Housing Resources
- Hope Lodge – Hope Lodge is supported through the American Cancer Society and provides patients and their caregivers a free place to stay during treatment for people with cancer – at no cost.
- Joe’s House – Joe’s House is a nonprofit organization that helps cancer patients and their families find a place to stay when traveling away from home for medical treatment.
Transportation Resources
- Road to Recovery – Road to Recovery is supported through the American Cancer Society and provides free transportation to treatment for cancer patients
- Angels Flight
- Wings of Hope
- Air Care Alliance or 888-260-9707
- Air Charity Network or 877-621-7177
- Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition
- Children’s Flight of Hope or 919-460-4334
- Corporate Angel Network or 914-328-1313
- Footprints in the Sky or 303-799-0461
- Miracle Flights or 800-359-1711
- Patient AirLIft Services or 888-818-1231
Financial Resources
- American Cancer Society Financial and Insurance Matters – Types of health insurance, laws that govern health insurance in the United States, and how to manage the costs of cancer treatment.
- Cancer Care Financial resources – List of government, organizational and non-profits financial resources
- Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) – Provide financial support to people with disabilities unable to work.
General Resources
- Onco Link Financial resources – Concerns, debt management and insurance.
Adolescent and Youth Adult (AYA) patients (15-29 yrs old) resources
- National Comprehensive Cancer Network AYA Guidebook – AYA definitions, fertility, treatment, life after cancer
- First Descents – Adventure program for young adults with cancer
- Cancer for College – scholarships and educational experiences for young adults with cancer
Survivorship Resources
- Life after cancer – FAQs regarding survivorship and future planning
- Survivor resources – Common questions and answers
- National cancer survivors month (June) – In January 2022, there were 18.1 million cancer survivors
Career Resources
A cancer diagnosis is unpredictable and we recognize our members may be at the beginning of their career journey or post retirement.
Is cancer considered a disability?
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a “disability” is defined in three ways:
- a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual
- a record of such an impairment
- being regarded as having such an impairment
Major life activities” include but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.
A “major life activity” also includes the operation of a major bodily function, including but not limited to, functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions.
An impairment limits a major life activity; but cannot be transitory or minor (ie. 6 months or less)
According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) cancer is considered a disability.
Do I need to report my diagnosis in new job applications? What about in an interview?
Some job applications may ask if you have a disability. It is your personal choice to disclose or not.
The federal government strives to employ individuals of all abilities; if you are interested in those positions, it may be beneficial to share via your application.
Search for companies who hire individuals with disabilities to find lists or companies.
Physical limitations or appearance may be visible during virtual or in-person interviews. The interviewer cannot ask you directly about the limitation (why do you have X? How did Y happen?), but they can ask questions to determine whether you can perform the “essential functions” of the job (if hired, will you be able to perform X task?).
Cancer & Careers – “Cancer and Careers empowers and educates people with cancer to thrive in their workplace, by providing expert advice, interactive tools and educational events.”
