Click the button below to read the full article!<\/span><\/p>\n If you or somebody you know would like to be featured in “What’s the Word?” contact Jeremy at jeremy.gundlach@wisconsin.gov<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/wi-bpdd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Whats-the-Word.png” title_text=”What’s the Word” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”50%” max_width=”50%” border_color_all=”#7CDA24″ box_shadow_style=”preset3″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/wi-bpdd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Fishing-Has-No-boundaries-2026.pdf” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”What’s the Word” button_alignment=”left” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color=”#79cc8c” background_layout=”dark” hover_enabled=”0″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_toggle title=”2026 Articles” icon_color=”#f2836b” use_icon_font_size=”on” icon_font_size=”45px” open_icon_color=”#f2836b” open_use_icon_font_size=”on” open_icon_font_size=”45px” admin_label=”2023 Articles” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_color=”#f7f7f7″ link_option_url_new_window=”on” border_width_all=”0px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n January<\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”2025 Articles” icon_color=”#f2836b” use_icon_font_size=”on” icon_font_size=”45px” open_icon_color=”#f2836b” open_use_icon_font_size=”on” open_icon_font_size=”45px” admin_label=”2023 Articles” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_color=”#f7f7f7″ link_option_url_new_window=”on” border_width_all=”0px” locked=”off” 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March<\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”2022 Articles” icon_color=”#f2836b” use_icon_font_size=”on” icon_font_size=”45px” open_icon_color=”#f2836b” open_use_icon_font_size=”on” open_icon_font_size=”45px” admin_label=”2022 Articles” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#f7f7f7″ link_option_url_new_window=”on” border_width_all=”0px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n January 2022<\/a><\/p>\n February 2022<\/a> (Repost from 2018)<\/p>\n March 2022<\/a><\/p>\n April 2022<\/a><\/p>\n May 2022<\/a><\/p>\n June 2022<\/a><\/p>\n July 2022<\/a><\/p>\n October 2022<\/a><\/p>\n November 2022<\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”2021 Articles” icon_color=”#f2836b” use_icon_font_size=”on” icon_font_size=”45px” open_icon_color=”#f2836b” open_use_icon_font_size=”on” open_icon_font_size=”45px” admin_label=”2021 Articles” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#f7f7f7″ link_option_url_new_window=”on” border_width_all=”0px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n January<\/a><\/p>\n February<\/a><\/p>\n March<\/a><\/p>\n April<\/a><\/p>\n May<\/a><\/p>\n June<\/a><\/p>\n July<\/a><\/p>\n August<\/a><\/p>\n September<\/a><\/p>\n October<\/a><\/p>\n November<\/a><\/p>\n December\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”2020 Articles” icon_color=”#f2836b” use_icon_font_size=”on” icon_font_size=”45px” open_icon_color=”#f2836b” open_use_icon_font_size=”on” open_icon_font_size=”45px” admin_label=”2020 Articles” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#f7f7f7″ link_option_url_new_window=”on” border_width_all=”0px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n December<\/a><\/p>\n November<\/a><\/p>\n October<\/a><\/p>\n September<\/a><\/p>\n August 2020<\/a><\/p>\n July 2020<\/a><\/p>\n June 2020<\/a><\/p>\n May 2020<\/a><\/p>\n April 2020<\/a><\/p>\n March 2020<\/a><\/p>\n February 2020<\/a><\/p>\n January 2020<\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”2019 Articles” icon_color=”#f2836b” use_icon_font_size=”on” icon_font_size=”45px” open_icon_color=”#f2836b” open_use_icon_font_size=”on” open_icon_font_size=”45px” admin_label=”2019 Articles” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#f7f7f7″ link_option_url_new_window=”on” border_width_all=”0px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n December 2019<\/a><\/p>\n November 2019<\/a><\/p>\n October 2019<\/a><\/p>\n September 2019<\/a><\/p>\n August 2019<\/a><\/p>\n July 2019<\/a><\/p>\n June 2019<\/a><\/p>\n May 2019<\/a><\/p>\n April 2019<\/a><\/p>\n March 2019<\/a><\/p>\n February 2019<\/a><\/p>\n January 2019<\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”2018 Articles” icon_color=”#f2836b” use_icon_font_size=”on” icon_font_size=”45px” open_icon_color=”#f2836b” open_use_icon_font_size=”on” open_icon_font_size=”45px” admin_label=”2018 Articles” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#f7f7f7″ link_option_url_new_window=”on” border_width_all=”0px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n December 2018<\/a><\/p>\n November 2018<\/a><\/p>\n October 2018<\/a><\/p>\n September 2018<\/a><\/p>\n August 2018<\/a><\/p>\n July 2018<\/a><\/p>\n June 2018<\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cWhat\u2019s the Word?