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A listing of content on the site related to asset building and similar topics.

SBA's annual America East Conference for Lenders (Buffalo and Niagara Falls, New York, from 2011-08-15 to 2011-08-17)
Beyond the Comfort Zone: The 2012 Diversity Experience (Manchester, NH , from 2012-05-09 to 2012-05-10)
Click Here to Download "Benefits Interaction Chart 2009" (MS Excel file)
Download AB 851 Letter of Support template (Word Format)
To download the EQUITY E-Newsletter: Winter 2012: Click here to download a printable version of this edition of the EQUITY E-Newsletter.
Asset Building
EQUITY E-NEWSLETTER: April 2011: All Sides of Asset Building: From internships to regulations to amended returns, this month's EQUITY is no ones fool!
EQUITY E-NEWSLETTER: March 2011: During this 2011 tax season, more people with disabilities are benefiting from free tax preparation and asset building opportunities!
EQUITY E-NEWSLETTER: February 2011: 2011: A preview of this year's asset building obstacles and opportunities for people with disabilities
EQUITY E-NEWSLETTER: December 2010: Asset Building Policy Opportunities: it's not too late to build a more secure financial future for all Americans
EQUITY e-newsletter: February 2004: Introduction to Asset Building & Disability
EQUITY e-newsletter: March 2004: Public Disability Benefits & Asset Building
EQUITY e-newsletter: April 2004: Web Site Accessibility
EQUITY e-newsletter: May 2004: Entrepreneurs with Disabilities: Opportunities for Independence
EQUITY e-newsletter: June 2004: Unrealized Potential: Latinos with Disabilities and Asset Building Programs
EQUITY e-newsletter: Summer 2004: Connecting the Dots: Corporate Finance, Asset Building, and Disability Communities Working Together
EQUITY e-newsletter: September 2004: The Future Looks Bright: Youth with Disabilities Planning Their Own Destiny
EQUITY e-newsletter: October 2004: Celebrating Disability Awareness Month
EQUITY e-newsletter: November 2004: Entrepreneurial Women with Disabilities: Creating Their Own Paths
EQUITY e-newsletter: December 2004: The Future of Asset Building for People with Disabilities
EQUITY e-newsletter: January 2005: Making Tax Time Pay for People with Disabilities
EQUITY e-newsletter: Februrary 2005: Building an Inclusive Ownership Society
EQUITY e-newsletter: March 2005: People with Disabilities in Native Communities Building Assets
EQUITY e-newsletter: April 2005: Making Tax Time Pay for People with Disabilities
EQUITY e-newsletter: May 2005: State Asset Building - Financing Full Inclusion
EQUITY e-newsletter: June 2005: Microenterprise: Developing Disabled Entrepreneurs
EQUITY e-newsletter: Summer 2005: HUD's Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program: Saving for Economic Independence
EQUITY e-newsletter: September 2005: Building for the Future - Youth Asset Building Initiatives
EQUITY e-newsletter: October 2005: Democratizing Asset Building: Mobilizing Action in the Disability Community
EQUITY e-newsletter: November 2005: Honoring Disabled Veterans through Economic Empowerment
EQUITY e-newsletter: December 2005: Disability and Asset Building Communities Working Together
EQUITY e-newsletter: Winter 2006: Tax Time: People with Disabilities Filing, Earning, and Saving
EQUITY e-newsletter: March 2006: Self-Directed Services & Asset Building: Choosing Your Own Path to Economic Self-Sufficiency
EQUITY e-newsletter: April 2006: Pooled Special Needs Trusts: Opportunities & Challenges
EQUITY e-newsletter: May 2006: Telework: Home-based Asset Building
EQUITY e-newsletter: Summer 2006: Accessible Financial Literacy
EQUITY e-newsletter: August 2006: Community Land Trusts: Ensuring Permanently Affordable, Accessible Homeownership
EQUITY e-newsletter: September 2006: LIFE Accounts: New Options for People with Disabilities to Build Assets
EQUITY e-newsletter: October 2006: Election 2006: Mobilizing the Disability Vote
EQUITY e-newsletter: November 2006: Disabling Debt: Which Comes First?
EQUITY e-newsletter: December 2006: Oregon Asset Building: Working toward Full Inclusion
EQUITY e-newsletter: Winter 2007: Tax Time: People with Disabilities Making a Real Economic Impact
EQUITY e-newsletter May 2007: Policy in Action: Fighting for Equitable Inclusion
EQUITY e-newsletter Summer 2007: Creating Affordable, Accessible Housing Through Collaboration
EQUITY e-newsletter September 2007: Weed and Seed: It's Not a Project or a Program- It's a Strategy!
EQUITY e-newsletter October 2007: Mentoring: Investing in Yourself and Your Professional Future
EQUITY e-newsletter: November 2007: Honoring our veterans
EQUITY e-newsletter: December 2007: Asset Building and Disability Communities Working Together: Asset building while still receiving benefits? Yes it’s possible, and this year end issue of EQUITY shows you how.
EQUITY e-newsletter: February 2008: Preparing for tax time: Real Economic Impact for people with disabilities
EQUITY e-newsletter: March 2008: Beyond the Special Needs Trust: Estate Planning and Providing for a Child with a Disability
EQUITY e-newsletter: April 2008: True Self-Determination for People with Disabilities: Arguments for asset building and financial education
EQUITY e-newsletter: June 2008: Taking the first steps to better your financial future!
EQUITY e-newsletter: Summer 2008: Native Communities, Disability and Asset Building: working together to fight poverty on tribal lands
EQUITY e-newsletter: September 2008: This month, EQUITY examines recent Federal policy efforts to encourage asset building across the United States. From housing to savings to retirement, this issue of EQUITY illustrates cutting edge policy issues for people with disabilities.
EQUITY e-newsletter: October 2008: Getting out the disability vote for Election Year 2008
EQUITY e-newsletter: November 2008: State Based Asset Building: Program, People, and Policy
EQUITY e-newsletter: Winter 2008: Microenterprise and Disability Reaching the American Dream: A report on disability, entrepreneurship, and financing
EQUITY e-newsletter: February 2009: A retrospective: where we have been and where we are going!
EQUITY E-NEWSLETTER: May 2011: The Importance of Credit and Debt: A National and Personal Priority
EQUITY e-newsletter: March 2009: Bailouts and Back Street: This month's EQUITY looks at asset building efforts before, during, and after the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
EQUITY e-newsletter: April 2009: Tax Time: The perfect opportunity to start building your economic future
EQUITY e-newsletter May 2009: Credit: what it is, how to get it, and how to keep it! This month's EQUITY looks at the use and role of credit during this unprecedented economic downturn. How did we get here, and how can Americans escape these profligate ways!
EQUITY e-newsletter: June 2009: This month's EQUITY provides a number of foreclosure avoidance strategies as well as first time home-buying opportunities perfect for people with disabilities.
EQUITY e-newsletter: Summer 2009: Education: Increasing employment and economic opportunities for people with disabilities
EQUITY e-newsletter: September 2009: Financial planning for People with disabilities: new programs, strategies, and tools
EQUITY e-newsletter: October 2009: October is disability employment month. This month’s EQUITY examines the power of mentoring to secure and improve employment for people with disabilities.
EQUITY e-newsletter: November 2009: Our nation’s veterans with disabilities: building assets, starting small businesses, becoming economically self-sufficient
EQUITY e-newsletter: December 2009: Federal Policy Update: This month's EQUITY examines some of the disability and asset building progress in 2009
EQUITY e-newsletter: February 2010: Asset accumulation and economic self sufficiency for people with disabilities - the work continues
EQUITY e-newsletter: March 2010: Microenterprise and disability: a great combination to start a business and build financial assets
EQUITY e-newsletter: November 2010: In this month's issue of EQUITY we take a look at some international opportunities, programs and technologies that promote economic advancement of people with disabilities in developing and mid income countries.
