With or without a disability, everyone wants to work in a competitive and integrated environment. For some to achieve this milestone, it can seem impossible.
People with disabilities can face expenses for help with daily living tasks like showering, dressing, using the bathroom and related necessities of $40,000 per year or more.
With the COVID pandemic, the reasonable and appropriate goal of employment is even harder to achieve for persons with disabilities.
In 2002, the Florida Legislature had the vision and courage to include persons with disabilities in its workforce plans through the James Patrick Memorial Work Incentive Personal Attendant Services and Employment Assistance Program, known as JP-PAS.
The simple goal was to mitigate the barrier of personal care costs for Floridians with disabilities by rewarding the choice of work.