access to the workplace, thanks to laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act. Learn more about finding work that can lead to financial independence in DB101's Finding a Job article.
Dealing with Benefits
If you qualify for public benefits, such as health care programs like Medi-Cal or cash benefits like Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and are under the age of 18, it’s likely that your parents or other adults handle your benefits applications and keep track of what benefits you qualify for.
However, as you get older, benefits change a lot. If you didn’t qualify for benefits when you were under 18, you may begin to qualify when you turn 18. And if you do qualify, you are now the person responsible for making sure that you get your benefits and comply with any rules. Benefits for Young People is a great article that will help you understand your benefits.
Financial Planning
When you get a job, you can start to save up some money. If you’re on public benefits like SSI, read the Benefits for Young People article, which discusses how you can begin saving money without losing benefits through programs like Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) and Plans to Achieve Self-Support (PASS). If you aren’t on public benefits, there are additional types of savings accounts that you may find interesting, like Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and 401(k) plans, which are retirement accounts.
When you save money, your money begins to grow on its own. That’s because it earns interest or makes profits that over the long-term will mean that you end up with a lot more money than you initially saved. Just by putting away a little bit each month, you can slowly accumulate enough money for major expenses, such as your education, a home, or even your retirement. The Youth Transition Toolkit gives one example of how saving a bit for retirement each month can add up to a lot of money.
Read more about managing your finances in the Youth Transition Toolkit.
Learn more
Handling Health Care
A key aspect of being an adult is taking care of your health. As a child, your parents handled your health care, scheduling appointments with doctors and making important decisions. It made sense for them to take care of these issues because you weren't old enough to completely understand them.
However, as you become an adult, you have to deal with these issues. It’s still okay to ask your parents for advice and support, but you have to make sure you learn about your own health care needs and what you need to do to make sure that those needs are fulfilled.
Think about these basic questions related to your health. These questions are not focused on your specific symptoms, but on the actions you need to take to make sure you stay healthy.
a) What activities do you need to do to keep yourself healthy?
b) Can you do these activities by yourself or do you need someone to help you?
c) Do you know how to direct others to help you?
To print this worksheet, click here.
Talk to Your Doctor
It's important that you have good communication with your doctor and other health care providers. That's because the two of you will be developing a relationship in which each of you will share ideas and try to find solutions that work well for you.
Sometimes, people think that doctors are always the experts and know more, but that's not true. You are the person who knows best about how you feel and that’s why you have the final say in any decisions involving your health. Of course, your doctor has specialized knowledge and your parents also know a lot about your health conditions. Listen to them and think about their ideas and suggestions.
Here are some examples of good ways to communicate with your doctor:
- Always tell your doctor about how you feel physically. Tell your doctor about what things feel fine and what things are bothering you
- Ask questions. You can ask if there are changes in your health that might come up as you get older, or if there are treatments that can help you with things that bother you
- Talk to your doctor about issues related to your sexual health. You might have questions or concerns related to sex, birth control, or other related issues
Click here to learn more about establishing a good relationship with your doctor.
Think about these questions.
a) Do you talk to your doctor during your visits?
b) Do you understand your needs? What are they?
c) Do you ask questions and agree to treatments?
d) Where do you go for more information besides your doctor?
e) Write down any extra thoughts or questions you may have.
To print this worksheet, click here.
Understanding Your Health
Now that we've talked about general issues, like talking to your doctor, it's important to consider the specific types of health issues you need to keep track of. In the past, your parents may have kept track of these, but now you should. Here are some of those issues. You don't need to memorize them, but you should have them written down somewhere:
- Health issues or symptoms. Know when they started and how frequently you feel them
- Questions or concerns about these issues or symptoms
- Medications you take and equipment you use
- Therapy and other medical exercises or treatments you do. Think about whether you think they are going well and if you would like to change them
- Accommodations you need at the doctor's office
- Your doctor's name and phone number
- An emergency contact (could be a family member or close friend)
Health Care Coverage
Unfortunately, health care can be very expensive. One of the most difficult things about handling your health can be making sure that you have appropriate health care coverage that will pay for your health care needs. Make sure you are aware of your options. Benefits for Young People has a good introduction to the various types of health coverage available, including Medi-Cal, Working Disabled Program (WDP), and private health insurance.
