Living with a disability is often associated with significant amounts of extra costs. That’s why individuals and families can now contribute to ABLE accounts — tax-advantaged savings accounts that can fund disability expenses. Here is a quick training on 10 things you should know about the ABLE Act and ABLE accounts. *Please note: the annual contribution limits can be found here.
Introducing: The ABLE Employer Toolkit Recruiting and retaining an inclusive, highly skilled and qualified workforce is essential for the health of your business. That is why it is so important to include options that support your employees who experience disability (whether it is the employee or an employee’s family member) in your benefits packages. At the ABLE National Resource Center (ABLE NRC), we make it easy for employers to share and contribute to the financial stability and prosperity of employees impacted by the additional and often significant expenses that can be associated with having a disability. We do this through…
The June issue of our AchievABLE™ Newsletter contains stories on the following: Introducing ABLE NRC’s newest ABLE Ambassador: Beverli Austin Check out what ABLE NRC’s Ambassadors Edward and Simon have to say about using an ABLE account to purchase and maintain an accessible vehicle ACHIEVABLE Top 3 Questions ABLE NRC’s Webinars On-Demand INTRODUCING ABLE NRC’s NEWEST ABLE AMBASSADOR: BEVERLI AUSTIN Beverli Austin and her two children live in Pittsburgh, Penn. Her son, TyVel, has Down syndrome and is a Pennsylvania ABLE account owner, and his twin sister, TyAnn, is a PA 529 college savings account owner. The twins are Beverli…
The Case for Working The U.S. Labor Statistics report for 2021 states that, across all age groups, persons with disabilities were much less likely to be employed than those without disabilities. There are a few reasons for this. Often people with disabilities are unaware that it is possible for them to work, understand which type of jobs are available to them or that they can return to a similar job. Added to that, they often have additional disability-related expenses, as well as concerns about keeping needed means-tested benefits like SSI and Medicaid. Saving earned income in an ABLE account is…
Things to Consider When You Explore Work Getting a job, one that could lead to a career, is a big deal for anyone. If you are a person with a disability, you will have more to consider when it comes to going to work than people who do not have a disability. For example, if you are planning to use a car to get to and from work, and don’t have money to cover this cost, you can save funds in your ABLE account to purchase and/or have your vehicle modified to meet your needs. Explore the ABLE Decision Guide,…
by Christopher Peterson, President and CEO, Penny Forward As I was transitioning from high school to college in 1996, my parents and teachers strongly advised me to apply for Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, to help me bring in cash to live on while I was in college and looking for work. As a blind person, the application process was very simple and everybody believed that I’d easily be approved. They were right. There were rules I needed to know, though, so I read “The Red Book,” a guide to employment supports published by the Social Security Administration (SSA). This…
The May/June issue of our AchievABLE™ Newsletter contains stories on the following: Your Support Needed by June 21st for the ABLE Age Adjustment Act National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) and ABLE NRC Collaboration Other ABLE Collaborations Get Ready for #ABLEtoSave Month in August AchievABLE™ Top 3 Questions ABLE Resources ABLE Plan Updates Your Support Needed by June 21st for the ABLE Age Adjustment Act The Senate Finance Committee has an opportunity to move the ABLE Age Adjustment Act through committee by the end of June, increasing the age of ABLE eligibility from prior to age 26 to prior to age…
Thank you for joining us for #ABLEtoSave Month 2022! This month-long campaign provided people with disabilities and their families information about the significance of ABLE accounts and how these accounts can be used to address daily needs, help achieve long-term goals and dreams and increase their financial well-being. Throughout the month of August, the ABLE National Resource Center hosted events and shared ABLE tools, including: panels featuring ABLE account owners and family members, as well as ABLE program administrators and subject matter experts, ABLE Decision Guides, informational videos and more! You can discover the #ABLEtoSave campaign on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram…
