The After Effect
At 28 years old, becoming a paraplegic was the furthest thing from my mind. Since I was young and healthy, I never really considered if something traumatic happened to me and if I survived what financial plans I would have in place. I had life insurance because I’m a responsible parent if I were to die. At a young age, you don’t think about the "what ifs" and tend to live more in the now. Now, add growing up in the inner city of Kansas City, MO, and not being taught financial literacy or the art of saving in school. I would see my Grandmother save, and my Dad would talk to me about saving. But no one ever showed me how or taught me the why.
If you have read any of my blogs before, you know that I like to add facts to back up my talking, while writing in this instance. So here we go. According to the lovely Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, 19% of all SCIs have been paraplegia incomplete since 2010. Of course, that’s the year I graduated high school, which puts much into perspective. But anyway, the 1st year cost for a paraplegic (incomplete) person is a whopping $567,011 and $75,112 each subsequent year.
In my first year after my injury, I made a little over $16k. So let that sink in. An estimated lifetime cost for a paraplegic person 25 years old is $2,524,270, while a 50-year-old cost will be $1,656,602. The average person isn’t a millionaire, yet it takes millions of dollars to care for a person who is now disabled. Why is it the cost of living is more for someone whose means of making a decent income to survive is now hindered due to the fact of them being disabled or becoming disabled?
Out of all SCI, 24.2% are African Americans and 19.7% are incomplete paraplegics, followed by 14.3% is caused by violence. If you have an SCI and are from the inner city, your access to education, equipment, and housing is very limited to none. With a spinal cord injury, we will have more long-term expenses. Like mental health issues related to injury, long-term health issues, home modification or even an ADA home, and additional equipment such as a wheelchair-accessible van or the wheelchair itself. Now, how do you survive with the bare necessity of the income you have now? Honestly, if it wasn’t for my Aunt stepping in and helping me manage my finances, I probably would have lost everything. Not everyone has family, or someone they can trust that can come in and help like that. Even though I came from being such an independent person who doesn’t like asking for help, I felt like I was a burden.
Join Our Movement
What started as an idea has become a national movement. With your support, we can influence policy and inspire lasting change.
Become an Advocate
After each injury, before each discharge from a hospital or rehab facility, a financial class that teaches the basics of post-injury finances and how to survive your now more expensive world should be taught. Once you are injured, the last thing you are thinking about is your finances and, more so, that now you cannot walk anymore. For someone to step in and step up and help you in a way that you will benefit from not only now but in the future.
Personally, I believe that financial literacy is one of the most important survival skills that need to be taught, not only for disabled people but everyone in this day and age. My only question really is, how can you get accessible housing or even owing your own home now that you’re disabled and your income has decreased? An affordable home, not a home in a decent area. I believe we owe it to the next generation, like the generation before us.