Monday
August 2, 2021
ABLE National Resource Center
#ABLEtoSave Month
1:30 PM‑3:30 PM
	
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	CART Disclaimer:  This rough edit transcript, which may contain missing, misspelled or paraphrased words, is only provided for your immediate review and is not certified as verbatim and is not to be cited in any way. 
	[Recording in progress] 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Hello, everyone.  My name is Miranda Kennedy and we're going to be getting started here shortly with our Welcome to #ABLEtoSave Month Panel. We have folks coming in. We're going to give it just another minute or two, but I wanted to let you know that we'll be getting started really soon. Thanks.  
	Okay, I'm going to go ahead and get us started.  Again, my name is Miranda Kennedy. I'm the Director of the ABLE National Resource Center, and I'd like to welcome everyone to our kick‑off panel. 
	Welcome to #ABLEtoSave Month, everyone! We're going to be having a panel here today with our ABLE Ambassadors who are ABLE account owners and family members of ABLE account owners. 
	We'd like to say thank you to our sponsors for our #ABLEtoSave Campaign, Prudential, TIAA, CalABLE, ABLEnow and ABLE America.  
	I'm going to hand it over to Katie Auchenbach, who is going to share information on just the next couple slides on how to listen to the panel and about some of the support around this. 
	So Katie. 
	>> KATIE AUCHENBACH:  Thanks, Miranda. 
	The audio for today's panel discussion can be accessed using your computer audio or by calling in by phone. If you select computer audio, please make sure that your speakers are turned on or your headphones are plugged in. 
	If you do not have sound capabilities on your computer or you prefer to listen by phone, you can dial 1‑929‑205‑6099 and enter the meeting code, 812 0803 4001. 
	Captioning and ASL interpretation, realtime captioning is provided for this panel discussion. The captions can be found by clicking on the "closed captions" icon in your Zoom controls at the bottom of the screen. 
	American Sign Language, ASL, interpretation is also being provided today. 
	Note, if you do not see the captions after clicking the button or the ASL interpreters on the screen, please alert the host via the chat box. 
	If you miss any portion of this panel, it is being recorded and it will be placed on the ABLE National Resource Center's 2021 #ABLEtoSave website at the ablenrc.org/abletosave‑2021 webpage.  You can find that at ablenrc.org/abletosave‑2021. 
	If you have any technical difficulties today, please use the chat box to send a message to the NDI Host or you can e‑mail kauchenbach@ndi‑inc.org. 
	With that, I'll turn it back over to you, Miranda. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Great. Thank you so much, Katie. 
	So for those of you who might be joining us for the first time, welcome! And I'll tell you just a little bit about the ABLE National Resource Center. We are the leading comprehensive source of objective, independent information about Federal‑ and State‑related ABLE programs and activities, including guidance on tax‑advantaged ABLE savings accounts. 
	It's our mission to educate, promote, and support the positive impact that ABLE can make on the lives of millions of Americans with Disabilities and their family members. 
	So our pioneering work in this area and our subject matter expertise has really made us at ABLE National Resource Center the foremost authorities on topics relating to the achieving of better life experience, otherwise known as ABLE Act, ABLE accounts, State ABLE programs, ABLE‑related policy developments, and comprehensive integration of ABLE and financial capability strategies for people with disabilities into public service delivery systems.  
	In 2015, the National Disability Institute created the ABLE National Resource Center, ABLE NRC is our acronym, and we did this in collaboration with over 20 national disability organizations in order to increase awareness, understanding, and utilization of ABLE accounts across the country. 
	Our ABLE National Resource Center website is the most visited website for objective, up‑to‑date information on opening, managing, and growing ABLE accounts. And on an annual basis, over one million visitors gain information and new understanding about ABLE. 
	So for over five years, webinars have featured public and private experts about ABLE programs and ABLE accounts. 
	So I wanted to give you that little bit of a background about the ABLE National Resource Center. 
	And now let's talk about our 2021 #ABLEtoSave campaign.  You're going to see it's always #ABLEtoSave campaign. This is our fifth year doing a nation‑wide, month‑long campaign.  Really the goal of this is to provide information and resources about the ease, use, and significance of ABLE accounts for people with disabilities. 
	And our hope is together we can increase awareness across the country and really expand the number of people with disabilities and their families who are benefiting from ABLE accounts. 
	I would like to acknowledge again our thanks to our #ABLEtoSave sponsors, Prudential, California ABLE, TIAA, and ABLEnow and ABLE America. We greatly appreciate their support. 
	So I want to talk to you, just to give you a heads‑up about what's coming during this month‑long campaign.  Today is our first day.  We are kicking it off with a panel, but I wanted to give you a sense of things to come. 
	So throughout the month of August, we're going to be hosting events, live events, and sharing ABLE information and tools. We're going to have panels like the one today with our ABLE Ambassadors who are ABLE account owners and their family members. We're going to be sharing some new podcasts, some informational videos, great tools like our Decision Guide that is are brand new, very helpful to folks, and we're going to have Ask an ABLE Account Owner Forums as well. 
	So today a panel and we'll also be ending the month with a panel of our Ambassadors.  But the next three Fridays in between, we're going to actually open it up for folks to ask their questions of our ABLE account owners and family members. But for today, we really want to kick off starting you off with hearing from them, getting to know them, hearing a little bit about their stories. 
	But what you can expect for the next few weeks, this week is our Welcome to #ABLEtoSave Month. You'll be following along with the panel today and the information we're sharing throughout the week. 
	Next week, Week 2, is how to open an ABLE account and keys to success, information to help you do that. 
	Week 3 is targeted to talking about best practices for eligible individuals and working age adults. 
	Week 4, we'll be talking about best practices for ABLE family members and circle of support. 
	And finally, our Week 5, which is really just that Monday and Tuesday that end out of the month, we'll be doing our ABLE call to action, so those next steps to achieve a better life experience.  
	So we are really happy and excited to have you all here with us today. 
	We do want to let you know how you can follow along with the campaign. Hopefully you already have the information you need, but if you don't, you can follow the #ABLEtoSave Campaign on Facebook or Twitter, visiting the ‑‑ using the social media handle @theABLENRC. And don't forget to use the hashtag, #ABLEtoSave in posts that you share throughout the month. And you can stay tuned to our #ABLEtoSave webpage for updates on events and activities. They will be added on a weekly basis throughout the month. And that e‑mail, Katie gave it earlier, but it's again here at the bottom of the slide, ablenrc.org/abletosave‑2021/. 
	Now this is what we're here for, I would love to introduce you to our #ABLEtoSave panelists for today. So we're going to be hearing from a number of ABLE account owners and family members who have been with us working on #ABLEtoSave. 
	We have, we're going to be starting off with a few questions for each of them so you can hear and learn from their stories and their stories from their ABLE accounts.  These folks are pioneers in the space, opening their accounts and sharing their experience with all of you. We have a wide range of ABLE account owners and family members from across the country who have different savings goals, who have different accommodation needs and supports they have, and really who have very different experiences, but who all have the common key thread of benefiting from an ABLE account and wanting to share that with all of you.  That's why they are here. They are absolutely Ambassadors and have great stories so share, so I'm excited to be bringing them up with all of you.  
