The Financial Health of People With Disabilities: Simone’s Story

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Simone’s Story

The Hidden Costs of an ‘Invisible’ Disability

Unexpected expenses often mean stretched budgets for disabled people. As part of our in-depth report on the financial health of people with disabilities, 21-year-old Simone shares her experience.

For an Ambitious College Student, the Costs of Care Add Up

Making ends meet as a college student is hard enough. For Simone, who was diagnosed with severe hearing loss at the age of four, the costs of managing her condition make budgeting especially tricky. Expenses like audiologist visits, professional ear wax cleaning, and even hearing aid batteries quickly add up for the Florida-based college senior – and typically aren’t covered by health insurance.

“Whether it’s Medicaid or the highest private insurance you can think of, nothing covers hearing aids. I’m under my parents’ insurance right now, and I can be under my parents’ until I’m 25. I’m only 21. I haven’t really figured out what I’m gonna do after I get kicked off of their health insurance.”

Simone sitting at her desk at home holding a pen next to her laptop and a vase of flowers, smiling slightly at the camera.

For the straight-A student, being deaf has meant working even harder to find scholarships and paid internships to cover her daily living costs. As Simone prepares to graduate, she’s looking forward to pursuing a master’s degree in public affairs and eventually earning a full-time income.

With the help of hearing aids and other medical support, Simone’s disability sometimes goes unnoticed by others. As a result, she recognizes that the “invisible” nature of her disability has sometimes helped her sidestep barriers faced by others with disabilities. A passionate advocate for disability rights at her school, Simone dreams of ultimately driving changes at the policy level that will support the entire disability community.

Simone sitting at her desk next to a vase of flowers, looking at the laptop and writing with a pen and notepad

“The experience I have being on the front lines and working with people has taught me a lot in terms of what is needed in the community. So I want to go to graduate school… and be more on that higher level, where I can advocate for people and create bigger changes.”

Research

The Financial Health of People with Disabilities

This personal finhealth story is a part of our latest research report on the financial health of people living with disabilities. Immerse yourself in the key findings, obstacles, and opportunities that exist in this nearly universal experience.

Read the Report

See Jonathan's Story

For Jonathan, going blind as an adult brought drastic changes to his professional and personal life. Here, he shares his story as part of our in-depth report on the financial health of people with disabilities.

See Melanie's Story

What does it feel like to navigate a bank branch as a disabled person? Melanie opens up about her experience and shares lessons for the industry as part of our in-depth report on the financial health of people with disabilities.

Acknowledgments

This report was developed with support from Principal Foundation and in partnership with the National Disability Institute and The Harkin Institute.

Photography Credit: Angela Clifton Photography