EQUITY e-newsletter: April 2010: TAX TIME 2010: People with disabilities benefiting from free tax preparation and asset building opportunities!
EQUITY e-newsletter: May 2010: Technology and people with disabilities: a perfect combination to build your employment and financial future
EQUITY e-newsletter: June 2010: Home ownership for people with disabilities: now more than ever, a great investment for you and your family's future!
EQUITY e-newsletter: Summer 2010
EQUITY E-NEWSLETTER: October 2010: This month’s EQUITY focuses on employment and job preparedness in recognition of National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
EQUITY E-NEWSLETTER: September 2010: People with Disabilities: Building long-term financial assets!
EQUITY E-NEWSLETTER: June 2011: Making the Case for Home-Ownership for People with Disabilities: The time is right!
EQUITY E-NEWSLETTER: Summer 2011: Disability and Micro-enterprise 2011: building businesses one person at a time!
EQUITY E-NEWSLETTER: September 2011: Keeping the Faith, Asset building for the long view
EQUITY E-Newsletter: Winter 2012: A product of the World Institute on Disability's Center on Economic Growth
Nick Ensley: Nick Ensley, in the middle, surrounded by the Rolling Stones
Joshua Goldstein
Ringler Associates
National Structured Settlement Trade Association (NSSTA)
Bryan Bashin: Bryan Bashin, who formerly served as Assistant Regional Commissioner for the U.S. Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration and as Executive Director of the Sacramento Society for the Blind, currently is working as a management consultant and is an active member in many national organizations of the blind. In addition, he is the founder of the Sacramento-based Center for Science Reporting and Id Pro Quo Job Services, providing coaching and placement for jobseekers who are blind.
Jack Hillyard: On April 14, 2009, Jack Hillyard will begin as Director of the Bureau of Individual Supports with the Office of Long Term Living in Pennsylvania.
Urban Miyares: Urban Miyares, President, Disabled Businesspersons Association, the National Disabled Veterans Business Center (Photo by Joshua Ross, Disabled Businesspersons Association)
Mark Vogel, CSSC, Ringler Associates
Bob Williams: Bob Williams
Renae Tollman-Jones: Renae Tollman-Jones, the Boot Making Queen of Crawford
J Francois & Co. CPA
Making Home Affordable Plan
The Boston Earned Income Tax Credit Campaign
Real Economic Impact Tour (REI Tour)
The National Community Tax Coalition (NCTC)
A Guide to PASS
AccountAbility Minnesota
Real Economic Impact Tour
Special Needs Alliance
Achieving Independence for Persons with Disabilities
Law Resources from Martindale.com: Lawyer Locator and Attorney Directory
American Bar Association: Defending Liberty, Pursuing Justice
Center for Self-Determination
The Army AW2 Soldier Connection
Army Retired Services
HireVetsFirst
The Veterans Business Outreach Program (VBOP)
HUD USER - Policy Development and Research's Information Service
HUD's Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Database
Freddie Mac
National Organization on Disability-Access to Independence Housing
People with Disabilities -HUD
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development
Aspen Institute: Initiative on Financial Security
Aspen Institute: Business and Society Program
The Family Self-Sufficiency Program: HUD's Best Kept Secret for Promoting Employment and Asset Growth- Barbara Sard
TANF and AFIA Funding Declaration Letter (for IDA Providers) *Produced by CFED (Word)
Welfare Information Network
Center on Hunger & Poverty Asset Building Institute
Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD)
National Settlement Consultants
Settlement Planning Associates
The Settlement Services Group
Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Housing Task Force
Montana Home Choice Coalition
HUD's Community Planning & Development (CPD) Community Connections Information Clearinghouse
Urban Development Timeline
HUD Public Housing Authorities Index
Wireless RERC
Test Your Speed
Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America
Assets for Independence (AFI) Program
Federal Housing Tax Credit FAQs
Preserving Homeownership and Savings Education Strategy (PHASES) program
Mortgage Calculator
The Beard Realty Team: ACCESSIBLE HOUSING - Your Key to Home Ownership for People with Disabilities
Women's Institute for Financial Education
World Wide Web Consortium Web Accessibility Initiative
MsMoney.com
HOPE NOW
American Public Human Services Association
Family Self-Sufficiency: An Asset Building Opportunity- Reid Cramer
The Family Self-Sufficiency Program: A Promising, Low-Cost Vehicle to Promote Savings and Asset Building for Recipients of Federal Housing Assistance- Reid Cramer & Jeff Lubell (PDF)
WorkWorld - Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program- Section 8
Annie E. Casey Foundation
Levi-Strauss & Co. Foundation
John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The Foundation Center
Assets for Independence Act Summary (PDF)
Beach Center on Disability
Assets For Independence (AFI) Individual Development Accounts
Association for Enterprise Opportunity
The Iowa Able Foundation
EPS Settlements Group, Inc.
Bradford Settlement Company
Settlement Professionals
Understanding Structured Settlements
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities- Housing Policy
National Housing Trust Fund- National Low Income Housing Coalition
The State of the Nation's Cities: A Comprehensive Database on American Cities and Suburbs
Center for Urban Policy Research
Whirlwind Wheelchair International
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Structured Financial Associates
AIG American General Structured Settlements
Atlas Settlement Group
Brant Hickey & Associates
Cambridge Galaher Settlements
James E. Logan & Associates, Ltd.
JMW Settlements
The Mangelsdorf Companies
Aviva
Structured Settlement Help
Disability Benefits 101: SSI and Work
Proyecto Visión (proyectovision.net)
IBR Info: learn about new federal student loan payment and forgiveness options
Next Student Incorporated
The Abilities Fund
RESNA Catalyst Project
Assets For Independence (AFI) Resource Center
National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions
Benefit Offset National Demonstration (BOND)
Social Security Online: Program Development & Research
The Federal Housing Tax Credit: How it works and how to make it work for people with disabilities
New America Foundation
Center for Social Development
Institute on Assets and Social Policy
AssetBuilding.org
Center for Policy Alternatives - IDAs
Information for Decision Making - Asset Development Programs
KnowledgePlex
d2dfund
Native Hawaiian Advancement
Hope for Homeowners
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV)
Mobile Device Manufacturers
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) providers
FCC
Student Aid on the Web
The Direct Loan Service center
Discharge Loan Forms on the Web
National Student Loan Data System
National Structured Settlement Trade Association (NSSTA)
Ringler Associates
Bridge Settlement Corporation
Creative Capital
Forge Consulting
The James Street Group
The Abilities Fund
Faith Based Credit Union
MyFico
The Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP)
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Sentinels Of Freedom
7(a) Loan Guaranty Program
University of Iowa Law, Health Policy & Disability Center
IRS Economic Stimulus Payment Calculator
Employment Policy Group, University of Iowa
Prosper
Shared Horizons Inc.
Elder Law Answers
Workforce Recruitment Program
Entry Point
Quality of Life Technology Center
Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF)
Rock the Vote
AAPD
Social Security Administration: Student Earned Income Exclusion
Center for Financial Independence & Innovation
Washington Access Fund
Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (the CDFI Fund)
National Foundation for Financial Education
Women and Co.
National Disability Institute
Computer/Electronics Accommodations Program (CAP)
Blinded Veterans Association (BVA)
National EmployAbility Project
Specially Adapted Housing Program
EarnIt!KeepIt!SaveIt!
Office of Disability Employment Policy
CFED
Guidelines for Optimizing Partnerships with Financial Institutions for Individual Development Account (IDA) Programs- Institute of Social & Economic Development (ISED)
Accountability- Critiques the common practice of offering tax incentives to attract and retain businesses CFED
National Disability Institute
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Joyce Foundation
The Moriah Fund
Rockefeller Foundation
New America Foundation
Center for Social Development
Corporation for Enterprise Development
Kiva
Proyecto Visión
Vanguard
EastBay Works
Disability.gov
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Andrew Tobias, Money and Other Subjects
usbln
Justice Department’s ADA website
National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions
Millennium Settlements
Delta Group of Settlement Companies
Huver & Associates, Inc.
