Canadian Rick Hansen, collecting money for useless publicity stunts in a wheelchair while ignoring the real issues

Media ignores real disability stories for purported disability fraud

With KATU.COM story

The US media is constantly writing up stories about disability fraud. The next disability story they like to cover both in Canada and the US is – triumph over disability adversity.

Either the disabled are shirkers, cheats and liars living off the largess of the public and insurance companies. Or they are plucky, hard knocks types who shine through their troubles by crawling on their knees from St. Louis to Cleveland, while playing the “Swanee River” on the harmonica.

It’s the Canadian Rick Hansen story – a man in a wheelchair pursues a totally useless goal of wheeling up Mt Everest backwards in his wheelchair and wins the day for stupid stunts. Flag pool sitting for cripples gets media attention every time. 

Fifty four million (54,000,000) Americans live with some debilitating mental or physical condition known as a disability. They deserve to have their story told, not the stereotypes dished up by the media.

They are poorer than most Americans and many live well below the poverty line. They cannot find work, adequate housing, and health care. They are white, black, Hispanic, and all races, creeds and colors.

Their situations are so desperate the US government has had to enact two major laws – the ADA and the ADA as Amended – to give them a chance at the American Dream.

The story below was Associated Press which means the false stereotype will get widespread airplay. It’s like reporting the color of an arrested person in the morning paper “A black man was arrested last night while…”. We never hear “White businessman Bernie Madoff stole $50 billion from his white friends.”

Ore. fraud scheme was all in the family

By Associated Press

McMINNVILLE, Ore. (AP) — According to court proceedings, an eight-year fraud scheme in Yamhill County was all in the family — three generations of it.

A Grand Ronde couple, Richard Vanderschuere Sr. and his wife Karen will spend three years in prison for faking disability to get government medical and Social Security payments.

His son, Richard Vanderschuere Jr. and mother, Elaine Vanderschuere, were convicted of related charges last year. His son got five years probation and his mother got 13 months in prison.

The McMinnville News-Register said that altogether, the three-generation fraud netted nearly $250,000.

Elaine Vanderschuere was working as a state fraud investigator at the time.

Oregon Attorney General John Kroger called it a blatant rip-off.

Kroger said the scheme began eight years ago, when Richard Vanderschuere Sr. faked a 100 percent disability and filed a claim for round-the-clock care from his wife, son and mother.

But investigators found the Vanderschueres had full-time jobs at Spirit Mountain Casino, the state employment division and as rural newspaper deliverers.

Yamhill County District Attorney Brad Berry said the problem was presented as a back injury and other maladies.

The family claimed Vanderschuere was “unable to walk, feed or relieve himself without assistance.”

His wife first claimed to be his full-time care provider, then his son did. His mother claimed to be his weekend backup. Both Karen and Richard Jr. received payments under the state Medicaid program for in-home services, while Richard Sr. collected Social Security disability benefits.

Kroger said the state Department of Human Services conducted annual in-home assessments, but Vanderschuere Sr. and his wife fooled investigators into believing he actually needed the care.

A tip to the Justice Department in 2007 led to the investigation.

In addition to probation, Vanderschuere was ordered to pay restitution and assist in the case against his parents.

Elaine Vanderschuere also was fired from here state job and ordered to pay restitution. Karen and Richard Vanderschuere Sr. were ordered to pay $57,585 in reimbursement to Oregon’s Medicaid program. Richard Vanderschuere Sr. also ordered to pay $175,082 in reimbursement.