	So with this, we're going to go ahead and highlight, I'm going to start off with asking Davinna to come on to video and unmute her line. And I've got a couple of questions to ask Davinna to kick us off.  
	Hi, Davinna. 
	>> DAVINNA CHRISTIAN:  Hi, Miranda.  How are you?  
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Great. It's good to see you. 
	>> DAVINNA CHRISTIAN:  It's great to see you. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  So you are coming to us from Detroit, Michigan, right?  
	>> DAVINNA CHRISTIAN:  Yes. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Although the bridge behind you might say something else.  
	>> DAVINNA CHRISTIAN:  [Laughter]. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  I wanted to give you a chance to introduce yourself quickly, you know, who you are, where you are at in the country, and DeShawn who has the ABLE account, if you can tell us a little bit about your story there and I have a few questions for you.  
	>> DAVINNA CHRISTIAN:  Great. My name is Davinna Christian.  I'm the mother of an account holder in the state of Michigan. I live in Detroit, Michigan. Our ABLE account is through Michigan, so it's called MI ABLE, M-I ABLE. DeShawn was born with Sickle‑Cell Disease, which made him eligible for an ABLE account. At the age of 11, our lives changed dramatically because he suffered a series of strokes which left him non‑verbal and in a wheelchair. 
	Prior to his strokes, he went to school, I went to work, we had quote/unquote normal lives. So finances was not a big deal for us.  You know, you have a savings account, you have a checking account. 
	After the strokes, finances became a worry. And it became a worry because employment was going to be hard for me and our lives had changed dramatically. 
	So I was looking for something that help us solve that financial issue and ABLE came on to the scene at the end of 2016. And what I tell people that I meet about ABLE is that it solved five of my six problems. 
	The five problems it solved was: What do I do about saving for the future?  
	What do I do about unexpected needs?  
	What will it do to help me purchase things that are needed for DeShawn?  
	And what will happen in the event something happens to me?  How will the next person support him?  
	The only issue that ABLE accounts can't fix is healing him. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  You know, Davinna, it's always ‑‑ it was surprising to me when we first met and you talked about it solving five of the six most pressing problems you were facing, and it may not be true of everyone, but it is true for you.  
	I wonder if you can also share with our audience today, specifically, what are you able to achieve now with your ABLE account that you would not have been able to achieve without it?  
	>> DAVINNA CHRISTIAN:  Oh, that's a good question because it has multiple answers. 
	So with ABLE accounts, there's so much you can use money for, so many expenses that you can cover. So over time, our goals have changed.  I'll call them goals. So my primary goal was to save money for the future. That was my primary goal. 
	And then as life happened, we needed a wheelchair accessible vehicle. We needed a down payment for those and those are sometimes very expensive. So we were able to acquire a wheelchair accessible vehicle, which DeShawn got last year for his 21st birthday. 
	Then one of our goals was to get augmentative communication devices because insurance doesn't always cover that.  So we were able to purchase things we needed for his augmentative communication device.  
	And now our goal is back to savings for the future. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  You know, those are great goals and I know it has helped you a lot, but, also, you're not just interested in this for yourself. You very much have a community service/public service, you know, the work that you have done, as well as your support of other parents and family members, what are you doing to promote ABLE accounts to others?  
	>> DAVINNA CHRISTIAN:  So every parent that I meet that has a disabled child, I tell them about ABLE accounts, whether they qualify or not because I don't ask personal information, but I always bring it up as a way to introduce parents to a way to find savings or financial stability for their children. 
	Sometimes the conversations go deep and parents ask more questions. Other times they don't. And I don't push, but I always bring it up whether ‑‑ no matter what we talk about, no matter what circumstances we meet under, I always bring it up because I think it's very important. It was very important to me, so I think it will be very important for other parents to have financial stability. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Mm‑hmm. Well, along those lines, I know you have been sharing and promoting #ABLEtoSave Month and what we have planned for the month with others as well, but can you talk with the group we have here, our audience today, what are you looking forward to this month?  
	>> DAVINNA CHRISTIAN:  Additional information. So one thing that I have found, even though we are long time ABLE account holders, we always learn something new. Even if it's something that I have already known about, it could be from a different perspective, so there is always something new to learn with ABLE accounts, whether it affects our state or not, there is something that I can look into. 
	And the good thing is that you can always go to the ABLE NRC website and there is a wealth of information there. And there is a wealth of information that gives you the resources to other state sites so you are not just stuck in an endless loop.  You can always use that as way to further learn different things that are going on in different states. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Well, before we go to our next Ambassador, I want to let everyone know the week when we are talking about best practices for ABLE family members, Davinna will be one of the Ambassadors who will be on that Ask an Ambassador Panel, so you can bring questions to Davinna during that panel as well. 
	Thank you, Davinna. We'll be circling back around with you for one last question towards the end, but thanks for kicking us off and being the first to talk and share about what you have done with your ABLE account, you and DeShawn and how it has changed your lives. 
	>> DAVINNA CHRISTIAN:  It was my pleasure.  
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  We're now going to go to Edward Mitchell and ask him to unmute and share his screen. 
	>> EDWARD MITCHELL:  Hello. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  You are doing some nice promoting for the college where you went to school. Edward, if you could tell folks a little bit about your story before we ask you similar questions and hear your different answers from what Davinna had to share.  
	So, Edward, the stage is yours. 
	>> EDWARD MITCHELL:  Awesome.  My name is Edward Mitchell, I'm a resident of Tennessee, but I have no real home state as my parents moved around a lot. 
	My disability happened as a result of an accident that left me with a C4 and C5 spinal cord injury. That has not held me back, I went to college and completed my Master's in 2011 from Union University. I am currently working as an Independent Living Specialist and working for a Minor League Baseball team and I sit on two gubernatorial boards and do what I can to help the community locally, but also on a national level. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Great, Edward, you're not busy at all, I get that. [Laughter] Thank you for being an Ambassador.  Edward has been with us since very early on.  And I think your understanding has really evolved over the years in what you are doing so I'm interested in you sharing.  
	Can you tell folks, what does your ABLE account mean to you?  It's a big question, but philosophically, what does it mean to you?  
	>> EDWARD MITCHELL:  ABLE means being able to safe because as I have articulated through life, other friends are hitting milestones in their lives, purchases homes, saving in their 401Ks and I'm honest with them, but there are other things I need, such as having nursing care, I'm on a Tennessee waiver in order to receive nursing care, but that caps some of the things I can do. But ABLE allows me to save for those long‑term ranges so I feel like I'm able to keep up with them.  And I also feel like I'm starting to be in those commercials where you become like your parents. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Can you talk specifically about what you are able to achieve now with your ABLE account?  
	>> EDWARD MITCHELL:  Saving for a wheelchair accessible vehicle, I'm a quadriplegic and I was able to purchase a new 2020 Honda Odyssey Elite. Wheelchair accessible Vance can be extremely expensive, especially when you add in adaptive questions, which is over $100,000, without an ABLE account I would not have been able to save for it. Not only to keep up with my friends, but to keep my independence because without transportation, there is no way I would be able to do half the things I do. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  You talked about being able to save for and that was a long‑term plan and be able to get that vehicle, which happened earlier this year, which is a game changer, right?  