Little, Meyers & Associates, Ltd.
Summit Structured Settlements
Center for Special Needs Trust Administration
Structured Settlements Guide
Home and housing options: Directgov - Disabled people
USDA Rural Development's Office of Community Development- Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities
Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH)
National Association of Home Builders Research Center
A.W.A.R.E., Inc.
Financial Institutions and Individual Development Accounts: Results of a National Survey- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler Business School (PDF)
Business Incentive Reform- CFED
Center for Financial Services Innovation
National Endowment for Financial Education
Beyond Bank Accounts: Full Financial Inclusion
American Express Foundation
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation: Pathways out of Poverty
Fannie Mae Foundation
F.B. Heron Foundation
Cal Transitions
U.C. Berkeley Career Center - Students with Disabilities
U.C. Berkeley: Career Center - Students with Disabilities - Mentoring
Disability Mentoring Day - Main Page
San Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind
Charlie Munger on Communism, Botox, and Goldbug Jerks
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Free Tax Return Preparation For You by Volunteers
The Urban Institute
American Opportunity Tax Credit
Hope Tax Credit (pdf)
Saver's Tax Credit
National Community Reinvestment Coalition
Federal Reserve Bank
Americans for Fairness in Lending
Center for Responsible Lending
Andrew Tobias, financial columnist
Going to College: A resource for teens with disabilities
Money Smart - A Financial Education Program
Curriculum on Abuse Prevention and Empowerment (CAPE)
Credit Builders Alliance
My Fico
Community Action New Mexico
Fannie Mae MyCommunity Mortgage: Flexible mortgage options for low- and moderate-income borrowers
Affordable Housing Solutions- Fannie Mae
Community HomeChoice Program
Technical Assistance Collaborative
Citizens' Housing and Planning Association
Kern Regional Center
Proposed Asset Building Summary- Office of Public Affairs
CFED
HUD Housing Choice Vouchers
HUD Office of Housing Non-profit Programs
Housing for People with Disabilities
Opening Doors: A Housing Initiative for People with Disabilities
National Home of Your Own Alliance
National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification
New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities
American Council of the Blind Press Release, 4/24/08
MsFinancialSavvy.com
Women's Finance
National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions
The Center for Financial Independence & Innovation, Inc.
Market Watch
U.C. Berkeley: Career Center - Students with Disabilities - Talking About Disability: Disclosure
EQUITY Survey
Disability Benefits 101
Taipan Daily
Careerbuilder
bank rate
Center for Financial Inclusion
Oweesta Corporation
Emerging Leaders
WorkAbility IV Berkeley
Assets for Independence
Abilities Fund
State AT and Telework Financial Loan Programs
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund
Oregon Advocacy Center
Chicks Laying Nest Eggs
SingleMOMZ.com
Social Security for Women
D2D FUND
The Motley Fool: Invest Your Tax Cut in Your Retirement by Chuck Saletta
Vanguard
Sebastian Buckup
Real Economic Impact Tour
NTAR Center
Job Interview Tips
Social Security Administration
President Obama's Economic Recovery House Meeting
NeighborWorks Center for Foreclosure Solutions
The Motley Fool: Invest Your Tax Cut in Your Retirement by Chuck Saletta
The Library of Congress, THOMAS
The National Organization on Disability (NOD)
Native Financial Education Coalition
National Low Income Housing Coalition
Freddie Mac
The Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED)
Strategic Outreach to Families of All Reservists
DB101.org
Take Action: Support FAIR Overdraft Coverage
Tax Information for Retirement Plans Community
Upholstery Rescue
Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology
12 Financial Tips for Women
Heller Ehrman LLP
National Senior Citizens Law Center
A Working Woman's Guide to Financial Security
National Association of Realtors
Doorways to Dreams
Employee Benefit Research Institute
American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) Center for Workers with Disabilities
National Disability Institute
Internal Revenue Service
The Association for Enterprise Opportunity
The Corporation for Enterprise Development
The Beard Realty Team
Wind River Development Fund
National Congress of American Indians
Allsup
NCIL
Department of Elections, San Francisco, CA
ADA Watch
State EITC Online Research Center
Center on Budget & Policy Priorities
National Disability Institute
Real Economic Impact Tour
National Council on Independent Living
Feature: Building Expectations: Actions you can take now to improve your financial future
Special Section: Justice Department’s New ADA Rules Go into Effect on March 15, 2011
Program of the Month: Quality of Life Technology Center Receives Funding for Research Experience for Undergraduates and Veterans Transition Program
Profile of the Month: How Alternative Financing Changes Outcomes: one person at a time
Tip of the Month: Childhood Savings Contribute to Increased Academic Aspirations
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: Dear EQUITY: I want to thank you for information in your newsletter about the Saver's Credit. I have been putting money into my Roth IRA every year but haven’t been claiming the Saver's Credit on my taxes. I've heard that I can file an amended tax form for previous years and claim that credit, but I'm not sure how. What do I need to do to get this credit for previous years?
EQUITY Sponsors: EQUITY is supported by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the National Disability Institute as well as the Friedman Family Foundation, Acorda Therapeutics and other generous funders.
Feature: Seven years and counting of making a real economic impact for persons with disabilities! By Michael R. Roush, MA, National Program Director, NDI's Real Economic Impact Tour
Program of the Month: The Boston Earned Income Tax Credit Campaign provides volunteer tax preparation and seeks to maximize the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-to-moderate income households in Boston and in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Profile of the Month: Marilyn MacNab, a Boston community activist and trained accountant, is profiled in this month’s edition. She is a key volunteer and leader in the Boston Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Campaign and founding member of the Disability Working Group in Boston’s EITC campaign.
Tip of the Month: This year, think about receiving part of your tax return in the form of a savings bond; this makes saving easier for all families and individuals.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: Will claiming the Earned Income Credit (EIC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC) affect eligibility for other benefits upon which people with disabilities rely?
EQUITY Sponsors: EQUITY is supported by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the National Disability Institute as well as the Friedman Family Foundation, Acorda Therapeutics and other generous funders.
Feature: Asset Building 2011: Opportunities and challenges for the new year
Special Section: We want to hear from you! Our funding is dependent on your evaluation of our newsletter. Please help us by taking this quick survey and telling us what you think of EQUITY.
Program of the Month: Interns with Disabilities Charting a New Path at Credit Unions
Profile of the Month: An Interview with Bob Williams, Senior Advisor to the Acting Associate Commissioner of the Social Security Administration’s Office of Employment Support Programs by Lateef McLeod.
Tip of the Month: Build-up Your Retirement Savings Now with Washington's 2011 Tax Holiday!
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: I've heard something about a new Social Security research study that helps people get back to work: do you know anything about this?
Feature: The Tipping Point: Asset Building Policy Opportunities, it's not to late to build a more secure financial future for all Americans.
Program of the Month: Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2009: Supporting Financial Independence for Persons with Disabilities --- Help support this important legislative change, during the remaining window of opportunity with the 111th Congress!
Profile of the Month: 2010 midterm election results in losses and gains for assets champions: greater local support for asset-building policies is necessary
Tip of the Month: Imagine - A commentary on Poverty and the American Economy in 2010.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: I've been hearing a lot about the new health care reform regulations and how it does away with asset limits for some people on Medicaid. Is this true, can I stop worrying about asset limits?
EQUITY Sponsors: EQUITY is supported by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the National Disability Institute as well as the Friedman Family Foundation, Acorda Therapeutics and other generous funders.
Equity Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Are there any new tax refunds available for this filing season?
EQUITY Feature Article: Asset Building: Opening the Door to the American Dream for People with Developmental Disabilities- Dennis Rizzo, New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities, illustrates why building assets with Individual Development Accounts is a perfect fit for people with developmental disabilities.
