c/california-disability

Finally got my wheelchair ramp approved after 11 months of waiting

The county kept saying they lost my paperwork three times. I had to go in person to the office in San Jose and sit there for 4 hours until someone found it in a pile on their desk. The ramp was installed last Tuesday and it actually works well. Has anyone else had to physically camp out at a government office to get things moving?

Used to haul my wheelchair ramp in the truck bed, now I keep it mounted full time

I used to take my portable ramp down every night and stash it in the garage (back in Fresno). But after I slipped on wet pavement last December trying to load it by myself, I switched to a foldable ramp that stays bolted to my van's hitch. It takes me maybe 30 seconds to deploy now instead of wrestling with it for 5 minutes. Has anyone else found a setup that cut down your daily loading time?

Stuck waiting 8 months for my California disability hearing after the Lakewood office lost my paperwork

I applied for disability back in February after I had to quit my warehouse job due to chronic back issues. They sent me to a doctor in Torrance in April who said I could do light work, which I thought was total nonsense. Then last month I got a letter saying my initial claim was denied because of some missing medical records from my chiropractor. I called the Lakewood office three times and nobody could tell me where those records went. Finally in July they found them in a stack on someone's desk. Now I'm looking at a hearing date in October and I'm running out of savings. Has anyone else had their paperwork just vanish like that and have to start over?

Hot take: I was wrong about needing a wheelchair on flights

Tbh I spent years insisting I had to gate check my chair because I thought the aisle chairs were degrading and unsafe. Then last March at LAX, a Southwest agent talked me into trying their aisle chair to get to my seat. I realized I had been making things harder on myself and the airline staff by fighting it. My chair got handled way worse when I gate checked it, and the aisle chair took five minutes tops. I also found out you can request aisle chair assistance when booking, which I never knew. Has anyone else had a moment where they changed their mind about a disability access thing like this?

Question about SDI vs paid family leave - which one actually paid out faster?

I applied for both SDI and PFL back in March after my surgery in San Diego. SDI took almost 4 weeks to process and I had to call them twice. PFL got approved in like 10 days and the money hit my account faster too. But PFL only covers 8 weeks while SDI went for 12. Anyone else choose one over the other based on timing vs. how long you get paid?

Blew $250 on a 'smart' wheelchair lift adapter that barely works on my van

Warning: my SDI disability payments got held up because of a missing doctor's signature on page 4

Applied for California SDI back in March after my back gave out cleaning a house in Santa Rosa. Waited 5 weeks, called EDD, they said the doctor's office never filled out page 4 of the claim form. I thought the doctor submitted everything electronically. Had to call my doctor's office 3 times before they fixed it. Got the payment another 2 weeks later. Anyone else have this page 4 issue?

Found a trick to get SSA to process my medical records faster after 8 months of waiting

I was stuck waiting for disability approval for 8 months because my doctor's office kept sending incomplete files to SSA in Sacramento. I finally tried having my doctor mail the records directly to my local field office with a cover letter flagging specific functional limitations. Has anyone else had success by skipping the main processing center and going local?

People keep mixing up SSI and SDI benefits

I see it all the time in here and on other forums. SSI is for people with very low income and assets, it's federal money for basic needs. SDI is California's state program that pays you when you can't work because of illness or injury, it comes from your own paycheck deductions. A guy in my building last year tried to apply for SSI after a car accident and got denied because he owned a car worth over $2000. He should have been on SDI instead but he didn't know the difference. The forms look similar and the names are one letter apart. Anyone else get frustrated explaining this over and over?

Bought a $400 specialized wheelchair ramp last month

Turned out it was way too steep for my house's porch. Had to return it and pay $150 in restocking fees. Anyone else have trouble finding a ramp that actually fits their doorway?

Why nobody tells you about the free parking placard for invisible disabilities

I spent 6 months struggling with my chronic pain just to walk from the parking lot into Target until a friend told me I could get a CA disabled placard without a wheelchair. Has anyone else here gotten one for a condition that isn't obvious to other people?

Found a trick for getting faster replies from SSA on my denied claim

After waiting 8 weeks with no update, I tried faxing my reconsideration request instead of mailing it and got a response in 3 days - has anyone else had better luck with fax over snail mail for California disability stuff?

Went to the Grove in LA and noticed the ramps were all wrong

I was at The Grove last weekend grabbing coffee, and I saw a guy in a wheelchair trying to get up one of the curb ramps near the fountains. That ramp had a lip at the bottom about 2 inches high, so his front wheels just banged into it. He had to back up and take a running start just to get over it. I used to do ADA compliance checks for my old job 10 years ago, and stuff like this was supposed to be fixed back then. Has anyone else noticed how many older shopping centers in California still have ramps that don't meet code?