	>> EDWARD MITCHELL:  Yes, indeed. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  But also savings towards, you know, homeownership and things like that. 
	>> EDWARD MITCHELL:  Yes. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  You have also talked about and those are some of those bigger investments and goals to have. 
	Can you talk about, you know, I know with your work with the Independent Living Center and you're so connected to different groups, your fraternity and others, the work you do with the Tennessee, you know, Governor and the Council there, but what are you doing to promote ABLE accounts to them ‑‑ to others?  I hope it includes sharing information about #ABLEtoSave Month. What else are you doing to promote?  
	>> EDWARD MITCHELL:  What I'm doing, any time I have a chance to promote ABLE savings, I try to make sure I bring that up, like using the three state comparison tool. Every Ambassador has different goals and dreams.  For me, using ABLE Tennessee is great for long‑range spending, but there are some people that need ABLE accounts that have a debit card feature attached to them.  Those are things I try to incorporate, not only on the DD council, but on the state‑wide independent living council and we have gotten that information to where we are asking if they would like information about ABLE on the in‑take packages as they are getting services from independent living.  That is a question that comes up on the in‑take process.  
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Can you share generally, what are you looking forward to this month?  We have a nice schedule.  Every week has a theme and we definitely have a lot of engagement, five different events where you Ambassadors will be on, but what are you looking forward to this month?  What do you think others should look forward to?  
	>> EDWARD MITCHELL:  I think people should look forward to the different podcasts that you can listen to in the comfort of your own home so you can get a feel and flavor because we are all working towards the same goal, financial independence and you need to look forward to those podcasts, but also asking the experts because there is no reason to put off opening an ABLE account tomorrow when you can do it in three easy minutes today. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Great. Well, thank you, Edward.  I'll have another question for you towards the end, but thank you for hopping and sharing.  And it's nice to see you today. 
	>> EDWARD MITCHELL:  Yes, ma'am. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Next up, we're going to have Simon, Simon Cantos. Can we get Simon's video and have Simon unmute your line?  
	Hi, Simon. 
	>> SIMON CANTOS:  Hi. How are you?  
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Great. So thanks for being here today. I'm going to let folks, you are one of our newer Ambassadors.  You have not had an account as long as others, although certainly having been in a lot of communication with Edward for a while. I'm going to give you an opportunity before I ask you kind of the similar questions and hear that you have different things to share than others, but can you start off by letting folks know who you are, a little bit about yourself, where you are in the country, and your goals?  
	>> SIMON CANTOS:  No problem. I'm Simon Cantos. I live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And I currently use a PA ABLE account that is set up by the state. 
	I am an engineer at an air‑conditioning company called Carrier where we design very large air‑conditioning systems for large buildings. I drive, I live independently, I've always been in a position where I have tried to do things on my own. 
	And the thing with an ABLE account was it kind of gave me more financial freedom to be able to save, to be able to build up my assets.  It was something that was very tough to kind of maintain before I started an ABLE account. And to just have it and to just establish it, it's been ‑‑ given me very much a greater sense of freedom to be able to save and be able to not have that worry of, like, being, you know, approaching that limit of any financial or asset limit that the state, my state currently has for medical assistance and nursing care and some medical services that I need from the state. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Well, and towards that end, you know, specifically, what are you able to achieve now?  What are you able to do with that increased financial freedom that your ABLE account gives you that you wouldn't have been able to do before?  Especially with that resource limit for services you need?  
	>> SIMON CANTOS:  For me, it's like I can, you know, take a promotion at work, you know, if I am ever offered one.  I don't have to worry about, you know, if I get a raise at work, you know, do I have to worry about that financial limit because it was something that I was very hesitant to kind of have at work. Like, oh, do I [audio breaking up] offered by my boss and, you know, I don't want to be in that awkward situation where, you know, I have to decline a promotion or, you know, I have to be concerned about a raise that, you know, was given by my company to, you know‑‑ 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Right. You know, and toward that is end, it is really important, of course, and we should reiterate this here and we'll talk more about it on the week when we're talking about ABLE eligible individuals who are also working age, but you always have to talk to a Certified Work Incentive Planning Coordinator and talk to them about, I have an ABLE account. I'm looking at employment or taking a raise or an increase, how will that fit in with my benefit situation?  
	>> SIMON CANTOS:  Mm‑hmm. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Because ABLE accounts don't shelter income, so that's important for folks to know, too, right, Simon. 
	>> SIMON CANTOS:  Sure. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  I'm sure you have been working with a Certified Work Incentive Planning Coordinator and that's really key.  Yeah, it does allow for you to have the ability to save about that resource limit. 
	>> SIMON CANTOS:  Correct. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Can you tell us what you are doing to promote ABLE accounts to others?  There are different groups you are working with and I know you are waiting to share this information with folks who may not have heard about that. What are you doing to share that?  
	>> SIMON CANTOS:  One thing I do when I'm not working, I actually mentor and talk with a lot of other parents who have, like, children with the same condition as myself, which is a very rare form of Muscular Dystrophy. And a lot of times I'll get approached by a lot of other, like, young adults who are about to enter the workforce and there's parent that is have children who have the same form of Muscular Dystrophy and they are always asking me, oh, how do you save for, you know, a wheelchair or a wheelchair accessible vehicle?  
	You know, the young adults that are working, how do I, you know, make sure that I'm not going to be, you know, exceeding any asset or ‑‑ or asset limit, you know, when I start working?  Because it's always been a worry that, you know, kind of, like, hangs in the back of, like, you know, a young adult's head or even their parent's head, what's going to happen?  How am I going to afford the medical equipment and services?  You know, anything that kind of, you know, comes in when you are dealing with a disability in general. 
	And I've always said, you know, use an ABLE account. I tell parents, you know, set up an ABLE account for your kid. Like, you know, it's very useful. You know, it's something that you can build over time and, you know, when you need it, it becomes extremely helpful, you know?  And when you don't have it, it's one of those things, it's like, you know, you kind of wish you set it up a long time ago and established things and got it working. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Yeah. 
	>> SIMON CANTOS:  And when you actually, like, have it all set up in that time and everything happens where you need that funding, it's like, oh, it's right here. I have an ABLE account. You know, it's wonderful. 
	It's something that I've been, you know, telling a lot of parents and a lot of young adults to set up. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Well, and I wonder, too, you know, we are heading into, this is the first day of our #ABLEtoSave Campaign.  What is it that you are looking forward to or others to look forward to?  What can they expect?  
	>> SIMON CANTOS:  Being relatively new with having an ABLE account, I'm trying to take in as much information as I can out of all of the webinars and all the information that's going to be coming up over the month. I want to try to be a sponge and take in everything, as much information as I can. So not only can I use it for myself, but I can, you know, pass that knowledge on to the others that, you know, need information and try to promote ABLE accounts to the other people I reach out to. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Well, thank you, Simon, for being here.  I'm going to have another question for you at the end, but it was great for you sharing your experience and story with others.  Thanks. 