EQUITY Special Section: AFI Family Support 360 IDA Initiative- Providing Office of Community Services (OCS) Assets For Independence (AFI) Individual Development Account (IDA) Services for People with Disabilities
EQUITY Program of the Month: Kern Regional Center: Building Assets and Breaking Barriers for People with Developmental Disabilities- Aaron Markovits, Program Director, introduces one of the new Assets For Independence Individual Development Account programs- which happens to serve people with developmental disabilities.
EQUITY Profile of the Month: You Got to Believe: Lucius Mangrum- Learning to ignore the low expectations and the hateful comments has not been easy, but Lucius Mangrum has faith in himself. It was his faith and willingness to fight for his rights that allowed him to become a homeowner with a developmental disability in Washington D.C.
EQUITY Tip of the Month: De-linking Disability and Poverty: Call for the End of Asset Limits on Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Programs
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: What are microboards?
EQUITY Feature Article: Disability Policy: Uniting Forces for the Social and Economic Inclusion of All People- Megan O’Neil, World Institute on Disability, illustrates how not all government policy is created the same. There are new and exciting policy opportunities for people with disabilities and by collaborating with asset building organizations, we can create a more equitable society.
EQUITY Profile of the Month: Innovative Transitions: Nick Ensley- A typical 26 year old, except that two years ago a car crash left him paralyzed from the neck down and lives in a "skilled nursing facility". Yet, with the help of caring people, innovative asset building strategies, and Starbuck's- Nick is earning his way towards independence.
EQUITY Tip of the Month: Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities(CCD) Ad Hoc Asset Task Force in Asset Development, Financial Literacy, and Tax Policy- Kerry Lida, Center for Workers with Disabilities, introduces a newly formed group designed to explore fiscal policies that affect the lives of people with disabilities.
EQUITY Feature Article: Structured Settlements: Reducing Financial Insecurity in an Insecure World, Randy Dyer. Structured Settlements are an option for people that have been involved in accidents, malpractice lawsuits, or worker's compensation cases. Here are some of the reasons they might be the best choice for people with disabilities.
EQUITY Special Section: Structured Settlement Consumer’s Bill of Rights. Tammy Aminian, EPS Settlements Group, Inc.
EQUITY Program of the Month: Structuring Your Structured Settlement: Ringler Associates. Mark Vogel, CSSC. Here is some practical advice on things you should consider when you choose a structured settlement.
EQUITY Profile of the Month: Structuring a Life- Laura Smith. Jane and John Smith have faced many complicated choices since their daughter Laura was born with a disability. While the decisions they have made have not been easy, their story provides a great deal of insight for parents that may be dealing with many of the same issues.
EQUITY Tip of the Month: Structured Settlements Glossary of Frequently Used Terms. Reprinted with the kind permission of JG Wentworth http://www.jgwentworth.com/Glossary/Default.aspx
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: We have all heard the commercials for receiving cash for a Structured Settlement or annuity. Is this a good deal?
EQUITY Feature Article: Utilizing Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) to Create Affordable, Accessible Rental Housing for People with Disabilities. Ann O'Hara, Technical Assistance Collaborative Associate Director, explains Low Income Housing Tax Credits and provides examples of collaboratives working to make housing developments affordable for very low income people with disabilities.
EQUITY Special Section: SEVRA 2007- H.R. 1851 The Section Eight Voucher Reform Act of 2007, proposes sweeping changes to HUD's housing subsidy program. Here are a few changes which may effect people with disabilities.
EQUITY Program of the Month: The Montana Home Choice Coalition: It’s All About Relationships. Michael M. O’Neil, State Director of the Montana Home Choice Coalition, describes how building strong housing collaboratives can lead to homeownership for people with disabilities.
EQUITY Profile of the Month: Montana Pioneer: Willis Bonner. Willis Bonner serves as a powerful role model for people with disabilities across the country and proves with a lot of persistence and creativity- not to mention, help from organizations like A.W.A.R.E. and the Montana Home Choice Coalition- the American Dream of owning a home of your own can become a reality.
EQUITY Tip of the Month: National Housing Trust Fund: A Potential New Source of Affordable Housing Funds
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: After reading EQUITY’s Feature article about the Low Income Housing Tax credit, how do I find these housing projects?
EQUITY Feature Article: Weed and Seed: Making Assets Grow Question: What federal agency runs a program called “Weed and Seed”? Hint: it’s not the Department of Agriculture. If you said the Department of Justice, then you already know about an ambitious effort to revitalize troubled neighborhoods across the country. By Terry Ratigan, Weed and Seed Consultant
EQUITY Program of the Month: Terry Ratigan provides a peak at a fully inclusive IDA program offered through the Racine Wisconsin Weed & Seed effort. People with disabilities comprise nearly one quarter of the participants in this IDA program.
EQUITY Tip of the Month: Interested in increasing your outreach to the disability community? The disability community is the new target audience for your organization, product or service.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Question: As part of a Weed & Seed strategy in my neighborhood, there is a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Last year, they were stressing the importance of “leveraging” the “EITC”. What does that mean? Isn’t leveraging something very risky?
EQUITY Feature Article: Access to Assets sat down with Brian Bashin, management consultant and mentor, to discuss the crucial role of mentoring for the professional development of people with disabilities.
EQUITY Program of the Month: Disability Mentoring Day, October 17th Take a look at how they do it in Berkeley! Both The U.C. Berkeley CAL Transitions program and the new AAPD Local Disability Mentoring Day Coordinator celebrate Mentoring Day 2007.
EQUITY Profile of the Month: Jonathan Lyens describes his experience with the mentoring process and how it helped jump-start his career.
EQUITY Tip of the Month: Has someone at your job asked you to be a mentor? Here are 6 points to consider.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: What are the guidelines regarding student loan forgiveness for people with disabilities or for people entering certain professions?
EQUITY Feature Article: Disabled Veterans Reach for the American Dream: Business Ownership
EQUITY Special Section: Disability War News
EQUITY Special Section 2: President Bush recently announced his intension to overhaul and simplify the manner in which wounded veterans receive treatment. Here are a few of the proposed changes...
EQUITY Program of the Month: The United States Armies Wounded Warrior Program
EQUITY Profile of the Month: Captain Scott Smiley: not even a suicide bomber in Iraq could slow down this wounded warrior.
EQUITY Tip of the Month: 14 programs that help veterans with disabilities get an education, find a job and build assets.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q:I've heard different things about the GI bill--isn't it a great way to pay for all my college expenses?
EQUITY Feature Article: Financial planning strategies for people with disabilities
EQUITY Special Section: Benefits to Work Calculator 2.0 Launches at DB101: Benefits to Work Calculator 2.0 Launches at DB101
EQUITY Program of the Month: United Way & Earn It! Keep It! Save It! Actively engaging people with disabilities to become self-sufficient and save money for their future.
EQUITY Profile of the Month: From hopelessness to a plan, Latisha G. found asset building opportunities provided a strategy to improve her life.
EQUITY Tip of the Month: Here’s a great way to borrow money and build your credit.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: I have been on SSDI for over nine years and have not worked during that period. However, starting December 3, I am going back to work part-time and expect my starting pay to be about $2,000 per month. A friend told me I could still receive my SSDI benefit through the trial work period and extended period of eligibility. Is that true? How does it work?
EQUITY Feature Article: What is the Real Economic Impact Tour?
EQUITY Special Section: The Assets for Independence (AFI) program is currently accepting applications for the March 25th deadline and is pleased to announce a series of informational webinars for prospective grantees.
EQUITY Special Section 2: EQUITY Year in Review: We want to hear from you! Our funding is dependent on your evaluation of our newsletter. Please help us by taking this quick survey and telling us what you think of EQUITY.
EQUITY Program of the Month: Minnesota and New Hampshire: Two tour cities describe how they bring best practices to asset building for people with disabilities.
EQUITY Profile of the Month: Starting Down the Road to Self-Determination and Economic Independence at Age 41
EQUITY Tip of the Month: Tax Tips for Individuals with Disabilities and Their Families
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: What sort of information or documentation do I need to bring with me when I go to a VITA site? Is there anything out there to help organize my paperwork?
