Competitive and integrated employment is something we all aim to achieve. Many Floridians with disabilities are not able to easily participate — not because they lack skills, but due to their high cost of daily personal care needs. It can be daunting to face daily living expenses for showering, dressing, defecation and related necessities at a cost of $40,000 a year or more.
The Florida Legislature got it right by passing the “James Patrick Memorial Work Incentive Personal Attendant Services and Employment Assistance Program” in 2002. The program’s goal was to mitigate personal care costs by collecting and using a portion of delinquent sales tax dollars.