The process of Section 8 Housing recertification can be a daunting task for anyone, but it presents a unique set of challenges for individuals like myself who are blind or visually impaired. It’s a time that requires organization, patience, and often, a helping hand. Yet, it’s also a moment that underscores a deeper issue: the need for society to recognize and value the contributions of all its members, regardless of their physical abilities.
For those facing the recertification process, it’s not just about securing housing. It’s about maintaining a sense of independence and dignity.
The paperwork, the inspections, and the communication with housing authorities all demand attention to detail and accessibility. While they say there are resources available designed to assist individuals who are blind or visually impaired through this process, the last-minute requests for information often force me to get rather creative in aquiring the assistance I need with reading and submitting necessary documents to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Housing Program Field Office in Rockaway NJ. While the Housing Program field office in Rockaway NJ has been very good about working with me remotely over the years despite my limitations in the areas of reading and transportation options here ins Sussex County New Jersey, “I find the entire process rather unnerving at times!”
But beyond the logistics, there’s a poignant conversation to be had about the societal perception of value. Why is it that blind individuals have to prove their worth beyond what any “normal” person would be required to with regard to talents, perspectives, and experiences. Those of us who are visually impaired are invaluable assets that enrich our communities, too. In our Woke society, every person has something to contribute, “Right?”
If Major corporations and private citizens alike really believe our collective diversity is a strength and not a weakness, “Why not demonstrate that beyond words?” So… Yeah… Practicalities of housing recertification aside… Why not cut the crap and commit to a shift in societal attitudes.
This way “normal people” don’t have to bitch about people like me who are living on Section 8 and what a waste of federal tax dollars we are. And… Let’s be honest. A world where the value of an individual is not measured by their physical capabilities but by their character, their actions, and their impact on the world around them is only possible if mainstream society stops talking and starts doing on their end. After all, without action Words are just words and talk is cheap. “Blind lives matter, too!”
As for me, I will have managed once again to pull another Rabit out of my ass and have the paperwork completed and in the hands of the Rockaway field office by the required date of Wednesday, April 17th. I will have done this despite the fact that I only pulled the envelope (carrying a post mark of April 9) out of my mailbox on the evening of Thursday, April 11.
It’s not much time to get everything together, let alone make arrangements for the necessary assistance I need with this stuff. But it will be so.
I didn’t ask for this life. Nor do I want it. But… In a society where people talk about change but seldom do… Um… Yeah… There are only so many hoops a blind person can jump through before they reach the point of saying, “Enough is enough!”
So… While I don’t like recertifying for Section 8 and other forms of assistance… My days of feeling guilty about it are through. The stress it generates every year sucks. I don’t need to add to it by giving a shit about what my family and a large number of other people think about it because, quite frankly, their line of thinking towards me hasn’t done me any favors. Generally, unless something is wanted from me, “There is rarely any reasonable accommodation there!”
So… At the end of the day, I just can’t worry about it. I do what I need to do in order to protect myself from the personal and professional bottom feeders out there while staying afloat financially. Given the reality of living in this society and the options it leaves me with, “This is the best I can do!”