EQUITY Feature Article: Even people with disabilities need to think about estate planning. Evan Krame, an estate and trust attorney, discusses special needs trusts and the importance of planning for your financial future.
EQUITY Special Section: Things you need to know about the 2008 stimulus payment: In order to receive a 2008 stimulus payment, you must file a 2007 Federal tax return. Even so, SSI income is NOT considered qualified income to receive this year's payment. Read on to find out more information.
EQUITY Program of the Month: Shared Horizons Pooled Special Needs Trust: bringing professional, affordable trust administration to individuals with disabilities.
EQUITY Profile of the Month: When James Sanders learned that he would be receiving a sizeable judicial award, he knew that he would have to do something with the proceeds to retain his benefits.
EQUITY Tip of the Month: Access to Assets sat down with Attorney Ron M. Landsman to discuss some of the things to consider when hiring an attorney.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: When and how should I terminate my special needs trust?
EQUITY Feature Article: As Jack Hillyard steps down from his position as Director of the Center for Disabilities and Development's Employment Policy Group at the University of Iowa, he discusses the need for asset building opportunities and financial education to achieve true self-determination.
EQUITY Program of the Month: SAVE THE DATE! Please join the World Institute on Disability and our conference partners at the first all-day pre-conference focusing on international asset building strategies for people with disabilities!
EQUITY Profile of the Month: Lee Giurlanda and the IRS: Recruiting and Hiring of Individuals with Disabilities
EQUITY Tip of the Month: How to establish a technical assistance and training center addressing work incentives and benefits.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: HELP! This economic stimulus payment thing is confusing me!
EQUITY Feature Article: Easy steps to improve your long term financial health: Women with disabilities face unique challenges to building long-term financial security, but this article provides several planning options to help overcome these obstacles.
EQUITY Special Section: JUDGE RULES SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION MUST ACCOMMODATE BLIND BENEFICIARIES
EQUITY Program of the Month: This Bay Area organization knows that self-employment is not for everyone, but for some women, it can be the path to reaching one’s potential.
EQUITY Profile of the Month: Taking the next best step: Susan is securing her financial future, one day at a time.
EQUITY Tip of the Month: While neither gender has an exclusive lock on money management skills, the financial deck is stacked against women. They earn about three-quarters of what men make. In a divorce, they get less of the assets and more of the children.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: I understand how important it is to maintain good credit. As a blind woman, how am I able to access my free credit report?
EQUITY Feature Article: Asset building 101: Develop a banking relationship, and steer clear of financial predators!
EQUITY Program of the Month: San Diego’s Faith Based Credit Union: A second chance at banking with personal first rate service!
EQUITY Profile of the Month: Loupie didn’t know much about banking when he turned 18. His parents never trusted banks, so why should he. Thanks to a city-wide program and a few bad experiences to learn from, he now has both a checking and savings account and is looking to start building assets!
EQUITY Tip of the Month: Credit matters, and for more than you may think!
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: I'm thinking of purchasing some new furniture for my home, but I'm not sure the best way to do it. Is there a big difference in the way I finance the purchase? What if I can't afford to buy it only with cash?
EQUITY Feature Article: Diabetes in Native communities may lead to disabilities but need not result in financial despair
EQUITY Special Section: Legislative Alert! AB 851: helps California’s workers with disabilities in building a better economic future.
EQUITY Program of the Month: An Introduction to Oweesta’s Financial Education and Asset Building Programs
EQUITY Profile of the Month: Native Horse Trainer Accesses Credit, Builds Business with Help from Native CDFI
EQUITY Tip of the Month: Native Disability Resources
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: How can I learn more about tribal governments and the issues they face?
EQUITY Feature Article: The Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008 (HR 3221).
EQUITY Special Section: Want $5,000? Apply for the Judd Jacobson Memorial Award
EQUITY Program of the Month: The new and improved 401(k)? Recent policy changes in the Pension Protection Act of 2006 provide an opportunity for employers to really make retirement savings work for lower income workers. This month’s EQUITY program shows you how.
EQUITY Profile of the Month: The World Institute on Disability joins the nation in mourning the loss of long-time assets champion U.S. Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH). Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and loved ones.
EQUITY Tip of the Month: Tax returns, savings bonds, and asset limit disregards: a great combination of policy to help people with disabilities build long term financial assets.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: OK, I know I should probably know this, but how exactly does a policy suggestion or idea become the law?
EQUITY Feature Article: We have all heard the hype: most important election in years; a moment in time; a chance to change the direction of the country; Register, Vote, Exercise your rights; not everyone gets this opportunity! This time it isn’t hype, its all true!
EQUITY Program of the Month: San Francisco Department of Elections Works to Increase Accessibility to the Voting Process for all Voters
EQUITY Profile of the Month: What a difference four years can make! In 2004 Army Blackhawk pilot Tammy Duckworth was in Iraq watching the Democratic Convention, this year she was a featured speaker in Denver, Colorado at the 2008 Nominating Convention.
EQUITY Tip of the Month: Here are 3 non-partisan political resources which specifically consider the candidates records and views regarding disability specific issues.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: I haven't voted in years, is it too late for me to vote in the presidential election in November?
EQUITY Feature Article: Advancing Employment and Economic Independence: State Activities through the National Technical Assistance and Research Leadership Center
EQUITY Program of the Month: Community Action New Mexico: Six community action agencies working together to make a difference.
EQUITY Profile of the Month: Sometimes, changing your own economic expectations is a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
EQUITY Tip of the Month: The state earned income tax credit: a great tool for states and municipalities to assist working families in building assets.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: I live in a county where there is no federally-funded individual development account program. There is a program that is funded by private funders and the state, but I worry about how that will affect my benefits. Can a person on benefits safely participate in a state-funded IDA program?
EQUITY Feature Article: Patty Lind, the Executive Director of The Abilities Fund, offers her years of insight around microenterprise and disability.
EQUITY Program of the Month: Citigroup Foundation’s Women & Co.® Microenterprise Boost Program Aids Women Entrepreneurs with Disabilities
EQUITY Profile of the Month: After onset of disability, Reane, the Boot Making Queen of Crawford, endeavored into a rewarding career path which has lead to her new enterprise.
EQUITY Tip of the Month: Access to Credit for Entrepreneurs with Disabilities: With more than twenty five years of collective experience serving entrepreneurs with disabilities in gaining access to capital, the staff at The Abilities Fund (AF) recently sat down with WID to discuss business funding resources.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: How do I know if starting a business is right for me?
EQUITY Feature Article: As EQUITY begins its sixth year as the leading disability asset building publication, we revisit the historical landscape which led to this ground breaking publication!
EQUITY Special Section: We want to hear from you! Our funding is dependent on your evaluation of our newsletter. Please help us by taking this quick survey and telling us what you think of EQUITY.
NEW SECTION: Brandon's Blog: EQUITY welcomes Mr. Brandon Young to the Access to Assets staff. Brandon, a native of North Philadelphia, will be blogging about his experiences as an African American male with a disability participating in an asset-building program.
EQUITY Program of the Month: 850,000,000,000 tiny little pieces: Disability and asset building provisions in the 2009 stimulus package.
EQUITY Profile of the Month: Where are they now?: EQUITY re-visits Richard Keeling, the January 2005 Profile of the Month.
EQUITY Tip of the Month: National Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) day has just passed! Check out what these dollars could mean in the disability community.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: Social Security recently announced some kind of new faster procedure to apply for benefits if you have cancer, is that true?
Feature: Credit, Debt and the National Debate
Program of the Month: President Obama Commits to Protecting Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security Whilst House Republican Budget Targets Medicaid & Medicare
Profile of the Month: Angel’s Efforts to Become Credit-Able
Tip of the Month: Spring Cleaning: Tax Records You Can Throw Away
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: I have been trying to get my finances into order but I have a question when it comes to paying off my credit cards. I've heard that it can take a long time to pay them off by just making the minimum payment, but I have three cards; how should I approach paying them all off?