Read more about taking care of your health in the Youth Transition Toolkit.
Learn more
Managing Personal Care Assistance
Personal care assistants (PCAs) support people with disabilities to live more independent lives. An assistant works directly for and is employed by the person with a disability.
The role of a personal care assistant is to help you be able to do what you need to do. Your assistant may help you with getting dressed, going from one place to another, preparing meals, bathing, or other activities.
Personal care assistants can also help you in the workplace to do different types of tasks. They can help with personal care, like in the restroom or at lunch breaks, or with job-related tasks, like help with reading, interpreting, lifting or reaching work materials, or with travel between work sites. Learn more about this in DB101’s Workplace Personal Assistance article.
Paying for Personal Assistance
If you qualify for Medi-Cal or the Working Disabled Program (WDP), and need personal care assistance services, these programs will pay for the services through California’s In-Home Support Services (IHSS) program. Click here to read more about how Medi-Cal or WDP can help you pay for personal care assistance services. Contact your county social services agency to apply. You can also talk to a benefits planner.
Finding Personal Care Assistants
Some people with disabilities rely on family or friends for their personal care assistance. Others decide to hire individuals who are not their family or friends. You can find good PCAs in a number of different ways, including at your local Independent Living Center, using PCA agencies, or online
Ensuring a Good Relationship
Since you will likely be the person who hires, trains, and manages your PCA, it is important to make sure you learn how to do that. You’ll also be spending a lot of time with your assistant and need to make sure the two of you have good communication and a good relationship.
Personal care assistance can be crucial to your ability to live independently. For more information on how to have good communication, tips on how to hire a personal assistant, and much more, take a look at the following resources:
- Making the Move to Managing Your Own Personal Assistance Services (PAS): A Toolkit for Youth with Disabilities Transitioning to Adulthood is a complete guide with fact sheets and tips for all sorts of topics, like finding, hiring, training, and managing a PCA
- A Good Job is a six-minute animated video that talks about how to improve your relationship with a personal care assistant
Read more about personal assistance in the Youth Transition Toolkit.
Learn more
Living on Your Own
As you finish high school, you may start to think about living on your own. Housing is a basic need and one of the first things you will want to think about. There are many different living situations, and it is up to you to choose what is right for you.
Housing Options
Here are some of the different housing options you can consider:
- Rent your own apartment – this means you live in a separate apartment by yourself
- Rent an apartment with one or more people – this means you share an apartment with others. You will have your own bedroom, but share your kitchen, bathroom, and living room
- Living in a college dormitory – this is an option for college students where you live in a room and eat meals in a cafeteria
- Live in a group home – this means living in a larger building, usually with many other people. Group homes have support staff that handle cooking, cleaning, and personal assistance
- Live with your parents, guardian, or other relatives
There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing between these options. You’ll have to think about how much money you have, what accommodations you need, where each is located, and which you would prefer. Here we’ll look at renting an apartment, which is a common option for young people moving out of their parents’ homes for the first time.
Finding Affordable Housing to Rent
Every community has some apartments and houses that are called “affordable housing.” That means that it costs less to live there than it costs in an average apartment. There are lists of affordable housing in your community and when you look for an apartment, you can ask apartment managers if they have affordable housing.
Here are some resources for finding affordable housing:
- The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also has a searchable database of affordable housing organized by city, county, or zip code, type of apartment, and number of bedrooms
- Your local Independent Living Center can give you phone numbers and addresses for affordable apartment complexes in your area. They can help you fill out rental applications, and they can help you identify places that are accessible to you
This program can help you pay for an apartment. It is designed to assist people with very low incomes. With the voucher, the government pays a portion of your rent directly to the landlord.
Basics to Remember about Renting
Renting an apartment isn’t always simple. You have to find one you like and that you can afford. Then, when you get an apartment, you’ll sign a lease, which says how much money you’ll have to pay each month and what rules the landlord has. Leases are a type of rental contract and often last an entire year. It’s really important that you make sure you read everything the lease says because you may find things you disagree with. You don’t want to sign something and pay lots of rent if you’re not satisfied with the terms!