\u201d is an opportunity to hear directly from self-advocates about what\u2019s important to them. This month\u2019s article features Don Posh, an Independent Living Specialist for indiGO. As spring […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" September- Andy Thain<\/strong><\/p> Some tips from a person with a disability about finding work or becoming more involved in your community<\/em><\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Employment for a person with a disability is an admirable goal. Moving from a goal to an actual sustainable employment situation can be hard. Whether you\u2019re a go-getter that wants to do everything yourself or you like the idea of having a paycheck but just don\u2019t have any idea where to start. I can relate to the uncertainty and the anxiety that a job search creates when you have a disability. You will probably fail a lot and not find the right job right away. You\u2019re going to have to overcome things like transportation challenges, caregiver challenges, maybe family and friends say that you can\u2019t work or don\u2019t need to. But if you have a desire to work, I want to encourage you to try. You might be concerned about losses of benefits or reduction of benefits. And while everyone\u2019s situation is going to be different, there are programs, (such as MAPP or Trial Work Period) available that allow you to try work while minimizing the risk of losing benefits.\u00a0 You can also check with your Aging and Disability Resource Center about benefits counseling, if losing your benefits is concerning to you.<\/p> I\u2019m certainly not going to judge you if you choose not to work but you probably have a contribution you can make somewhere, and somebody might be willing to pay you for it. Maybe you could volunteer at a nonprofit. The more involved in your community you are the more fulfilling your life will likely be. Think outside the box. Consider the things you\u2019re good at and how that might apply to a job. Consider the things you\u2019re bad at and how that might preclude you from doing things. For me transportation is always a huge barrier. Also right out of college I decided I was going to try to sell insurance door-to-door. I couldn\u2019t figure out why I bombed the interview until I was in the van on my way home. It was at that point that I realized the interviewer was aware that most of the homes I would visit were not wheelchair accessible. I was young and I did not consider what would not work. I just graduated from Marquette and was convinced I could do everything and anything. This is not the case. But I have always been able to find something to ensure I had something to do and had enough money to feed both me and my dog.<\/p> When looking for work it\u2019s important to consider who you know. I got my current job because my best friend from fourth grade works at a company that needed a bookkeeper that knew their way around QuickBooks. I wasn\u2019t looking for a job at the time, but I needed something to do. I was very clear with my new boss about where I needed help and where I could work independently.\u00a0 We had to tweak some processes in order to make things fit. I realize most of you are not going to have work fall in your lap like I did. You will probably have to try and fail many times before you successfully land an opportunity to contribute. I will leave you with these three simple tips to help you get started:<\/p> Archive<\/strong><\/p> June 2018<\/a><\/p> July 2018<\/a><\/p> August 2018<\/a><\/p> September 2018<\/a><\/p> October 2018<\/a><\/p> November 2018<\/a><\/p> December 2018<\/a><\/p> January 2019<\/a><\/p> February 2019<\/a><\/p> March 2019<\/a><\/p> April 2019<\/a><\/p>![\"Andy](\"https:\/\/wi-bpdd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/DSC09427-300x200.jpg\" "\\"Robert")
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