EQUITY Sponsors: EQUITY is supported by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the National Disability Institute as well as the Friedman Family Foundation, Acorda Therapeutics and other generous funders.
EQUITY Feature Article: The Back Street's unsung heroes: Long before the recent economic downturn, Back Street Brokers have been on the front lines every day-- providing education, job assistance, free tax help and more--in an effort to lead low-income Americans out of poverty.
Brandon's Blog: Brandon ruminates on the meaning of wealth for a visually impaired African American in 2009.
EQUITY Special Section: Check out the continuing efforts by credit unions to provide accessible, affordable financial products to all people with disabilities.
EQUITY Program of the Month: We are excited to announce The Resources, Employment, Assets and Learning (REAL) Opportunity Study, a second generation of research funded by the National Institute on Disability Rehabilitation Research as part of the AAESS project.
EQUITY Profile of the Month: One IDA participant's journey through asset building education to a more secure financial future.
EQUITY Tip of the Month: Tax filing season is here again. With it, questions about what has changed that could benefit me or cost me have come back too.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q- I just heard that this stimulus plan actually has something for people on SSI, is that true?
EQUITY Feature Article: On April 15th, most of us will breathe a sigh of relief. Our tax returns are filed and we can stop worrying about the subject for nearly another year. But it may be that April 15th is precisely the date on which we should start rather than stop thinking about our taxes.
Brandon's Blog: Am I a victim of my circumstances, or am I responsible for the situations I find myself in?
EQUITY Program of the Month: Why would anyone want to file a tax return if they are not required to file one? It's time consuming. The law says it's voluntary. Filing might jeopardize public benefits. All of these sound like legitimate reasons not to file. But people with disabilities who have earned income SHOULD file for one very important reason.
EQUITY Profile of the Month: Where are they now?: EQUITY re-visits Latisha G., the December 2007 Profile of the Month
EQUITY Tip of the Month: Saving for retirement during a recession is not simple, but the Federal Savings Credit makes it a bit easier for lower income families.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q. Currently I am working half-time and paying for my own college education. I heard about a great tax deduction for students. Is this true? How does it work?
EQUITY Feature Article: The "credit crunch" seems to be the only thing people are talking about these days. Headlines like those that "the banks are not lending" and "credit is frozen" are being tossed about like hand grenades ready to explode in financial portfolios. So, what is credit?
Brandon's Blog: I finally went to my first home ownership/financial literacy class the other day. I had been told by people who had been through these classes before that I should expect to be the highest functioning person there.
EQUITY Program of the Month: The Federal Reserve recently promulgated new rules to support consumers and limit abusive credit card practices. The only catch, the new rules take effect in July 2010.
EQUITY Profile of the Month: Lured by hundreds of credit card solicitations, 18-year-old Christopher soon found himself snared by credit card debt payments.
EQUITY Tip of the Month: Credit Cheat Sheet: improve your FICO score now! This month's tip shows you how to improve your credit score and how its calculated!
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: I just received a nearly $2,000 tax refund, thanks to both the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit—those things really add up! I'm not sure what the best thing to do with my money is.
EQUITY Feature Article: HUD Housing Counseling: A Life Line for Home Owners, New Home Buyers, Renters and the Homeless
EQUITY Special Section: Too often the "subprime crisis" is blamed on the carelessness or overreaching of the low-income homeowners who are assumed to be the primary market for subprime mortgages. New evidence suggests it is lack of financial education, savings, and the terms of lending that bear the greatest responsibility for this crisis.
EQUITY Special Section 2: The Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2009 (also known as the ABLE Act of 2009) is proposed bipartisan legislation in the 111th Congress (S. 493/H.R. 1205). If enacted, the ABLE Act would authorize the creation of tax preferred accounts to benefit people with disabilities.
EQUITY Program of the Month: Up to $8,000 is available to first time home buyers through H.R. 1, the American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Here are a few strategies to use the credit to actually fund your down payment!
EQUITY Profile of the Month: From college in Berkeley, California to her first job in Omaha, Nebraska, Naomi Armenta always knew she could succeed. Her latest adventure: buying her first home.
EQUITY Tip of the Month: Mortgage Refinancing, Modification, and Grants: This month’s Tip of the Month offers homeowners a panoply of mortgage and foreclosure avoidance solutions!
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: Is it really worth refinancing even if we can still make our current payment? If we ask the mortgage servicer for a lower rate, might they get nervous and call our loan because of our past troubles?
EQUITY Feature: Want to significantly increase the likelihood of employment and economic advancement for people with disabilities? This month’s EQUITY looks at the strong correlation between education, employment and income gains particularly for people with disabilities.
EQUITY Program of the Month: Since 2001, Proyecto Visión has developed an infrastructure to provide positive employment outcomes for Latinos with disabilities. In 2008 Proyecto Visión began to shift its focus to Latino and other youth with disabilities from underserved populations so they may successfully transition from school to higher education, attain sustainable independent living, and employment outcomes.
EQUITY Profile of the Month: Prior to his injury, Alex wasn’t interested in school; but these days, this UC Berkeley senior with a 3.8 GPA can foresee a future in political organizing.
EQUITY Special Section: We want to hear from you! Our funding is dependent on your evaluation of our newsletter. Please help us by taking this quick survey and telling us what you think of EQUITY.
EQUITY Tip of the Month: Under 22? In school? Working? Earn up to $1660 a month without affecting your SSI.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: I have over eighty thousand dollars in four types of loans, from five different lenders. I am wondering if it makes sense to consolidate it all into one loan. Is consolidation a good deal?
EQUITY Feature: Senator Ted Kennedy’s commitment to service and civil rights: making a difference one at a time
EQUITY Special Section: A Televideo Town Hall Meeting Community Partners Respond to CA Program Budget Cuts Current Information and Strategies to Cope with Significant Change
EQUITY Program of the Month: Learn about the Center for Financial Independence & Innovation (CFII) and their mission to offer Georgians with disabilities, family members/care givers, and service providers access to affordable financial products and services that will result in increased personal and financial independence.
EQUITY Profile of the Month: Sometimes the next step to financial empowerment is taking back control.
EQUITY Tip of the Month: Alternative Financing Programs (AFPs) and how Americans with disabilities can benefit from them
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Can you recommend a financial education curriculum which is available in multiple formats?
Feature: Mentoring, another tool to secure your employment and build your career!
Program of the Month: WorkAbility IV - connecting students with disabilities with services and internships to land that first job and advance their careers.
Profile of the Month: Toan Nhu Nguyen: Providing More than Tech Support at IBM
Tip of the Month: Find out how Facebook can keep you from getting a job and what you can do to stop it!
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: My career counselor at school is pushing me to find an internship next semester, is that a good idea, where can someone with a disability look for internships?
Feature: VB101: getting the right information in the right hands at the right time for our nations Veterans
Program of the Month: Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) offers cutting edge, experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business management to veterans with disabilities.
Profile of the Month: Personal accounts of how the EBV program helps our countries Veterans with disabilities follow their dreams and become financially secure.
Tip of the Month: 20 programs that help veterans with disabilities get an education, find a job and build assets.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: I have been working with Veterans with disabilities for years but only recently heard about the area of asset building for our nation's wounded warriors. Where can I get more information about asset building specifically for people with disabilities?
Feature: Developments in Federal Disability Policy During 2009
Program of the Month: Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2009: help support this important legislative change!
Profile of the Month: Steven Mendelsohn: A Man Behind The Scenes
Tip of the Month: This month’s tip focuses on Federal policy victories and on-going efforts to assist all Americans in building a more secure financial future.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: I've heard that the new home buyer’s credit, scheduled to run out in December 2009, has been continued into 2010. I would be very interested in buying my first home, but how can a person with a disability, who is buying their first home, avoid a reduction in their SSI as a result of claiming the $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit?
