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Why Quadriplegics - Beliefs
- Encourage And Empower All To Contribute Their Talents To The Best Of Their Abilities.
- A Community Is Strengthened By Each Member's Contributions.
- Inclusive Communities Are Strong Communities
We Empower Quadriplegics to be Inspiring Catalysts for Inclusion in their Communities.
Why we Design for Quadriplegics
Almost everything designed for humans assumes finger dexterity. Five fingers is core to what differentiates humans from other species.
The products and services often packaged as technology a society produces are defined by how they will be used, and who will be using them filtered by culture.
Unfortunately, this leaves behind all who do not have use of their hands and arms: Quadriplegics regardless of the cause of impairment. SCI, ALS, MD, SMA, MS, CP, TBI, amputees, hemiplegic and brain stem stroke.
Ultimately we serve the public and all of society. We decided we could have the greatest impact on creating inclusive communities and improving the lives of people of All disabilities including the elderly by designing for those who feel like they do not fit in their communities. Quadriplegics are the most limited physically, yet have full cognitive faculties. Quadriplegics as a group are restricted and penalized from economic participation in their communities by Medicaid policies in their need for personal care.
Yet as a group, quadriplegics hold the greatest potential to significantly impact their communities by empowering them to contribute their talents by providing solutions that overcome the lack of hand and figured dexterity and provide a mental shift from programmed vulnerable dependency to confident proactive self-determination. They become inspiring heroes with imagined capes to disabled children, and leaders of inclusion through example. Ironically those are easy to solve relative to overcoming poorly planned, counterproductive, exclusionary, and unfairly punitive Medicaid policies.
The solution is intuitively simple: separate LTC Long Term Care for ALL both in qualification and management from Medicaid health insurance for emergencies, accidents, and sickness. In this way,, an employed person could still have health insurance through the Marketplace or Medicare and still receive the assistance they need to get out of bed with LTC Long-term Care without needing to qualify for Medicaid.
We believe in Equal Right to Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness. We Believe in the Power of Will and Perspective
We stand firmly against the notion that quadriplegics should live under the constant threat of institutionalization merely due to mobility impairment. This unjust situation robs individuals of their core rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—principles deeply woven into the fabric of American values.
"The Pursuit of Happiness" implies equal opportunities for all, irrespective of factors like sex, religion, or disability. Despite life's inherent unfairness, we emphasize that the law must strive for fairness and equality, particularly for those facing disabilities.
Communities thrive when they value the diverse contributions of each member. Whether it's the energy of youth, the wisdom of experience, the thoughtfulness of the immobile, or the strength of the physically vibrant, every individual brings unique strengths. Disregarding the talents of quadriplegics by focusing solely on physical abilities devalues and dehumanizes, perpetuating the misconception that physical labor holds greater value than intellectual contributions.
Feeling devalued or removed from a community can strip any person of their dignity and humanity, impacting them emotionally and often physically. Existence is not living; true living involves much more than breathing and a heartbeat. Large corporate facilities, marketed as "Nursing Homes," function as warehouses that exclude and isolate the physically or mentally impaired. Thus, it is essential to foster inclusive communities where each member's contributions strengthen the whole. At Inclusive Inc., we passionately advocate for inclusion, encouraging all to subscribe, add their voice, and empower everyone to contribute their talents to the best of their abilities. Active community engagement not only enhances individual well-being but also contributes to lower healthcare costs, underlining the importance of a society that actively involves and values all its members.
We Hold these Truths to be Self-Evident
Life = Equal Under the Law
- Removal of ridiculous restrictions on economic self-improvement
- Simple Taxation = Fair Taxation
- Need amendment that no law may identify any person or group by race, creed, sex, age, economic status, geography, affiliation, party nor any other categorization.
Liberty = Freedom to choose where one lives = community Integration, assessments, life coaching, & project implementation
- Hold State and Federal Governments Accountable to Full Implementation of the Supreme Court Olmstead Decision from 15 years ago that says funds that would be available for someone to be in an institution need to be made available for that person to reside and participate fully within their community.