Found a hidden accessible trail at Muir Woods yesterday

I’ve been to Muir Woods a few times but never noticed the Hillside Trail before. It’s a paved path that loops around the main area and has way less crowds. Plus it’s actually wheelchair friendly with gentle slopes and good railings. I only saw like 3 other people on it in 45 minutes. The main boardwalk gets packed by 10am but this trail was empty. Has anyone else found quieter spots like this at state parks?

Got denied by SDI twice until I called the EDD office in San Jose directly

I kept filing my claim online and getting rejected for missing paperwork they never told me about. After the second denial I drove to the San Jose EDD office on E. Brokaw Road and waited 45 minutes to talk to someone in person. Turns out my doctor had left out the estimated recovery date on the certification form. Has anyone else had better luck going to a physical office than dealing with the phone lines?

Wasted $450 on a 'disability housing advocate' who just read me the internet

I paid this woman in Orange County $450 over two months to help me find Section 8 and affordable housing options. Turns out all she did was copy paste links from the HUD website and some county PDFs. I could have done that myself in an afternoon. Has anyone else dealt with these so-called advocates that charge money but don't actually know anything more than what's public?

Applied for disability online vs going in person - huge difference in response time

I used to always go to the local SSA office in Fresno to handle everything face to face. Would wait hours, bring stacks of papers, and still get told I was missing something. Last January I finally tried applying for my SSDI claim completely through the online portal instead. It took me about 45 minutes to fill everything out and upload my medical records from my doctor's office. Got a confirmation email within 3 days which was way faster than the 2 week wait I had in person. The only catch was I had to scan all my documents myself and figure out the file size limits. Has anyone else had better luck with the online system compared to walking into the office?

That one Wednesday last month when everything actually worked out

Had a day two weeks ago where I got approved for IHSS after waiting 8 months, my SSDI check showed up a day early, and the bus driver let me ride for free when my tap card wouldn't scan. Three good things in one day never happens when you're on disability. Made me suspicious honestly. Anyone else have a day where the system accidentally worked?

Fought with SSA online portal for 3 hours then called the field office and got it done in 10 minutes

I've been trying to update my work activity report on the SSA website for like two weeks now. The portal kept timing out or giving me some vague error about my session. Yesterday I finally gave up and called the San Diego field office direct. The lady on the phone was super nice, asked me maybe 5 questions and it was done. I mean I get that they want people to do things online to save time but the website is just broken half the time. Has anyone else had way better luck just calling your local office instead of fighting with the online system?

Small victory at the Balboa Park accessible trail yesterday

I made it all the way down the accessible path near the cactus garden without needing to stop. It's only about half a mile but it's uphill on the way back and I usually give up halfway. Has anyone else found a spot in San Diego that works well for building up stamina?

Last Tuesday was the best day I've had on disability in months

I finally had a day where my chronic pain let up enough that I actually went outside and sat on my porch in Bakersfield for almost an hour. Just watched cars go by and felt the sun. It sounds dumb but after six weeks of barely leaving my bedroom, that small thing felt huge. Has anyone else had a random good day pop up out of nowhere like that?

Question about the SDI rep I talked to in Fresno

I had a call with a rep named Marie from the Fresno SDI office back in March. She told me to just keep submitting my doctor's notes even if they looked incomplete, and that the system would flag them anyway. Has anyone else gotten advice like that from a specific rep that turned out to be totally wrong?

Question about SSDI and part time work during the pandemic

I got a letter from SSA saying I earned too much last year. But it was all from a remote data entry gig I did from my apartment in Fresno. 6 months, about $1,200 a month. Now they want me to pay back $4,000. The trial work period rules seem clear but the local office says I went over the limit. Anyone else get hit with an overpayment for pandemic side work? How'd you fight it?

A case manager told me I was filling out my forms too vague

She said I needed to write down exact symptoms like 'can't stand for more than 10 minutes' instead of just 'mobility issues'. Has anyone else gotten this kind of advice and did it actually help your SSDI application?

Noticed a lack of wheelchair ramps at a new coffee shop in Fresno

I stopped by a new spot on Blackstone last Saturday. They did a nice interior remodel but the front door still has a 6 inch step with no ramp. I saw a guy in a chair have to go around back through the alley to get in. It made me wonder if ADA rules even get checked before places open for business around here. Has anyone else run into this with newer businesses in the Central Valley?