Retinitis Pigmentosa Support Group

That's funny, Matt. Stay single and a non-father as long as possible. You are young so have fun and get your life to where you want it.

Congrats!!!

Karen

My thoughts exactly Ktesson! Or at least close, right.

Hello all. I am new to this site but RP is not new for me. I, and my whole family, were diagnosed years ago. My progression has been the slowest of our family, but has just progressed to the point that I have less than 20 degrees of peripheral vision remaining. My doctor wrote a letter stating that I am legally blind and significantly disabled at ths point. I have spoken with my HR department about filing for disability through work, we have company paid short and long term disability which should bridge the gap while waiting for SSDI benefits. However, my HR rep has made it clear that she does not feel my condition makes me eligible for their disability plan (MetLife). I have explained to her the danger and risk of driving for myself and others, as well as incidents/injuries at work that I have not even claimed as work related because I knew they were from my RP. My central vision is correctable to near 20/20 so it is true that if I can get to work, then I am capable of doing this job. To add to the problem, my company has announced that they are relocating our office to another state and we will be laid off soon. I had my diagnosis prior to this announcement so it is not as if I am trying to take advantage of the company. But they are implying that they think I am. Does anyone have any advice on how to handle the disability claim with my employer? My husband said we will hire an attorney if needed. I have already filed with SSA because I called and explained my disability and was told by them to go ahead and file right away. My employer says that just because I might be approved for SSDI doesn't automatically mean that my work disability will be approved. Help!

Wow, I certainly don't have any answers to your dilemna but I did want to welcome you to the group. I hope you find the help you need. Sounds to me like a lawyer just might be necessary. Good Luck! Keep us posted!

OK, this hit a big red button located squarely between my eyes. You might detect a little anger on my part, expressed not at you, but on your behalf. There is risk in what I'm about to say, but there is risk already. Don't take my word for this if it makes you nervous. I'm not an attorney. I don't play one on TV. I did not sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night. See step one.

1) Hire an attorney, or at least have one selected.

2) This is not a decision of your HR rep. Their job is to supply you with paperwork, period. This is not a negotiation. Document that you had your initial conversation about disability before the announcement. Document that your initial letter from your physician predates the announcement. Document that you were advised by HR to stay at work against medical advice, i.e., after being advised that injuries and accidents were caused by being legally blind. DOCUMENT!

3) Make a list of things that cause you problems and side effects like headaches, etc. DOCUMENT!

4) Go over the list with your doctor, ask if he will write a letter that you cannot perform the job as described (this in addition to what you have) This letter says that you cannot work for medical reasons, so..

5) Do not return to work. Period. Call in sick, fax in the letter. Fill out the paperwork given to you by HR. You do not need the paperwork to call in sick (what you have should be sufficient anyway)

6) If HR or MetLife balk, refer to step one.

One of the problems I had, which I barely resolved, was that I was kind to my employer. Once I had the letter from my doctor, I went to work, told them I was going to leave on disability, and spent one week transferring my workload, cleaning up, etc. The first thing asked by the insurance company? "If you were disabled, how did you work for another week?"

They will play hardball. PLAY HARDBALL. Don't bring a knife to a gunfight. I'm not sure how many more metaphors I can mix in here and still sound coherent. Maybe that ship has already sailed (+1!).

Good luck, let us know how it goes.

Post edited by: monochrome, at: 04/26/2012 05:03 PM

Mono is correct in what he has said "DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT".

Make sure your doctor is behind you 100% and if he says you are not capable of performing your job do not return to work. Call them and tell them you are going on short term then long term disability.

See you or not,

So once the doc writes the letter, you gotta be out, right? I told my boss the test june 25th may say i cant work. He wants to do accomodations. I'm beyond accomodations. True, not being able to drive does not qualify LTD if u can do ur job. I cant stay on a computer all day long. I am only participating online again with the iphone. I've given up tv due to refractive light. Boss says they'll hire me as a consultant.

ARGH!! He doesnt get it, if that test prooves less than 20 degrees, and i work after the date of the write up, i will never qualify for benefits!!

Right? I'm cooked by daylight savings time!!

Peggy - Like I said in the previous post.

Make sure your doctor is behind you 100% and if he says you are not capable of performing your job do not return to work. Call them and tell them you are going on short term then long term disability.

See you or not,

In addition to DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, add DON'T PANIC!! I know, easy to say, hard to do.

OK, here's the deal, as I understand it. Being declared legally blind generally gives your doctor the support he needs to say that you are disabled and not able to perform your job. However, it doesn't require him to do so. If you go in to the office with a list of things that you are unable to do, and if that list is sufficient, then he can use all that info to write The Letter. If you ask, and he agrees, that he declare you unable to continue, THEN don't go back to work. It's not the legally blind part, it's the statement of disability that matters.

Now, if your boss is willing to make accommodations, you will have to continue to work with those accommodations as long as they are sufficient. If you refuse to accept accommodations, your claim could be in trouble.

This is why you want ALL of this documented.

Once scenario:

1) Get The Letter from your doc, if in fact he will write it based on test results and your statements of difficulty

2) Don't go back to work until accommodations are provided that address each point. Discuss with your doctor before returning to work.

3) If the accommodations work, then you get to work and you shouldn't jeopardize your claim. You should be able to use future test results to either require additional accommodations or leave work and file at that time.

The point is to be very, very clear about your status at all times.

* Don't work in the same environment after you've been declared disabled

* Don't refuse accommodations or treatment (there isn't any, but it's technicality)

* Document everything

* Get legal advice if needed (My advice doesn't qualify!)

Post edited by: monochrome, at: 06/01/2012 01:35 PM

Does that include not getting to copier without getting run over or is rhat being a wise ass?

Seriously, the walkway between the cubes is only 3 feet, when i stop and wait for someone to pass, they accuse me of thinking their fat and say IM NOT THAT FAT YOU CANT GET PASSED ME!

Uh, ya sure 'bout that?

I know, has to be related to my duties. I'm an accountant. I think i'd like to be a zhumba instructor!