	We're going to go next to Cheryl. So if I can get Cheryl to unmute her line and open up her video so we can say hi. 
	There you are. Hi, Cheryl. 
	>> CHERYL WALFALL‑FLAGG: Hello. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Cheryl is coming to us from North Carolina, everyone.  Unless she traveled, but that's where she lives.  
	Cheryl, I'm going to ask you, can you tell everyone a little bit about your story with two young adults.  You know, you have a different take on this. And can you share just a little bit of background of your ABLE story with your family?  
	>> CHERYL WALFALL‑FLAGG: Hi, everyone.  I'm Cheryl Walfall‑Flagg. And my husband and I live in North Carolina with three of our young ‑‑ three young adult males. [Laughter] 
	The two youngest are on the Autism Spectrum and one just graduated from high school and he is going to Community College and the other one is actually our nephew who is just starting high school and we became his legal guardians a few years ago.  
	So when I first started out with ABLE accounts, I only had my son to think about at the time. And I kind of just stumbled on it at some kind of workshop I was at. I heard about this thing that was coming down the pipeline.  And I was more than excited.  I started researching it right away because I wanted to know what it was. And the reason for that is Simon just touched on it and Davinna touched some of it when they spoke, but I remember when my son was first diagnosed, in his early years, about one or two, there were two strong things I kept hearing people in the Disability Community talk about and that was what Simon just mentioned about not being able to save money and not have money because you would not qualify for Social Security or other benefits.  And the other one was, of course, guardianship, and that's another story altogether. 
	But as my son was growing up, I had a fear I wouldn't be able to help him in the future.  I knew my husband and I would not be around forever because as things happen, we are human, we age, things change, and that was my biggest fear. What would happen to him in the future?  And in those early years, I really didn't know his full capability. 
	As the time went by, he has excelled in school and we saw a possibility or promise of him being able to go to college and hold a job and do many things and I wanted to secure that future for him. So when I found out about the ABLE account initially, I started researching it everywhere and landed on the ABLE National Resource Center website, not knowing it, not knowing anything about it, and that became my best website, my best friend website because I just found everything that I needed to know about ABLE accounts. 
	And I kept monitoring the website to get more information. 
	Our kids have NC ABLE account, that is a North Carolina account, and I remember searching it, finding it, and I signed up for their listserv, their e‑mail listing, so when the North Carolina account opened, I would be able to take advantage of it. 
	I remember getting the e‑mail on March 26th saying that the account was going to open the next day and I did some research and that morning before going for work, I opened my son's account with $25 deposited into the account. And that was several years ago and we have been going forward since then.  
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Well, and, Cheryl, you and Edward have been Ambassadors of ours since we started our Ambassador program back in 2018. 
	>> CHERYL WALFALL‑FLAGG: Yes. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  And I know the understands has really evolved over time and you did a lot of research upfront, but I wonder, you know, you talked about this a little bit, just really high level, what does your ABLE account mean to you, to your son, to your nephew, to your family?  
	>> CHERYL WALFALL‑FLAGG: For me personally, it means peace of mind. It took away some, same as Davinna, it took away the worry I had that my son wouldn't qualify for benefits.  And he doesn't. He never got benefits as a child and now that he is older and he can file for his benefits, we haven't done that yet, trying to take things one step at a time, but he never qualified for benefits. So it was always a fear, like, when he applies for benefits, you know, I tell the story of when a child is born in a family, grandma or grandpa goes out and they get a savings bond or they open a bank account and that was my strategy when I had my older son. 
	All of the money that I had from, you know, during his ‑‑ my ‑‑ his growth, I put in a bank account for him. I couldn't do that for my younger son, so that bothered me a lot because it created a certain sense of stress and fear that his future without money would be limited. 
	So it just took that fear away from me. And now with the younger one that we have, he is getting benefits because of his circumstances, different from my son's, and we are running into some of the similar problems of he, you know, you don't want to keep too much because it might make him over the resource limit, but he is still young and he is going to need things later on, after high school. 
	One of the things I tell people when I talk about ABLE accounts is I can make plans to save money for future expenses, whatever those future expenses are, why shouldn't a person with a disability have that opportunity?  So those are the things that it means to me. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Well, what, if anything, have you purchased yet or been able to acquire?  We know we don't want ABLE account funds to replace any existing services or supports. Are you letting it grow?  Are you using it actively right now?  
	>> CHERYL WALFALL‑FLAGG: Well, like I said, initially, one of my goals was to help my son when he transitioned into college. You know, I think my husband and I have been very fortunate because our son only has sort of one diagnoses and he doesn't have multiple needs or expensive needs like some of the other panelists on here and their family members may have, so we haven't needed to spend a lot of money outside of what, you know, our current income on him. 
	So his ABLE account is basically right now just a saving tool. Like I said, he just registered for college, but he is staying at home, so we don't have the expense of dorm and other things like that. 
	And even with the tuition we had to pay, I was talking to my husband about it a week or two ago ‑‑ or a couple of months ago I should say, he said to me, no, don't touch his ABLE account. It's for savings, we can manage to pay that tuition, it's not a lot, it's a Community College.  So right now it's just a savings.  
	And the same for the younger one, we are using it as a savings account. Maybe in two years when my son transferring to a four‑year college, we may need to supplement some of that cost out of his ABLE account, but it's our savings tool right now. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Great. Well, and I wonder, too, because the work that you do, you have been promoting ABLE accounts, can you share just a little bit of what you are sharing with others and how you are promoting ABLE accounts through your networks?  
	>> CHERYL WALFALL‑FLAGG: Almost like the other folks that have spoken, anyone that comes close to me hear two things from me.  They either hear about ABLE accounts or my other passion, guardianship. 
	But I share it, I'm part of a parents support group that meets monthly and I have talked with them about ABLE accounts. I have shared it at the ‑‑ all the committees and advocacy groups that I'm part of, I've shared it with those folks because a lot of it involves professionals and professionals do need to know about it. I'm also sharing it on my job.  I work for a North Carolina nonprofit that has Head Start and Early Head Start programs, in addition to two national programs that serve children and families. So I'm sharing it there.
I have done presentations on the job or at training, professional development conventions that relate to the job, and in other community settings in my area. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Well, and I know, too, in that, you are not just sharing information about ABLE accounts, are you sharing some of the tools, the ABLE Employer Toolkit, the ABLE Service Provider Toolkit, those types of resources so people don't feel like they have to get a Ph.D. in ABLE to understand this and share it with others.  They're like, oh, here is a resource I can share with the folks I'm serving and be able to go as you have done to go the website and resources we have and also to the ABLE programs.  
	Cheryl, one last quick question, what are you looking forward to this month?  
	>> CHERYL WALFALL‑FLAGG: I am looking forward to the Decision Guides.  I know they are new, I have tested them out a couple of times, but I think they are pretty good in helping to guide people along the path that fits their need and answering general questions.  
	I'm looking forward to the Ask the ABLE Expert and Ambassadors because I feel honored to be able to share my experience with folks.  And I think in some of the presentations I have done in the past, people appreciate hearing on the ground experiences and not just from a technical point of view. You know, knowing what we have done as Ambassadors with the ABLE account helps people to understand how it can work for them. 
