Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

“Hi, Miss Laura. Did you sign that Adobe contract?” Rene asked. My service coordinator called to see if I signed the Service Detail Report regarding my CBS SDE form for DDD, so I can get paid by PPL. 

Got that? Shall I translate that for you? 

DDD is the state agency that distributes federal funds to individuals with a documented disability. After I spent over two years filling out paperwork for the federal government and DDD proving that my son does have autism and epilepsy, then the government passed the rest of the job — determining where all that money should go, creating disability programs, and distributing the money — onto private vendors. 

Rene’s private company manages the paperwork. Some of my son’s money goes to me, as a private contractor who supports my son. A little goes to a private computer training company that teaches him how to program in C++. He’s on a waitlist to get funding for housing, which he could spend at one of two local housing programs that support low needs adults. 

The privatization of government is happening. It’s happening across sectors, especially in two sectors that I know well — education and disability services. It is happening because the government services simply cannot manage the current level of demand for services. Small businesses and non-profits, more nimble and specialized, have stepped in fill that void. As a recipient of these services, I’m excited to see what entrepreneurs can develop.

Read more at Apt. 11D, the newsletter