Once you’ve signed your lease, make sure you have a photocopy of it for your records. Then, you’ll have to pay a security deposit, which is money that the landlord will return to you when you move out of the apartment. If you damage anything while you live in the apartment, the landlord will use money from your security deposit to pay for repairs.
When you move in, pay your rent on time every month. Pay by check or get receipts because you want to make sure you have a record that you paid, in case there’s ever any confusion. If you have any problems with the apartment, let your landlord know immediately. It is your landlord’s job to handle basic maintenance, like making sure that the heat, water, and other important things are all in good working condition.
Finding Roommates
You may be able to save money on rent by finding people you would feel comfortable sharing an apartment with. If you do this, make sure you have a written agreement with the other people you rent your apartment with, showing how much each person will pay for rent and whether you will share the expenses for utilities, like electricity, water, cable, and internet.
Is my landlord required to make my apartment accessible?
No. Your landlord is not required to put in a ramp, a visual doorbell, or any other modifications. Your landlord does have to allow you to make changes, as long as you agree to change things back when you move out. Click here to read more about legal issues related to being a renter with a disability.
What happens if I can’t pay the rent?
Before you move into an apartment, make sure that you will be able to pay the rent on time every month. If something happens, like you lose your job and can’t pay the rent, call your local independent living center or local fair housing agency to see if you can get one-time assistance, and make a plan to get the rent paid the next month. If you don’t pay your rent, your landlord can evict you and force you to leave the apartment.
What if my landlord won’t make repairs?
Your landlord is required to keep the basics working: hot and cold running water, heat, and electricity. If you request a repair and nothing happens, write a letter to your landlord and keep a copy for yourself. If still nothing happens, go to your local fair housing agency or independent living center. They can help you take action to make sure your landlord gets things fixed.
Can I be discriminated against because of my disability?
- No. The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to discriminate in any type of housing-related transaction on the basis of race, sex, religion, national origin, color, if you have children under the age of 18, or if you are disabled.
Transportation
Being able to get around is an important part of being independent. If you can drive and have a car, that’s one good option for getting around. If you can’t or don’t want to drive, there are other options.
One option is to get rides with friends, family members, or co-workers. For example, if you have a job, you could arrange to carpool to work every day. Another option is to use public transportation. If you’re a bit nervous or unsure about how to use public transportation or are worried about how to pay for it, agencies that provide vocational rehabilitation or other job placement services can help you with a public transportation pass and training on how to use public transportation.
Another option is Paratransit. Paratransit offers door-to-door transportation services to individuals with disabilities.
The decisions listed on this worksheet are topics discussed in this article. If you aren't sure about some of them, that's okay. This article and the resources it lists can help.
After high school, I plan to live:
- In an apartment
- With roommates
- College dorm
- Group home
- House
- With parents
I will need a personal care attendant to live independently.
- Yes
- No
What will I need my personal care attendant to assist me with:
- Dressing
- Bathing
- Grooming
- Cooking
I know how to find, hire, and manage a personal care attendant.
- Yes
- No
I can drive and have a car.
- Yes
- No
If I cannot or do not want to drive, I plan to get around using:
- Paratransit
- Bus
- Parents
- Bicycle
- Walk
I know how to find accessible, affordable housing in my area.
- Yes
- No
I know how to obtain a disabled transportation pass or sign up for Paratransit.
- Yes
- No
I know where my local independent living center is and plan to stop by.
- Yes
- No
I know someone with a similar disability who I can go to for advice.
- Yes
- No
To print this worksheet, click here.
You can also talk to your parents, a peer counselor, or another person you trust and see what they think. While you are the key person in directing your independent life, it's always good to get advice from people you trust.
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Exploring Your Options
As you begin to understand yourself better and start taking care of all of these new responsibilities that come with adulthood, you also have to start thinking about how to develop a career. Here we’ll briefly introduce a few options and refer you to other articles on DB101 that explore them in greater detail. There is also a brief introduction to how work or school can impact disability benefits.
Higher Education
Once you’ve finished high school, education goes from being something that is required of you to being something that you have to desire and work for. There are great aspects of higher education, like the joy of learning, making new friends, and more work opportunities once you graduate.
Set Goals
There are many options for continuing your education after high school, including community colleges, technical schools, four-year colleges and universities, and graduate schools. Think about why you want to continue going to school because that can help you figure out what type of education to do. For example, if you know what type of work you’d like to do when you finish school, you will have an easier time to figure out what type of school you should attend.
