My liaison in NAV made a remark in an e-mail today which upset me….
To take first things first:
1. Most things I do that involves verbal communication (which is pretty much everything) takes great effort, and when I get tired I need a lot of time to recuperate.
2. I have been able to make my liaison at NAV SYA (he has a hearing disability himself and seems able to symphatize in my position) understand that I need to start with one day work per week.
3. I have also been able to make my new “employer” HLF understand the same thing.
So far, so good…
This is the remark made by my NAV liaison: About one day per week is too little, and it is difficult to defend such small working percentage “to the system”. He should work 2-3 days per week. Otherwise it will be too expensive…
What the? Too expensive???? Oh, so you rather want me to lie down and do absolutely NO work? Will that be cheaper for society? THINK AGAIN!
Damned system. What does the system know about my physical and psychic condition?
My ramblings aside, I need to express what I deem is the core of the problem/solution in my case:
The politicians in Norway has stated that they are concerned about too many people live on wellfare even though they could do a little work! More people should work a little they say. Well, here I am!
In response to the Minister of labour and social inclusion in Norway; Bjarne Haakon Hansen’s often repeated statements about his concerns about people who could work a little (but who doesn’t):
and in support to Minister of Health and Care Services in Norway; Sylvia Brustad’s recognition that CI-operations are an important and an socio-economically feasible procedure that will save the Norwegian tax-payers a lot of money by getting people like me fast back to working condition.
CI-OPERATIONS is an INVESTMENT in HUMAN CAPITAL! The longer the wait for CI, the bigger the long term cost for society!
The wait for CI-operation cost money in itself. Also; the longer the wait, the longer the rehabilitation period equals even bigger costs.
Some cases take so long time that people give up, they enter a state of hopelessness they never recover from, even if they one day finally receive a CI-operation…
My political manifest:
Norway needs my skills and my work capacity! I have 10 years of IT-experience, and a lot of IT-certificates to show for. Norway SCREAMS for more IT-skilled workers today! My working capability WILL improve. Just give me time and space to adjust and find my foothold and balance in life, will you???
AND GIVE ME MY CI-OPERATION TODAY! That way I can exercise my communications skills without feeling like I commit a slow suicide. That way I can heal, recuperate and get back to normal worklife a lot faster!
Instead of being a liability to my society, I can (and want to) become an asset! But I need help, and I need it faster!!!!!! Not tomorrow! TODAY!
I want to work!
I want to be useful!
I want to remain in the workforce and use my brain.
I want to stay in there and fight for my life!
I want to contribute to the best of my abilities!
I DO NOT want to destroy my remaining health in the process!
I DO NOT want my son to have a father who is too tired to nurture him properly!
(I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to neglect my son! You hear me???)
I DO NOT want a life where I merely struggle to survive from day to day.
I DO NOT want to be subject to suspicions that I am lazy or exploiting the wellfare system. (I am part of the solution and I’m dedicated to it, are YOU?)
I was hoping to get a good nights sleep, but the de-humanizing system that results in remarks and directions like the one I described at the beginning of this posting made that a long shot… It aggravates the hell out of me, and this posting is the only way I know of to get it off my chest and into the worlds public consciousness…. Where it belongs….
And then maybe I can find sleep and rest, in order to be able to function yet another day…
Becoming Deaf in Norway 2007 