	Somebody mentioned the state comparison tool before, but that was one big thing I found helpful on the website because it just gives people more insight into what's available. So those are the things I'm looking forward to. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Well, we are looking forward to having you on those panels and along for the ride this month. Thank you, Cheryl. 
	>> CHERYL WALFALL‑FLAGG: Thank you. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  I'll have another question for you at the end, but for now we're going to go to Nathan Turner. If we can pull up Nathan's video and have Nathan unmute his audio, that would be great. 
	Hi, Nathan. 
	>> NATHAN TURNER:  Hey, Miranda.  Hey, everybody. Pleasure to be on.  Thank you for having me.  Can you see and hear me okay?  
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Yes, you are coming through great. 
	>> NATHAN TURNER:  Great. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  We're going to go ahead and, Nathan, do you want to let people know a little bit about you?  Where you are?  What makes you ABLE eligible?  And what you do?  Because you do cool things. 
	>> NATHAN TURNER:  I'm happy to. My name is Nathan Turner and I'm from the Toledo, Ohio area, and I have been working for the past 15 years building advocacy.  In addition to my being a BIPOC Ambassador, I serve on the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities, I'm the first person receiving services to sit on that Board.  I also sit on other organizations like the Advocacy Task Force.  
	And my day job actually is working remotely for Ellis International AR to form algorithms for digital assistance. As part of my role with the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities, I helped them to develop a grant called Money Matters. As part of that, I co‑facilitate courses on financial literacy and navigating public benefits and maintaining eligibility for critical benefits while working and the work readiness. 
	So that work really gives me some direct insight into the individuals and families that would be eligible for an ABLE account. It allows me to share my unique experiences.  I have Cerebral Palsy and I was a bit of a trail blazer because I think I was one of the first people in the country to sign up for an ABLE account and I'm really proud of that experience. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Well, it certainly lines up with the work that you do for the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities and the financial education classes.  It's great that you pair that work, you co‑teach as a Certified Work Incentive Planning Coordinator. 
	>> NATHAN TURNER:  It's incredible. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  For you personally, what does an ABLE account mean for you?  
	>> NATHAN TURNER:  For me personally, I have a saying I go back to when I teach my courses and you and I have talked a bit about this, but money means freedom for people with disabilities. So an ABLE account for people with disabilities means that they have the freedom to build wealth and pursue all of the opportunities that everyone without a disability, who doesn't depend on critical services like Social Security and Medicaid would be able to have, you know, to build wealth and make choices like buying a home or purchases a vehicle to make themselves more independent and just live better lives. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Well, and specifically, what are you able to achieve now with your ABLE account that you wouldn't have been able to achieve without it?  And I know it's involved, even just since your time. 
	>> NATHAN TURNER:  It has. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Since you have been an Ambassador.  
	>> NATHAN TURNER:  It has. So when I first started out, I didn't know how to use the account, but I just focused on small contributions and tried saving for my future.  I live in an area with limited transportation, so I had to prioritize getting an accessible van.  So my first big purchase with my ABLE account was an accessible van. And I've done that within the past two years and now I am saving to buy a home. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Good. So some pretty big ticket items, although, certainly for the folks you are teaching in those financial education classes, they might have big, long‑term expenses like those two, or shorter term needs that they have to just be able to go above that resource limit. 
	>> NATHAN TURNER:  Yes, definitely. Quite a few of them save for longer term expenses, but a lot of them use it to help with day‑to‑day housing and food expenses and they have ‑‑ they use a debit card to help them with tracking those important expenses.  
	And one individual in particular, uses it in conjunction with her trust.  
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Yes. And we'll be talking about trusts and ABLE accounts during one of our upcoming weeks, during #ABLEtoSave Month. 
	What are you doing to promote ABLE accounts to others?  
	>> NATHAN TURNER:  So as part of ‑‑ I teach my classes at least quarterly as part of the grant, but separately, I do a lot of outreach to BIPOC groups and advocacy organizations.  I love to speak to large groups of people giving them high level advice on how to use ABLE accounts, but then, also, I do a lot of one‑on‑one mentoring with perspective ABLE account owners and I think that's critical to get people started as early as possible so they can maximize the account. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Well, and where do you go to get resources and tools to share?  Do you have some sources?  
	>> NATHAN TURNER:  I didn't have access to the ABLE National Resource Center when I first started my account, July 18, 2016, so I had to figure it out as I went along.  But you and your team, Miranda, have done such a great job developing the Decision Guides and tool kits that really facilitate my advocacy. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  We're happy to help you make it a little easier for to you get that information out and keep that information updated with any new information that's out there, making sure it's accurate, accessible, you know, just for our audience to know, our Ambassadors give us feedback on what they need in getting the word out. What would be helpful and useful to folks?  
	>> NATHAN TURNER:  Those Decision Guides are a really, really great resource for anyone who wants a more in depth analysis of how they can use an ABLE account for their own personal benefit. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  It's the most recent tool we have and it's something no one else have.  They are very interactive and we'll be sharing the Decision Guides throughout the month. I guess that's also a quick question, what are you looking forward to this month?  Maybe Decision Guides, but what else?  
	>> NATHAN TURNER:  What am I looking forward to?  I'm looking forward to the release of my podcast on the 9th, obviously.  But just connecting with families and hearing their stories about how they want to use ABLE accounts to build financial independence.  
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Yeah. And so when folks are submitting questions for our Ask an Ambassador/Ask an ABLE Expert Panels, which we are doing on the next three Fridays coming up, feel free to submit those and chat with our Ambassadors.  I'm glad that you are looking forward to that, Nathan. And we're looking forward to it, too. We are not taking those questions today, but we will be. 
	Thanks, Nathan. I'll have another question for you at the end, but for now I'm going to turn things over to Eric Cardenas, who is another one of our Ambassadors.  If we can have Eric open up video. 
	>> ERIC CARDENAS:  Yes, hello. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Hi, Eric. Thanks for being here today on the panel. Similar to everyone else, I'm going to start off by asking you to just introduce yourself, share a little bit about yourself, how you are ABLE eligible, where you live in the country, and some of your goals. 
	>> ERIC CARDENAS:  Sure, yeah, sure. So good afternoon.  My name is Eric Cardenas. This is my sign name, Eric. And so I am Hispanic and I am a man with a beard. I'm wearing a pink shirt for those of that you are not able to see me. I have a necklace on and glasses. I typically describe what I look like just in case you can't see me. 
	But I am from Southern Texas and near the New Mexico border.  And I'm in between South Padre Island, around that area. So that's where I live. 
	Really, I was born deaf and so that's the way I was born. We're not exactly sure what the cause of that was.  It could have been a vaccine my mother had, it could have been genetics, we're not completely sure, but the point is my parents had no idea about deafness or even that I was deaf until I was 4 years old and I had my first hearing test and that proved that I was deaf. [Laughter] So I'm pretty happen by that. 
	I went to a mainstream school and that means I was with teachers who used Sign Language interpreters, hearing peers and deaf peers and so on. 
