By Joni Thomas, Nebraska Department Of Health And Human Services

Ticket to Work is about choices.

Just ask any one of the 43,000 Nebraskans with disabilities who have received a "ticket" in the mail during the past year. Doors have been opened, barriers have been removed and opportunities have been made available for people to seek counsel on employment.

Some have used their ticket to find a job.

As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of Ticket to Work in Nebraska, we can say that it has been highly successful. During the past 12 months, nearly every Nebraskan eligible for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration has received a "ticket." This ticket allows people to work toward their employment goals by contacting Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation and employment services from an array of approved providers in the state.

One of the best aspects of Ticket to Work is that many agencies in Nebraska have joined together to work for the common goal of providing people with disabilities an opportunity to explore employment options.

But the most important part of Ticket to Work is that it provides choices for thousands of Nebraskans. Ticket to Work may not be right for everyone, but this program allows people with disabilities the option to seek employment without risk of possible loss of medical benefits. Under Ticket to Work, a person can earn a wage and, in most cases, still maintain Medicaid or Medicare to help cover the growing costs of the disability related expenses. These expenses are not covered by traditional health insurance.

Many employers throughout Nebraska have hired ticket holders and people with disabilities. For these business leaders, it all boils down to ability. The segment of Nebraska's population eligible for Ticket to Work is an untapped labor pool, filled with talented people who want to earn a living and contribute to their community through a job. Lonnie Michael at InfoUSA in Omaha has seen it work. He started by hiring graduates from the Iowa School for the Deaf, and "the results were outstanding," he said. A short time later, Michael was asked to interview job seekers from Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation, and he quickly agreed.

Recently, two employees who came from Vocational Rehabilitation celebrated their five-year anniversary with InfoUSA.

"I had a need for employees, and we got good, dependable people," Michael said. "They appreciate having a good job."

Giving Nebraskans with disabilities a chance isn't just the right thing to do.

It's good business.

During the past year, more than 300 Nebraskans who received a ticket have looked into whether employment is right for them. Ticket to Work has been a success nationwide, too. Since the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act was passed in 1999, nearly 75,000 Americans with disabilities have used this incentive to explore employment opportunities. Several thousand more have contacted a government agency and looked into employment options. In all, about 1,000 tickets per week are used by people who have hopes of entering the workforce.

As we remove barriers and give people choices to determine their future, we enrich the lives of all Nebraskans.

Joni Thomas is the System Change Grant Coordinator for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services System.

(January 17, 2005)