The November/December issue of our AchievABLE™ Newsletter contains stories on the following: Introducing the ABLE BIPOC Outreach Toolkit Thank you to our ABLE BIPOC Outreach Ambassadors! Archive of November’s ABLE Collaboration Spotlight is Now Available AchievABLE™ Top 3 Questions ABLE Program News ABLE Plan Updates Introducing the ABLE BIPOC Outreach Toolkit The ABLE National Resource Center (ABLE NRC) is committed to improving the financial stability and prosperity of people from the Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) community who experience additional and significant expenses associated with having a disability. Across all racial and ethnic groups, households with a working-age…
The September/October issue of our AchievABLE™ Newsletter contains stories on the following: October Is National Disability Employment Awareness Month Register to Participate in a Live Panel of Working ABLE Account Owners Hear from Working ABLE Ambassadors: NDEAM Podcasts on ABLE and Employment Nathan Turner Blog Simon Cantos Spotlight AchievABLE™ Top 3 Questions on ABLE and Employment ABLE Employment Resources ABLE Employment Advocacy Social Security News Alert IRS Tax Tip ABLE Plan Updates October Is National Disability Employment Awareness Month October 1st marks the start of National Disability Employment Awareness Month! This year’s theme is “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion.” In…
Featured Guest: Chris Peterson, ABLE account owner In a successful career as a software developer, Chris Peterson has learned a great deal about managing his finances. In 2020, he decided to make it his mission to teach other blind people some of the things he had to learn the hard way. Knowing he could not do it alone, he began building Penny Forward, a community of people who are blind, who share his interest in financial independence. In this podcast, Chris shares his perspective on the impact and opportunity that ABLE accounts present to working people with disabilities. “It is…
Welcome to #ABLEtoSave Month 2021! This month-long campaign in August will provide information and resources about the ease, use and significance of ABLE accounts for people with disabilities. Together, we can increase awareness of ABLE accounts across the nation and expand the number of people with disabilities who benefit from ABLE programs. Throughout August, the ABLE National Resource Center will host events and share ABLE tools, including: panels with our ABLE Ambassadors, podcasts, informational videos, “Ask an ABLE Account Owner” forums and more! You can follow the #ABLEtoSave campaign on Facebook or Twitter by visiting the social media handle, @theABLENRC, and…
The May/June/July issue of our AchievABLE™ Newsletter contains stories on the following: Spotlight on ABLE BIPOC Outreach Ambassador Héctor Ramírez Spotlight on ABLE BIPOC Outreach Ambassador Sarah Perez Get Ready for #ABLEtoSave Month in August AchievABLE™ Top 3 Questions: May/June/July 2021 ABLE Updates Spotlight on ABLE BIPOC Outreach Ambassador hÉctor ramÍrez My name is Héctor Manuel Ramírez. My pronouns are he/they/them. I am Chiricahua Apache Mexican. I am Autistic and I have a psychiatric disability, bipolar disorder and I am hard-of-hearing so I wear hearing aids and use CART and American sign language. I am somebody who is formerly homeless…
The March/April issue of our AchievABLE™ Newsletter contains stories on the following: Get Empowered During National Financial Literacy Month Spotlight on ABLE BIPOC Outreach Ambassador Cheryl Walfall-Flagg AchievABLE™ Top 3 Questions: March/April 2021 ABLE Updates Get Empowered During National Financial Literacy Month April is National Financial Literacy Month. Nonprofits, government agencies and businesses nationwide celebrate the month by urging all Americans to increase their knowledge of personal finances. The ABLE National Resource Center (ABLE NRC) recognizes Financial Literacy Month as an opportunity to emphasize tools and resources that can people with disabilities achieve financial stability and wellness. National Disability Institute’s…
Introducing: The ABLE Service Provider Toolkit Information and resources that support financial stability is essential to meeting the needs of people with disabilities. The ABLE National Resource Center (ABLE NRC) makes it easy for service providers, case managers and advocates to inform customers, colleagues and peers of ABLE accounts as a protected savings and investment option that does not impact federal benefits. Family, friends, pooled and special needs trusts may contribute to a person’s ABLE account without direct deposits counting as income. ABLE savings up to $100,000 is not counted towards resources for those who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI)….
