This blog post shares a personal perspective from a Wisconsin woman on navigating life with a physical disability, detailing the contrast between restrictive agency-managed home care and the freedom of self-directed care. The author recounts negative experiences with agency caretakers who limited community mobility and dictated strict schedules, highlighting how transitioning to self-directed funding granted them the employer and budget authority to hire and manage their own support team. Despite navigating a widespread caregiving crisis fueled by low hourly wages and government tracking software, the author successfully manages 24/7 care, works professionally to help improve self-direction programs nationally, and recently co-founded a nonprofit to build a supportive community for participants and caregivers alike.

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