Pursuit of Happiness = Economic Opportunity Family/Relationships, Recreation, & Travel
- Change perspective from vulnerable dependency to confident self-determination. Inspire, Motivate, and Educate
- Freedom to love and be loved by whomever we choose.
- Community engagement, NOT isolation
- Freedom to love and be loved by whomever we choose.
Medicaid: Your 'Choice' as a Quadriplegic
Quadriplegics experience the greatest loss of Independence since most cannot bathe, dress, or transfer themselves from bed to wheelchair without assistance.
This dependency on help with daily personal care to survive requires ability to pay $40,000 to $120,000/year, every year, AFTER all other living costs and taxes. OR 'choose' to qualify for Medicaid in one of the following two ways:
Care at Home with self-imposed Impoverishment
To qualify for Medicaid assistance with personal care at home, you must spend your savings immediately and have less than $2,000 with no assets. Gifting is not allowed. If you don't act, you risk being placed in a nursing home where your savings will be liquidated. Declaring disability with Social Security takes over 6 months, likely starting in the wrong office. Assistance, once approved, involves minimum wage workers providing 2 to 4-hour shifts, often with quasi-on-call expectations, but it's preferable to nursing home care.
Nursing Home Incarceration with a Life Sentence
If you end up in a nursing home to qualify for Medicaid, it's like being incarcerated. With only $50-$100 monthly, you lose control over your daily life, from meals to bedtime. The nursing home decides everything, even providing the cheapest, not necessarily appropriate, wheelchair. This confinement often means being bedridden and reliant on others for basic tasks. Unfortunately, a quadriplegic in a nursing home is seen as a long-term source of income, emphasizing the stark comparison to prison incarceration.
Bonus Restrictions that come with Medicaid
- You are now ONLY a citizen of the state you receive Medicaid. Despite having committed no crime, you forfeited your constitutional right under the Liberty's Clause of Article 4 the US Constitution to move freely amongst the states.
- Legally, a quadriplegic on Medicaid is free to leave the state, but should you dare, you will be punished with more restrictions than child support debtors who may only lose access to their international passport, which has been highly contested in the Supreme Court but no one questions unjustified punishment of persons dependent on a wheelchair or caregiver.
- Your caregiver is officially not allowed to travel with you out of state
- If you leave your state your wheelchair will not be repaired until you return even if you're durable medical equipment supplier has offices in the state you visit.
- You will not be able to get medical supplies shipped to you even if they are normally shipped to you.
- Any employee of DHS or a County Health Department has the power to ruin your life based on their personal opinion. Without judgment, due process, and zero accountability, (you do not have the right to even know their name) can harass you through a request for sheriffs investigation.
- Despite being a legal tax paying and voting citizen and resident of your state, and despite being protected by a federal law that says you can be out of state for more than 30 days for 14 protected reasons such a studying at University or caring for a family member, there is a high likelihood your state will cut off your access to health insurance as a penalty for being out of state. Unless you can pay cash up front (in which case you wouldn't qualify for Medicaid) good luck finding a lawyer to fight your state's DHS for violating federal law. Meanwhile you will have no caregivers, and of course will be forced to abandon your out of state family, work, or studies.
- What about moving to another state? Maybe you have a job offer or just want to be closer to family. If you are a quadriplegic on Medicaid you will be severely penalized and restricted to the point where it will probably be nearly impossible. You must officially give up Medicaid in your state and renounce your citizenship before you can begin the process of applying in your new chosen state of residence which means you will have no caregivers, no access to durable medical equipment or repairs, no medical supplies such as catheters or medications. Your new state of residence may delay months or longer with no guarantee of acceptance or approval. Some states use exclusionary marketing such as this Florida web page to actively discourage disabled persons from considering a move to the state.
What We Do
We create Possibilities that provide Perspective to find one's unique Purpose.
How We Do It
We strategically match programs to the communities' needs.