The January/February issue of our AchievABLE™ Newsletter contains stories on the following: ABLE NRC Outreach to Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Communities in 2021 BIPOC Ambassador Application Your Organization Can Join “America Saves Week” in February AchievABLE™ Top 3 Questions: January/February 2021 Upcoming Webinar: “IRS Final ABLE Regulations and Tax Incentives: Leveraging Your ABLE Savings” ABLE Updates ABLE NRC Outreach to Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Communities in 2021 The ABLE National Resource Center (ABLE NRC) is pleased to announce the launch of our 2021 ABLE NRC BIPOC Ambassador program and the opportunity for four more…
Introducing: The ABLE Service Provider Toolkit Information and resources that support financial stability is essential to meeting the needs of people with disabilities. The ABLE National Resource Center (ABLE NRC) makes it easy for service providers, case managers and advocates to inform customers, colleagues and peers of ABLE accounts as a protected savings and investment option that does not impact federal benefits. Family, friends, pooled and special needs trusts may contribute to a person’s ABLE account without direct deposits counting as income. ABLE savings up to $100,000 is not counted towards resources for those who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI)….
The September/October issue of our AchievABLE™ Newsletter contains stories on the following: ABLE NRC WEBINAR: “Increasing ABLE Account Savings Through Employment during COVID-19” American Dream Employment Network Webinar: “Get the Facts and Move Beyond Fear: A Webinar for Social Security Beneficiaries Who Want to Return to Work” Introducing ABLE NRC Ambassador Tim Elliott Introducing ABLE NRC Ambassador Mike Zybura AchievABLE™ Top 3 Questions: September/October 2020 Check out our New ABLE NRC Materials! ABLE NRC WEBINAR: “Increasing ABLE Account Savings Through Employment during COVID-19” Join the ABLE National Resource Center on Thursday, October 29th from 2:00-3:15 p.m. ET for our National…
The July/August issue of our AchievABLE™ Newsletter contains stories on the following: ABLE Accounts: Building Upon the Promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act What the Americans with Disabilities Act Means to Me — My Personal and Professional Perspective: Blog by ABLE NRC Ambassador Pshon Barrett Ambassador Highlight: Leah Campbell AchievABLE™ Top 3 Questions: July/August 2020 ABLE National Resource Center Launches the 2020 #ABLEtoSave Campaign #ResilientPwD Text Campaign Promotes Stress Reduction and Financial Resilience for People with Disabilities and Chronic Health Conditions ABLE Accounts: Building Upon the Promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act Approximately one in five Americans has…
Welcome to #ABLEtoSave Month 2020! This month-long campaign in August will provide information and resources about the ease, use and significance of ABLE accounts for people with disabilities, a topic made more important now than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its heightened impact on the disability community. And, for the first time, we’ve added an #ABLEtoSave Scavenger Hunt where winners can be entered in a drawing to win ABLE account gift cards. Together, we can increase awareness of ABLE accounts across the nation and expand the number of people with disabilities and their families who benefit from the tax-advantaged savings of…
The March/April issue of our AchievABLE Newsletter contains stories on the following: ABLE National Resource Center Response to Coronavirus SSA News Flash Podcast Featuring ABLE NRC Director Ambassador Highlight: Jenny Casselman Ambassador Highlight: Andrew Komarow Frequently Asked Questions Resource Top Three Questions: March 2020 January, February and March Webinar Archives State ABLE Program News ABLE National Resource Center Response to Coronavirus The ABLE National Resource Center (ABLE NRC), managed by National Disability Institute (NDI), has been closely monitoring the situation surrounding the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic. The coronavirus is unprecedented and we are working to identify ways to address…
2020 ABLE NRC Ambassador, Mike Zybura lives in Township, Michigan and opened a MiABLE account for his 13-year-old son, Colin, who has autism, so that he could help him maximize his independence and secure his financial future. In Mike’s own words, “I have always been an advocate for fiscal responsibility and have never had a problem spouting the virtues of investing early and often to anyone that is willing to listen (or even if my audience is unwilling to listen). Very few people will ’fall into’ financial security during their lives. The person in charge of their financial future is…