	When I went to college, I went to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, NTID, that's in Rochester. I also went to Gallaudet University and got my Master's Degree in teaching Sign Language. And so I am a full‑time Instructor at the University of Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. And I teach Sign Language classes there, which is called ASL. I have deaf students and also hearing students who perhaps want to become interpreters or want to become Certified Deaf Interpreters and, you know, I really love sharing my knowledge and awareness with that group. 
	Did I forget to answer any of your questions, Miranda?  
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  No, that was great, Eric. I do have four more questions for you though. So the first question I have for you is, what does your ABLE account mean to you?  
	>> ERIC CARDENAS:  To be honest with you, when I learned about the ABLE account at first, to me it sort of felt like a relief. I just felt relieved, to be honest with you, when I heard about it because I didn't know what I was going to do about retirement or about savings or how I was going to be able to structure everything. I just was unclear about that and when I heard ABLE, that gave me a great sense of relief and I felt safety that I could worry less.  And I do have anxiety, so that really helped me be able to worry less about finances. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Well, relief is a powerful things to experience. Can you share with the group what it is specifically that you are able to do now with your ABLE account that you couldn't do without it before?  
	>> ERIC CARDENAS:  Yeah, sure. So with my ABLE account I am able to save money for some of the interpreters that I need, my own dedicated interpreters. My family is very culturally Hispanic and I pay interpreters to with me to different events, out in the community or different family events so I can communicate with people. I feel kind of helpless without that access to communication, so that's a lot of what I use it for. I guess just communication aspects basically. 
	And sort of other services that I may need, like transportation, you know, to and from work. It helps with my vehicle and, you know, socializing different networking events and that type of thing. And related to my work as well. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Yes. And like you said, also, being able to save towards the long‑term future as well, here and in the future. 
	Can I ask, what are you doing to promote ABLE accounts to others?  
	>> ERIC CARDENAS:  Yes, I do promote it. I do share that with my colleagues and the people in my deaf community. I sometimes say to them, you know, like, suppose something happens and I will share experiences that I have had with them and let them know some examples.  A lot of times they have never heard of ABLE or they have never seen anything about it, so a lot of times I will pass on that website. I do feel that it's important for the deaf community to be able to understand it because, you know, sometimes they may read it, but since English isn't their first language, it's nice to see it in American Sign Language from me as a full explanation. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  And we're going to be doing more with ASL resources this month and into the future. And Eric is one of our Ambassadors, he is helping us to do that. So thank you, Eric. 
	>> ERIC CARDENAS:  Sure, absolutely. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  I'll throw you a softball question, is that one of the things you are looking forward to this month?  Sharing your ASL video log and sharing some of those other resources?  
	>> ERIC CARDENAS:  Oh, yes, I'm so excited about that. I'm definitely looking forward to that, for sure. It took me hours to think and get that prepared, yes. So I sure am. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Well, we appreciate having you as one of our new Ambassadors here with us and helping us increase and expands our access. It's very important, so thank you. 
	And I'll have one more questions for you at the end, but for now, I would like to turn it over to Tim and then ‑‑ 
	>> ERIC CARDENAS:  Okay, sounds good. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  I'm going to turn it over to Tim Elliott, who is coming to us from New York, and then we will be hearing from one more Ambassador and wrapping it up.  We're really glad we had this extended 90 minute session because we absolutely wanted to share eight of our Ambassadors and their stories.  
	So, Tim, if I could ask you to unmute your line and share your video. 
	Hi, Tim. 
	>> TIMOTHY ELLIOTT:  Hello. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Tim is coming to us today from Brooklyn, New York.  I'll let you tell folks a little bit more about yourself, Tim, and who you are and what you are doing. And then we'll go into the questions and you'll have even a different set of answers and some similarity to your other Ambassadors, but go ahead and tell folks about you, Tim. 
	>> TIMOTHY ELLIOTT:  I'm Timothy Elliott.  Like Miranda said, I'm in Brooklyn, New York.  I'm a disabled Veteran, 51 years old, so the ABLE account is 26, I had the disability before 26, I opened up my ABLE account when I was 48 years old because my disability happened when I was 21. 
	As I said, I am a disabled Veteran. I was in the United States Navy.  My job was aviation electronics, so fix the systems on [indiscernible] and fighter jets.  My disability is transverse myelitis, which paralyzed me from the shoulder down. It's kind of stuff, worked through it. I was in Virginia when that happen and I came back up to here to New York to live. 
	And for the first, I would say ten years after I became disabled, I was attending an adult day center and just so happened a lady that was 40 years my senior, we became friends, and she mentioned to me, she used to always tell me, I'm a baby at being disabled because she was born with her disability, so she guided me and she working for an organization, a nonprofit organization, self‑advocacy, and they had a program, so she got me into the program to work for two years, going out and talking to people with developmental disabilities about advocating for themselves and other people.  I did that for two years.  
	After I finished that, the organization hired me part‑time. So during my work working with people with disabled, I saw people accomplishing their goals, people that owned their own homes, had their own businesses, so I decided to pursue my dream of real estate. I went to school, got my real estate license, sold my first home within three months. After that, I went back to real estate school to pursue mortgages, did my first mortgage within two months. I did both of those until 2015. 
	During that time, the state agency that my nonprofit job that works with, they had a homebuyer program so they would ask me from time to time to do some work to help people get through the process of filling out paperwork.  So around 2009, they hired me to work and supervise the New York City office. And through my experience of real estate and mortgages, I developed my own 12‑hour course for first time homebuyers. 
	And from 2009 to 2019 when we ended the program, I had helped over a hundred families here in New York City be able to purchase their first home. 
	For those that don't know about New York City, all you have to do is looking online at the New York City housing prices and you will see how difficult it is to buy a home in New York City.  So we were able to help them navigate through that process and purchase their first home. 
	Also, during that time, the state agency I worked for developed a program called Self Direction that helped with developmental disabilities plan for their life to hire their own staff to help them, whether they want to go to school, whether they want to get a job, or whether they just want to live independently. I was what's called a broker, start‑up broker.  I did that for about ten years and helped 16 people develop life plans so they could go on and live independently in the community without having to live in a group home. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  I think the audience can probably pick up why we wanted you to be one of our ABLE Ambassadors.  Can you share, because you have those connections and network and background, and also, we are seeing some in the chat, and we always thank you for your service as well, being a Veteran and being an ABLE account owner. Can you share with the group, what does your ABLE account mean to you?  
	>> TIMOTHY ELLIOTT:  It means not having to keep money at home. A lot of people that I have come across, with the benefits we have, Social Security and Medicare, there are only a certain amount of money or resources that you can have. So a lot of people would keep money out of the bank and keep it at home, which is not safe because anything can happen, whether threat or fire, and then you lose your money. 
	With me having a place I can put the money and not having to worry about going over the resource in order to keep the benefits that I need to survive daily. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Right. And you are able to keep it in an FDIC insured savings account or allow that money to grow with different investment options so you have some different possibilities there, too.  Not just putting it under the mattress and hoping no one breaks into our house or the house doesn't burn down, right?  We actually know and heard of people where those types of things have happened.  
