When Systems Pacify Instead of Pay: A Hard Truth About Disability and Work

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When Systems Pacify Instead of Pay: A Hard Truth About Disability and Work

S1 E20 • Jan 21, 2026 • 45 mins

In this episode of The Restoration Exchange: Banking on Humanity, we confront the uncomfortable reality behind a familiar phrase: “You could always volunteer.” For disabled adults, volunteering is too often positioned not as a choice, but as the highest form of opportunity available—while paid work, fair wages, and economic agency remain out of reach. Building on the previous episode, “The Money Connection Nobody Addresses,” host Janine Kasper connects unpaid labor to broader financial exclusion, exposing how systems keep people busy but broke, included but uncompensated. This conversation challenges employers, nonprofits, workforce programs, financial institutions, and policymakers to stop confusing access with equity—and to finally acknowledge that dignity begins with being paid for the value you bring.

Key Points

Economic systems need to recognize the value disabled adults bring by offering paid employment rather than relying on volunteerism as a substitute for real jobs.
Employers often view disabled individuals as liabilities rather than assets, which perpetuates economic exclusion and limits opportunities for true independence.
To foster real change, systems must prioritize providing access to income, opportunities, and respect, thus enabling disabled individuals to contribute meaningfully to society and the economy.

This episode continues The Restoration Exchange’s exploration of economic dignity by confronting a deeply normalized but rarely challenged practice: steering disabled adults toward unpaid labor under the guise of opportunity. Building directly on the previous episode, “The Money Connection Nobody Addresses,” this conversation exposes how systems disconnect people from money and then fault them for lacking independence.

Through the lived experience and uncompromising voice of guest Nick Comstock, the episode names a hard truth: people cannot achieve independence—financial or otherwise—if they are denied the dignity of being paid for the value they bring.

This is not an episode about inspiration. It is an episode about accountability.

Speakers

Janine Kasper

Guest • 27%

Nicolas Comstock

Host • 73%

Chapters

0:00	Introduction to the episode and guest Nicholas Comstock
2:23	Why disabled adults are often expected to volunteer instead of being paid
4:40	Societal expectations and systemic challenges for disabled individuals
8:22	Nicholas's personal anecdotes on systemic discrimination
16:24	Economic value and potential of disabled individuals
18:05	Employer liability perception and trust issues
20:29	Need for systemic change in resource allocation
23:20	Recognizing the economic value of disabled individuals
25:54	Economic justice and the $2,000 asset cap
29:37	Potential policy changes and their impacts
31:31	Promoting independence and entrepreneurial ventures for disabled people
34:12	Personal journey into podcasting and overcoming employment challenges
37:21	Raising employment standards and providing real jobs for disabled people
39:48	Overcoming employer fears and supporting disabled employees
41:22	Acknowledgements and Sponsor message
42:04	Invitation to Nick Speaks podcast and closing thoughts

Transcript

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