Feature: What began in the basement of a DC bank has grown into a national movement and call to action because of the commitment and leadership that thousands of people across the United States dedicated to building a better economic future for Americans with disabilities. Read Johnette Harnett's inspiring piece, "The Silver Lining."
Special Section: We want to hear from you! Our funding is dependent on your evaluation of our newsletter. Please help us by taking this quick survey and telling us what you think of EQUITY.
Program of the Month: Since 2001, Proyecto Visión has developed an infrastructure to provide positive employment outcomes for Latinos with disabilities by bridging the culture/language gap, creating culturally appropriate responses to the group's particular needs, and by providing role models and mentors. In 2008 PV began to shift its focus to Latino and other youth with disabilities from underserved populations so they may successfully transition from school to higher education, attain sustainable independent living, and employment outcomes.
Profile of the Month: Find out more about Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) and how through hard work, persistence, and by combining a variety of resources together, Richard Johnson, accomplished his dream.
Tip of the Month: As we enter the second Month of the new decade, EQUITY takes this opportunity to provide financial tips to help you save money, reduce dept, build an emergency savings account, fund retirement and to refinance your home. It’s time to put all those financial New Years commitments into action! Thanks to bankrate.com for their series of financial tips for 2010.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: I just got something in the mail from my plan administrator that says I am eligible to convert my traditional IRA into a Roth IRA. What is my plan administrator talking about, what is the difference between a traditional and Roth IRA, why would I convert?
Feature: A biennial review of advancement in microenterprise for people with disabilities isn’t as positive as one would have hoped. We’re in a stall pattern that is unfortunate - but not uncorrectable.
Program of the Month: Check out the Disability Supplier Diversity Program – A Program of the U.S. Business Leadership Network and how it can help your business
Profile of the Month: Serving the health club industry in Lincoln, Omaha, and surrounding areas since 1990, Upholstery Rescue's mobile service provides onsite repairs that assist businesses in keeping their facilities comfortable and looking great!
Tip of the Month: Tip: Business ideas don’t have to be innovative to be good. Read on – it may just be the opposite of what you think you are going to read.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: I’m getting ready to start a business and know that I will need to apply for credit. I don’t understand what factors impact my credit score.
Feature: Making International Microfinance Institutions Disability Inclusive: A Call to Action
Program of the Month: The World Institute on Disability, Whirlwind Wheelchair International and the Coalition for Independent Living are implementing a 3-year, USAID funded project with the goal of establishing the Georgian Wheelchair Production Network in the Republic of Georgia.
Profile of the Month: My experience using social enterprise as a method for integration, opportunity and prosperity in Azerbaijan
Tip of the Month: Mobile Banking: The Next Generation for Mobile Consumers
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: A group of friends and me have for several years participated in a small donors circle in California. We have been considering expanding our efforts internationally where small amounts of money can go further. Is there a way to target disability internationally in low and middle income countries to support entrepreneurial efforts and the local economies?
EQUITY Sponsors: EQUITY is supported by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the National Disability Institute as well as the Friedman Family Foundation, Acorda Therapeutics and other generous funders.
Feature: Read about the Real Economic Impact Tour and their team that is devoted to building a better economic future for millions of low-income individuals with disabilities and their families nationwide, the development of a roadmap out of poverty, and capturing the power of collaboration and innovation.
Special Section: CFED Action Alert: Legislation to reform asset limits in SSI program introduced!
Program of the Month: “Taxpayers with disabilities often find themselves attempting to navigate and comply with a complex tax system that was not designed to provide equal access." - The 2006 National Taxpayer Advocate’s Annual Report to Congress. In 2008 Real Economic Impact Tour city leaders asked for assistance in how to best serve taxpayers who are Deaf.
Profile of the Month: The BEST Youth Project was piloted in 2009 with students from the University of North Florida On Campus Transition Program and created a training environment where individuals learned from one another about financial education and asset building opportunities. Read on to find out more about this great program!
Tip of the Month: It has often been noted that disability has entered the mainstream of society. Now we have further evidence of that. Accessibility was attempted to be used as a tax shelter.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Someone told me that you could now receive part of your tax return in the form of a savings bond. Is this true, how do you do it, can it help me save?
Feature: As the trend toward online employment applications, online distance education, online health care information and online money management increases, the need for access to the Internet by people with disabilities becomes more critical. Read about the pros and cons of broadband and "Why We Need H.R. 3101, The 21st Century Communications & Video Accessibility Act.”
Program of the Month: What if Accessibility is Relative? Accessible information and communication technologies are still an elusive goal.
Special Section: Read Mark Richert's testimony on the ADA IN THE DIGITAL AGE hearing that he gave April 22, 2010 before the House subcommittee!
Profile of the Month: For people with disabilities, technology is disproportionately empowering!
Tip of the Month: Why Nonprofits (Should) Rule Social Media: Knowing that people make decisions based on connections and caring overwhelmingly above any other factor, you'd think nonprofits would have it in the bag. It's time to show ‘em how it's really done.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: I have a mobile device that I use a great deal both in my personal and professional life. Some of the utilities and functionality I can use just fine, but several of the downloadable applications do not work for PWD at all. Who is responsible for making sure these applications are accessible? Is anyone working on this stuff? What can I do to help?
Feature: A Better Approach to the Foreclosure Crisis. Read how Individual Development Accounts may have made home owners far less likely to face foreclosure!
Program of the Month: Over the years, the city of Milwaukee has made a significant impact on recognizing the residential needs of the disability community. With strategic partnerships with organizations progress continues in the areas of planning and architecturally designing new construction accessible homes.
Profile of the Month: Persistence is not just a virtue, but sometimes a necessity, when it comes to building assets. Priscilla Vaughan knows first hand how necessary persistence is when it comes to buying her first home.
Tip of the Month: Home ownership is not easy. It requires patience, planning, and sacrifice over long periods of time, but in the end, provides access to one of the best and most time proven asset building strategies for all Americans: including those with disabilities.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: I have the chance to purchase a "Tenancy in Common" with some thing called a fractional mortgage. I’m not sure what that is, but my realtor seems to think it is a good thing. What’s the deal with these Tenancies in Common? Can you explain the difference in financing?
Feature: Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act: remembering the past and planning a better future
Special Section: We want to hear from you! Our funding is dependent on your evaluation of our newsletter. Please help us by taking this quick survey and telling us what you think of EQUITY.
Program of the Month: What you could do with your summer: members of the newly created American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Internship Program at UC Berkeley are trading their swimsuits for briefcases.
Profile of the Month: Summer 2010: My Experience with the ARRA Internship Program By Vicky Chen
Tip of the Month: IRS Summertime Tax Tip 2010 School’s out and many students now have a summer job. Some students may not realize they have to pay taxes on their summer income. Here are the six things the IRS wants everyone to know about income earned while working a summer job.
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: I have a question about working and receiving SSI. I have an internship this summer between semesters. I've heard something about a special program through SSI which allows me to hold on to my SSI check while working. Is this true, and how does this work?
Advocacy Opportunity: HELP PASS THE ABLE ACT IN THIS CONGRESS! The World Institute on Disability strongly endorses the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) of 2009 (S. 493/H.R. 1205). Contact your Representative to convene a hearing and vote on the ABLE Act.
Feature: Asset building, employment and strengthening Social Security: a modest proposal!
Special Section: Save the Date! 12th Annual Ever Widening Circle to feature singing sensation Maria Muldaur and humorist Greg Walloch on Friday, October 29, 2010
Program of the Month: More Federal Jobs for People with Disabilities? Obama says, “Yes we can!”
Profile of the Month: Possibilities by Lara Ameen
Tip of the Month: How to Prepare for a Job Interview
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: I’m about to start my first “real job” after graduating college. I wonder if there is a particular piece or two of advice for people with disabilities to excel in the work force?
Feature: Dispelling the myth: People with disabilities developing expectations of investment and ownership!