	I do want to ask specifically, too, what are you able to achieve now with your ABLE account that you wouldn't have been able to achieve before?  
	>> TIMOTHY ELLIOTT:  Right now I'm using my ABLE account to save towards purchasing a condo here in New York City. Hopefully, the prices will go down sometime, but that's my ultimate goal is to have my own condo. Hopefully a nice, big condo where I have a lot of room to move around. 
	I'll do that, I'll save for an accessible van so I can get around without having to take the poor man's limo which is the city bus or para transit. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Right. Can you share, too, because you are connected with so many different networks, what are you doing to promote ABLE accounts to others?  
	>> TIMOTHY ELLIOTT:  Well, I have actually been promoting ABLE accounts since around 2017. Here in New York State, we have my New York ABLE, that doesn't start until August 1, 2018, so then I found out about the ABLE accounts back in 2017 while I was doing first time homebuyer training and I would make sure to take at least 45 minutes to an hour to talk about ABLE accounts because that's one of the issues that individuals [sirens blaring in background] I would go to the website and show them the video of the top ten things to know about ABLE and to also show them the comparison tools in case they wanted to open up an ABLE account, they could do it in another state instead of waiting for New York State to open up.  
	Right now, when I talk to everybody, especially staff and Social Worker that is work with individuals, I always bring up the fact, you know, when they call me about housing, one important piece of housing is savings.  I always tell them about the ABLE account and direct them to the website so they can read up on the different things that are on the website and look at the video. I tell them to go on to YouTube to look at some of the past webinars on YouTube so they can get a better idea. 
	And a lot of them didn't even know that ABLE accounts existed. So with me, whenever I find out information ‑‑ or assist somebody with a disability, I tell everybody. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Well, thank you, Tim. We are really glad that you are here.  You are going to be joining us throughout the month in panels and we'll be hearing more from you.  And I do have one more question for you, I'm going to come back around at end of the panel and ask you.  
	For now, I would like to go to Hector, who is going to bring us ‑‑ he is our eighth Ambassador joining us here today.  We are looking forward to having him share some of his experience.  
	Hector, hi. It's nice to see you.  Hector, I love the backgrounds you went with. 
	>> HECTOR RAMIREZ:  Hi, good afternoon, everybody.  My name is Hector Ramirez.  My pronouns are they/them.  I'm [indiscernible] and Mexican.  I am a person with disability. I have autism, I'm hard‑of‑hearing, and I also have a [indiscernible] disability as well.  I live on the ancestral lands of the [indiscernible] here in California. And I'm very glad to be with all of you here today for #ABLEtoSave Month. 
	Let me give you a quick visual description for those that can't see my screen. I am 46 years old.  I have bushy black hair. I'm wearing a red shirt that says "native." I have a seminal beaded neck piece.  And my background is the disability pride flag. I'm a Disability Rights advocate, so disability pride for me is a daily thing.  I'm happy to be with you, Miranda. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Well, we're so glad you could be here with us, too. Will you tell folks what your ABLE account means to you?  
	>> HECTOR RAMIREZ:  It means a lot. It actually means a great deal. It's kind of, like, what I have used to transform my life from what it was before I got it. I got my ABLE account here in California in 2019 when it just started, so I was very fortunate. I have been working to advocate to get this program here in California, as well as other states.  I serve on the Board of Directors for a variety of disability organizations, including the National Disability Rights Network in Washington, D.C. 
	And for me, my ABLE account has really, like I said, transformed. Before I had my ABLE account, I was living in my 64‑year‑old mother's one bedroom apartment kitchen floor and I did that for many years because if I had money, I couldn't save it. It would impact my benefits. So it was actually a really, kind of, almost abusive cycle. That I as an independent, I could work, but if I did, it would really impact a lot of the benefit that is I needed, that I still utilize to this day because they are very expensive, as you all know. 
	And once I got my ABLE account, I was able to start saving, through the support of my friends, which was unique because little people knew my situation.  I had been a Disability Advocate all my life and they couldn't believe I was living on the floor. 
	I put the link for my ABLE account and people gave me gifts and donation. And within a couple of months, Miranda, this was pretty weird, but I was very grateful, I had enough money to put a down payment down for a home, a mobile home, which I did. And a couple of months later, I, just as I was learning about ABLE and all of the financial stuff, I got to learn about escrow for the first time in my life. So I went to escrow, signed it, and right before Mother's Day, we got the key.  I walked with my mom and sisters and said, this is our home. I have a bedroom. She has a bedroom.  I have a key, a front door, and a mailbox, which is really neat. 
	ABLE really transformed my life a lot. And it continues to do it. I'm still happy with my house and now with COVID, you know, it really has created an opportunity for me to survive. Had I not had this place, I don't know, my family and I would have had worst outcomes. Just like everything else dealing with a pandemic, having a safe space is what everybody needs.  
	And we just started the Delta wave and it's pretty scary. Our hospitals are overcrowded again and it reminds me of where we were, you know?  So I know that I am in a safe place with my family because we weathered this storm already, like many people, we were impacted.  We had several people that died.  But our home was a place for people to kind of find rest and heal in their own space.  So we are kind of preparing for what is coming again and I just feel better. And I'm thankful for that. 
	I don't know, I'm able to really not spend any money and just put everything into my ABLE account for emergency things, you know, like what we had during the pandemic. We didn't have food.  We already have lines again for TP over here, so that's happening again.  I see those types of scenarios playing again, but I know that the money I've had in the situation that I'm able to kind of better protect myself and my family. And I think it's making it better. It's making it better as we move forward. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  And I know you have achieved some big goals with your ABLE account. As have many of our other Ambassadors that have been able to purchase vehicles and other things that are life changing.  And what you are planning on doing with your ABLE account in the future, it continues to evolves, but are you part of so many different networks, what are you doing to promote ABLE accounts to others?  
	>> HECTOR RAMIREZ:  Aside from this being #ABLEtoSave Month, it's also National Wellness Month. I'm one of those people where I can find commonality and a calendar is a good way to find something in common with everybody.  I spend a lot of time on social media as a way to relax, so I'm often sharing the resources and having conversations with the Disability Community who doesn't really know a lot about the benefits of the ABLE account. 
	Especially, in my mental illness community members, not a lot of folks know about this, so I tell them how ABLE is not only a financial tool, but it's a wellness tool, it's an advocacy tool. You know, it's something that is kind of really an empowering thing.  So I really share that perspective with my community online. 
	But, also, in meetings, I do talk about the necessity of ABLE as being part and people's overall environment of wellness. As disabled people, you know, the system penalizes us for saving too much money.  As a person of color, we get penalized for having too much money.  There are those intersectionalities that gives me the opportunity to bring up this topic. 
	So I have spoken like the National Mental Illness and also here in California, we have a specific number of people that are unhoused and we are dealing with the homeless epidemic, one of the things I realized is that a significant number of those individuals are people with disabilities.  Many of those disabilities have been long‑term.  One of the reasons that everybody is on the street, they lack affordable housing options.  Presenting my example to a lot of folks has given them an opportunity to see how they utilize this, but also on a policy level, we are looking, for example, to pilot a couple of programs where people are going to get universal income to see how they will be able to adjust.  Particularly people with disabilities. 