Develop a Plan
Once you know what your goal is for the future, you can learn what you need to do right now in order to make that goal become a reality. For example, if you know that you would like to become a veterinary technician, you can go to a technical school and get training. Likewise, if you know that you want to become a teacher, you’ll have to go to college.
Once you have thought about what sort of school you’d like to go to, you’ll also need to prepare yourself for the entire application process, including writing essays, doing interviews, and submitting other paperwork. However, figuring out what type of education you want to get and applying isn’t all you have to plan for. You also need to think about what each educational choice costs and what strategies exist in order to help you be able to pay for school.
Read DB101's complete article about Getting a Higher Education. It will help you decide whether you want to get more education and what types of education to consider. If you have been accepted into a school or are already attending one, the school also has information about how to pay for your education and the legal rights you have.
Work
Many people with disabilities have meaningful jobs that they enjoy and are successful at doing. You too can get a job.With the right training, preparation, and workplace accommodations, you can have a successful career that will let you earn your own money and give you independence from public benefits. A job will also help you meet new people and make new friends.
Set Goals
As you think about getting a job, try to set a long-term goal. Your goal should be a career that will help you make money, that you can do well, and that you'll find satisfying. Most people don't start off with a job that meets all of these standards, but by having a long-term goal in mind, you can figure out what steps you need to take right now to eventually get there.
Develop a Plan
Before you reach your long-term goal, you will have to get training and gain experience. You will also probably have several jobs. You will need to make a plan that ensures that you get the training and experience you need and helps you advance in your career.
You’ll have to start by getting a lower-level job. However, even getting an entry-level job is not easy. It requires a lot of preparation and work. You need to think about what sort of job will give you the experience you need, pay you enough to cover your expenses, and that you are qualified to do. You’ll also have to figure out if (or how) it will impact your benefits.
Then, once you’ve found some jobs that interest you, you have to apply for them. You’ll need to have a resume, practice interviewing skills, and more. And, once you get a job, you have to make sure it goes well.
Read DB101's complete article about Finding a Job. It includes information that can help you decide what type of work you might like, how to get training, and how to find a job. It also has information about important issues once you get a job, including how to conduct yourself at work, get accommodations, find programs that provide support, and know your right to be treated equally.
Other options
Not everybody wants to immediately get a job or continue with higher education. Volunteering and joining the armed forces are a couple of options you may wish to consider.
Volunteering
If you volunteer at an organization, it basically means that you work there, but aren't paid for your work. There are some really good reasons to volunteer: it helps you get experience, you meet new people, you do something that is good for society, and you may be able to arrange a flexible schedule. There's more information about volunteering and how to find it in DB101's article about how young people can find jobs.
Military
Another option for young people is joining the military. For some people this is a good option; it can help you pay for your education and gives you the satisfaction of performing a public duty. However, joining the military can be a difficult option for many people with disabilities. Some disabilities can disqualify you from serving in the Armed Forces. For other disabilities, like learning disabilities, you will not be allowed accommodations during exams. This may result in you not being placed in a position that matches your skills. If you are interested in joining the military, click here to read about the enlistment process, including eligibility, reasons to join, and the physical examination.
Understand Your Benefits
It’s important that you know what benefits you are currently getting and what they really provide. If your parents or others have managed your benefits in the past, talk with them and learn more about your benefits and how they help you.
Develop a Plan
Once you know what benefits you are getting, you can start to examine how they will change if you get a job or go to school. Depending on your situation, your benefits may go down, or even go up. Your benefits could also change as you get older.
If you already have a lot of information about the benefits you get and the amount of money you might make if you get a job, you can try DB101’s School and Work Estimator. This tool, designed for young people with disabilities, takes all of the information you input and produces an estimate of what benefits you will qualify for after you get a job, get older, or go to school.
Read DB101's complete article about Benefits for Young People. It includes clear descriptions of the most common public benefits that young people get and how they change as you get older. It explains Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a very important cash assistance program. It also explains several different types of health coverage, including Medi-Cal, Working Disabled Program (WDP), individual health coverage, and private health coverage. It also tells about different incentives that can help you go to school or get a job without losing these benefits.