Program of the Month: Washington Access Fund: Financing Assistive Technology and Business Equipment Through Low Interest Loans and IDAs
Profile of the Month: “I really need people to know the value of technology and the improvements it can make in everyday life.”
Tip of the Month: BUILD WEALTH & REWARD SAVINGS, the Automatic IRA and Savers credit expansion: sometimes two acts are better than one! ---Thank you to CFED for article content---
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: My daughter and a friend are both soon to have their first child. I would like to give a gift which helps the child economically over their lifetime. I've heard that the I savings bond is a good way to pay for college, is this true, is it safe, are there any other advantages to this savings tool?
Feature: Time to buy your first home? This month’s EQUITY Feature looks at the 2011 real estate market and provides several home buying tools and strategies for people with disabilities wanting to build EQUITY.
Program of the Month: Mortgage Refinancing and Modification: Free assistance is easy to find!
Profile of the Month: Who says home ownership is expensive? David Heath bought his first home and pays less to own than he did to rent!
Tip of the Month: Tapping home equity without triggering asset or income limits: the reverse mortgage can provide income and financial security for people 62 and over
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: We are considering a reverse mortgage, but before we proceed, we are wondering if there are any alternatives. I’m 55 but on disability and would like to do something on both my primary residence in Los Angeles County and my rental properties in Orange and San Bernardino Counties.
Feature: Village People
Program of the Month: The Iowa Able Foundation: Lending - Educating - Advancing
Profile of the Month: The Iowa Able Foundation is equipping businesses with the right tools.
Tip of the Month: Utilizing Your Village
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: If it really takes a village of service providers to enable business start up, where are they? How do I find them?
EQUITY Sponsors: EQUITY is supported by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the National Disability Institute as well as the Friedman Family Foundation, Acorda Therapeutics and other generous funders.
Feature: Capitalizing on volatility, staying the asset building course through economic ups and downs
Program of the Month: Disability Benefits 101 — Today’s Portal to the Possible Real-Time Information Supports Employment, Saves Time for Many
Profile of the Month: Christina Hollis and Nichole Jones, two women with disabilities, share their stories of leveraging IDA programs to build their small businesses.
Tip of the Month: The Budget Control Act of 2011: Spending Cuts, the Good and the Bad
EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions: Q: After a long summer holiday, I'm about to return to school, I'm actually kind-of dreading it, but I remember reading there were specific economic and employment advantages to having a college degree. What are those advantages? Are they actually significant?
EQUITY Sponsors: EQUITY is supported by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the National Disability Institute as well as the Friedman Family Foundation, Acorda Therapeutics and other generous funders.
Introducing the Center on Economic Growth Advisory Panel
Toward Economic Growth: An abstract of convening outcomes
Welcome to the new 2012 EQUITY, taking disability asset building to the next level!
Individual Development Accounts: A Golden Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities: Oppressive poverty persists among people with disabilities in the United States. According to the 1995 Current Population Survey, 39.7 percent of working-age persons with disabilities live in poverty. Sadly, as disability advocates, this statistic may not surprise us. What is surprising is the scarcity of effective new programs addressing economic inequity. Be that as it may, there is one new rising star in the mainstream antipoverty movement; it is called the Individual Development Account (IDA) savings program.
New Beginnings: Making homeownership a reality for people with disabilities: When Barbara Pesante lost her sight five years ago after a staph infection injured her optic nerve, she tried unsuccessfully to obtain assistance in her homeland, Puerto Rico. Only after moving to Florida did she begin receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, which qualified her for job search assistance through Vocational Rehabilitation (VR).
Individual Development Account Question and Answer Sheet: A Guide for IDA Consumers with Disabilities: Individual Development Accounts, also known as “IDAs”, are a savings account. What makes it special is you receive an additional deposit each time you add to your savings. It is called a match and is usually one to four times the size of each deposit you make. For example, if you receive a 2:1 match, each time you deposit $25, you will get an additional $50 toward your savings goal.
IDA Fact Sheet: Policy Implications: Assets are a key factor in opening doors for the disability community—with assets the purchase of a home, postsecondary education and business capitalization can become a reality for economically marginalized populations such as persons with disabilities. Approximately 19.7% of the United States population (or 52.6 million) live with some level of disability. Over one-third of adults with disabilities live in households with income of $15,000 or less compared to only 12% of those without disabilities.
Asset Accumulation and Tax Policy Project (AATPP): AATPP unites organizations serving persons with disabilities with credit unions and other financial institutions to produce groundbreaking research on barriers and opportunities of tax and public policies. The research and accompanying policy recommendations will improve the economic independence, social empowerment, and community integration of persons with disabilities.
Integrating Universal Design Principles in Asset Building Programs: We are only beginning to understand the applicability of Universal Design approaches in diverse arenas. Universal Design began largely as physical accommodation practices that revolutionized the way people thought about access issues. This paper proposes ways of expanding Universal Design concepts to Asset Building programs, using concrete examples for implementation. Opening Universal Design principles up to challenging ways of thinking, presenting information, as well as physical accommodation is a major step toward a more inclusive world.
IDA Participants Speak Out: The Individual Development Account (IDA) Pilot Project for People with Disabilities aims to increase opportunities for disabled individuals to participate in IDA programs through the provision of technical assistance and training to IDA providers. The project will yield insight on how to best maximize participation in IDAs by people with disabilities and will provide best practice strategies to modify national IDA programs.
Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) and People with Disabilities: What IDA Providers Need to Know: People with disabilities are among the poorest in our nation. About 1 in 5 Americans has a disability, and 1 in 10 has a severe disability. People with severe disabilities have an unemployment rate of 70% and account for only 2.9% of this country's total income. The unemployment rate for people with disabilities is more than twice that of people without disabilities and has remained at that level for many years. This is the poorest rate of participation in the work force and the highest rate of unemployment of any group in American society.
Use of Individual Development Accounts by People with Disabilities: Barriers and Solutions: Asset development tools are a key element of economic development programs that have been created by Congress – with strong bipartisan support – over the last few years. Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), the grandparent of savings programs for the poor, were initiated as part of the welfare reform movement. The original concept of providing savings incentives through a matching program was developed as part of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC).
What is EQUITY?: EQUITY provides the connection between the disability and asset building communities. If you are unfamiliar with asset building, EQUITY brings you articles that educate and inspire. For the seasoned asset building community member, EQUITY advises on how to better serve participants with disabilities. Each month, articles from leaders in the field, program administrators, and actual participants with disabilities challenge us to narrow the divide, mutually benefiting both communities. Also included: helpful tips, answers to your questions about disability issues, periodic federal policy updates, and valuable resources.
New Report! Technical Assistance Collaborative- Priced Out in 2006: Priced Out in 2006 Published: April 2007 by Ann O'Hara, Emily Cooper, Andrew Zovistoski, and Jonathan Buttrick http://www.tacinc.org/Pubs/PricedOut.htm Foreword by Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Training and Technical Assistance for Asset Building Programs and Disabled Persons Organizations: People with visible and non-visible disabilities, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients, already permeate asset development programs. WID offers training and technical assistance to economic development and other asset development professionals. Our services help improve disability services in programs promoting self-sufficiency and enable program clients to succeed.
Access to Assets: Approximately 20% of the United States population lives with some level of disability, and people with disabilities are almost three times as likely to live in poverty than any other group. WID’s Access to Assets project opens doors for the disability community by promoting asset-building and financial literacy among people with disabilities. Asset building is an anti-poverty strategy helping low-income people move toward greater economic independence by saving and purchasing long-term assets. Building assets, as a complement to increasing income, provides the necessary stability to escape the cycle of poverty.
Making Asset Building Programs Accessible for People with Disabilities: People with visible and non-visible disabilities, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients, already permeate asset development programs. WID offers training and technical assistance to economic development and other asset development professionals. Our services help improve disability services in programs promoting self-sufficiency and enable program clients to succeed.

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