Partners in Personal Assistance
Self Determination in Action
People with disabilities find that personal assistance services are especially critical. Without them, many must live in group homes, nursing homes, or institutions. Others would be forced to live with their parents or other family. The person with a disability contracts personal assistant services (PAS) for tasks that he or she would do if it were not for the disability. The assistance can be in the home, out of the home, or at work. This gives one autonomy and freedom in choosing where to live, work or play. The person with a disability is able to become a participating member of the community and contribute to its general welfare.
Problems occur when a PA does not show up. This can strand a consumer so he or she might not be able to get out of bed or eat. Sometimes PAs do not stay on the job for long and leave for better paying jobs with benefits. The consumer faces the problem of finding another suitable PA to continue a productive life.
Health care agencies are sometimes used to obtain PAS. The PA sent out by an agency is not picked by the consumer. The aids are supervised by the agency and the consumer needs to follow the agency’s schedule. The agencies work on a for-profit basis, necessitating low pay and very poor, if any, benefits to the aids.
In Spring 1996, two people who use PAS looked into a consumer initiative to form a co-op so that people with disabilities (consumers) can hire and supervise their personal assistants. A Board of Directors was created with a representation ratio of two consumers to each PA on the Board. On September 1, 1999, PPA opened its office in the Nonprofit Enterprises at Work Center on the north side of Ann Arbor.
The main goals of the cooperative are to provide health care benefits for the PAs and have training for both PAs and consumers. The cooperative has a self-determination philosophy. The group’s chief goal is to raise PAS to a respected profession and make it a career choice for people wanting fulfilling work.
http://comnet.org/ppa
By Steve McNutt
Steve McNutt lives in Ann Arbor and is a former UCP Michigan Board member. He helped to establish PPA and serves as its data systems manager.
updated November, 2003