	So we are working to really integrate the idea of ABLE accounts as being also a type of direct service that people can utilize because they can continue working, they can save without the fear of losing that safety net of services that oftentimes when we save and it's gone, that's one of the reasons we end up on the streets homeless.  
	I'm 46 now, I'm a lot older than most people with my disabilities usually get to live. As we get older, our chances of being homeless increase because of that, because we can't save money or find a place to live. And sometimes we have to pay for our own services, like Eric mentioned, which really takes out a lot of our budget. And little by little it erodes our ability to grow old.  I'm thankful I have that ability. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  It's great that you are able to share your stories with so many others, our audience here, as well as your own networks and promote and share this information.  
	I'll tell you one thing we are looking forward to this month, we also have a podcast we did with Hector, that will be coming out on the 16th.  Stay tuned for that. Hector will be joining us on a few of our panels coming up.  
	I want to go back over, we only have about ten minutes left and I want to go through all of our Ambassadors really quick with just one sentence of advice.  In fact, I'll go ahead and start with you Hector since you are up on the screen and then I'll go back over to Davinna.  What is one piece of advice?  Just one or two sentences on what you would give #ABLEtoSave participants, what advise you give them going into in month?  
	>> HECTOR RAMIREZ:  They deserve this. You deserve to have an ABLE account. That's what I would tell you. You deserve to have this. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  That's a great, very succinct piece of advice, Hector. Thank you. 
	Now I want to hear advice, if we can get Davinna to come up --  
	Thank you, Hector. 
	-- to share, Davinna, we'll put a spotlight on you and hear, what is your piece of advice for our participants coming into this month? 
	>> DAVINNA CHRISTIAN:  My piece of advice would be in order to sleep better at night and relieve stress, definitely look into opening an ABLE account. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Okay. Great. Thank you, Davinna. I hope that a lot of the resources we are giving this month will help people feel confident and comfortable taking that action, if it's appropriate to them. Thanks, Davinna. 
	We'll go ahead and highlight Edward next and hear what advice Edward has for our #ABLEtoSave participants coming into this month. 
	Hi, Edward. 
	>> EDWARD MITCHELL:  Hi. I would say, why not?  Don't wait. This is a game changer. The E‑gifting portal, do it today.  It takes less than three minutes.  Trust me, you won't regret it. It will change your life. It changed mine. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Thank you, Edward. 
	We'll hear next from Simon. Hi, Simon, you are one of the newest ABLE account owners, what advice would you give to our #ABLEtoSave participants as we head into this month?  We're kicking it off today.  
	>> SIMON CANTOS:  I can say from personal experience, setting up an ABLE account is very easy, it's very quick. I did it in, like, an hour at 9:00 at night on a random Tuesday and I was done by 10:00 and I was shocked at how quickly it was ‑‑ at how easy it was to set it up. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  And I think when you are included that, I mean, it really only takes ten minutes to fill it out, but you want to read the disclosure forms and all of that great information, too. 
	>> SIMON CANTOS:  Yes, that's why it took me longer.  
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Yeah, those are essential pieces, but it's not an hour long form you are filling out, right?  
	>> SIMON CANTOS:  40 minutes of reading and ten minutes of actual, you know, just punching in info. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Thanks, Simon.  I thought that would be helpful to clarify for people.  Thank you for that advice.  
	We're going to go to Cheryl next.  Cheryl, what is your piece of advice for #ABLEtoSave participants as we head into this month?  If we could share your screen and unmute your line. 
	>> CHERYL WALFALL‑FLAGG: Well, quite a few people have said it, but I'll repeat it and say something else, opening an account is very, very easy.  As folks with disabilities, we fill out so much paper work for thing and wait for acceptance into a program and this is the one thing you can do with a few easy quicks.  Like Miranda said, if you do the research in advance, you can just open the account. 
	And the other thing I want to mention is a lot of the ABLE plans have a You Give program where friends and family can deposit money right into the account, they don't get the account number, they don't get anything, just you the code and it makes it easy for gift giving.  You can send it all over and family can support you that way. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Great. And folks will be learning more about these resources and strategies and comparison tools to open their ABLE account to support some of the advice you are getting here, I just wanted to let you know, you will have resources from us.  
	Hi, Nathan. We would love to hear the advice I have for #ABLEtoSave participants as we head into this month. 
	>> NATHAN TURNER:  Apart from opening the account as soon as possible, I would urge everyone to be committed to small regular contributions.  It doesn't matter how small, but keep in mind the accounts will cost $30,000‑$50,000 a year.  But continue small amounts on a regular basis so you build for your long‑term future. And if you are interested in investing, most of the accounts you can do that. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Thank you so much, Nathan. 
	Finally, we're going to wrap up with Eric. If I can ask Eric to share his screen and we'll go to getting Eric's advice for #ABLEtoSave participants heading into this month. 
	Hi, Eric. What is your advice for #ABLEtoSave participants as we head into this month?  
	>> ERIC CARDENAS:  My advice would be for the audience to keep watching all of the different resources that are available that will support you because I think you will benefit from it and I really think it's worth it to increase your knowledge about ABLE accounts. And if you know people who are deaf or hard‑of‑hearing or deaf‑blind, welcome them and please let them know about the different workshops and things because, you know, I would love to see more deaf [audio breaking up] participants in here and I would love to be able to see more people. 
	>> MIRANDA KENNEDY:  Okay. Great. Thank you so much, Eric. Thank you. 
	And I would just like to say, again, you know, thank you to our panelists, our ABLE Ambassadors, ABLE account owners and family members, we are really happy you were able to share your stories and have them on here with us. You will hearing and seeing more of them throughout the month. Join us on our live events where they will be featured.  
	And just as we are wrapping up in our last five minutes here, I want to reiterate, please do access the ‑‑ follow the #ABLEtoSave Campaign on Facebook or Twitter as well by visiting the social media handle @theABLENRC. And don't forget to use the #ABLEtoSave in post that is you share. Please, also, do stay tuned to our #ABLEtoSave webpage. Events and activities will be added here.  If you missed anything, you can hop on that webpage and access that at ablenrc.org/abletosave‑2021/. 
	There's a picture of our website. We've got a lot of great information and materials, ablenrc.org.  It will take you right to our 2021 campaign as well.  Please do help us in spreading the word about our #ABLEtoSave campaign with your networks. Sign up for our newsletter.  Follow us on social media. 
	As we just wrap up, thank you, again, to our Ambassadors, our ABLE account owners and family members who shared with us today.  Thank you to all of you for being here with us.  We look forward to having you join us along as we move forward with our campaign.  And please do share this information with others.  
	Finally, we would like to again thank our sponsors for #ABLEtoSave, Prudential, CalABLE, TIAA, and ABLEnow and ABLE America.  
	And with that, thank you so much everyone.  We hope you enjoy the rest of your day and we look forward to seeing you again soon! Thanks! Bye! 
	
	[Recording stopped] 
	
	[Session concluded] 
	
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