The December 2018 issue of our AchievABLE Newsletter contains stories on the following: Celebration of ABLE: Reflections from the 2018 ABLE Advisors New Webinar: Qualified Disability Expense Fundamentals Fourth Anniversary of ABLE Social Media Campaign Give the Gift of Independence to an ABLE Account Owner Blog: Year-End Questions to Ask Yourself Regarding ABLE Archive Available: Spotlight on “ABLEnow” and “ABLEAmerica” Programs Celebration of ABLE: Reflections from the 2018 ABLE Advisors The Stephen Beck Jr., Achieving a Better Life Experience Act, better known as the ABLE Act, was signed into law on December 19, 2014. To celebrate four years of ABLE,…
The October 2018 issue of our AchievABLE Newsletter contains stories on the following: 2019 ABLE Advisor Application Announcement ABLE Advisor Profile: Meet Sarah Perez ABLE Advisor Profile: Meet Lauren Hughes Webinar Archive Now Available: ABLE Success in the Real World: Meet Three ABLE Advisors and Hear Their ABLE Stories Blog: Top Three Questions from September’s Webinar ANRC Partner Webinar: NY ABLE: Financial Empowerment and ABLE Accounts 2019 ABLE Advisor Application Announcement The ABLE National Resource Center, a collective group of leading, national disability organizations united to help realize the promise of the ABLE Act, seeks to identify nine (9) ABLE…
The July 2018 issue of our AchievABLE Newsletter contains stories on the following: Advocacy Groups Celebrate the ADA by Taking Action to Expand Eligibility for ABLE ABLE National Resource Center Named a Semi-finalist in the “Unlocking Change Challenge” New Jersey and Washington Become Latest States to Launch ABLE Programs The ABLE National Resource Center Partners with the Special Needs Alliance to Help Expand ABLE Education ABLE Advisor Profile: Meet Al Elia ABLE Advisor Profile: Meet Katy Oliver ABLE Advisor Profile: Cheryl Walfall-Flagg Webinar Archive: Advantages of ABLE for Those Not Receiving Public Benefits Advocacy Groups Celebrate the ADA by Taking…
Lauren Hughes will always be her son’s strongest advocate-it is her number one job. That is why she opened an Oregon ABLE account in February 2017 for Steven, who has Trisomy 9 Mosaic a rare chromosomal disorder. Funds in Steven’s account will be used to save for his future and to replace the family’s aging van with a wheelchair accessible one, without risking his benefits. With a background in biology, Lauren understands very well the needs of someone with a physical or developmental disability. She wants to share with other families how easy it was for her to set up…
The March issue of our AchievABLE Newsletter contains stories on the following: ABLE Age Adjustment Bill Reintroduced in U.S. Senate ABLE NRC Ambassador Highlight: Taylor Carty New Webinar: ABLE Program Spotlight: National ABLE Alliance ABLE Accounts and Special Needs Trusts Can Be a Winning Combination ABLE and Tax Benefits SSA WISE Webinar on ABLE Accounts NDI Scavenger Hunt: And the Winners Are… Webinar Archive: Strategies for Funding an ABLE Account ABLE Age Adjustment Bill Reintroduced in U.S. Senate On Tuesday, March 5, 2019, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), joined by Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Pat Roberts…
The January issue of our AchievABLE Newsletter contains stories on the following: Introducing the 2019 ABLE NRC Ambassadors New Webinar: ABLE Accounts and Special Needs Trusts New Program Launch: California Giving and Receiving the Gift of Independence Gift Card Top Three Questions: January 2019 IRS Issues New Guidance on ABLE Accounts Webinar Archive: Qualified Disability Expense Fundamentals Introducing the 2019 ABLE NRC Ambassadors After a nationwide search, during which we were privileged to hear so many powerful and compelling ABLE stories from scores of ABLE account owners and their family members, we are proud to introduce our 2019 ABLE National Resource…
What is ABLE? A brief explanation for Employers… What is an ABLE account? ABLE accounts are tax-advantaged savings and investment accounts for individuals with disabilities. They were created as a result of the passage of the Stephen Beck Jr., Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014, better known as the ABLE Act. The ABLE Act, considered by many to be one of the most significant pieces of legislation for the disability community since the Americans with Disabilities Act, had overwhelming bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House. This law was the result of nearly a decade-long cross-disability…
What is ABLE? A brief explanation for Service Providers… What is an ABLE account? ABLE accounts are tax-advantaged savings and investment accounts for individuals with disabilities. They were created as a result of the passage of the Stephen Beck Jr., Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014, better known as the ABLE Act. The ABLE Act, considered by many to be one of the most significant pieces of legislation for the disability community since the Americans with Disabilities Act, had overwhelming bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House. This law was the result of nearly a decade-long…
