Economic Justice

Following the signing of the ABLE Act into law, National Disability Institute (NDI) established the ABLE Resource Center, a group of like-minded organizations committed to promoting a consistent voice in the development of federal regulations and helping states establish ABLE account programs. On Friday, February 6th, NDI and 15 other national disability organizations met in Washington, DC to discuss the current status of federal and state implementation efforts.

The diverse group of partner organizations includes The Arc, World Institute on Disability, Autism Self-Advocacy Network, the American Association of Persons with Disabilities (AAPD), the National Organization on Disability (NOD), the National Down Syndrome Society, the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disability Services (NASDDDS) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). All pledged to work together to educate government officials, individuals with disabilities and their families about the possibilities and benefits of opening an ABLE account.

Going forward, NDI will continue to coordinate ABLE Resource Center activities. In the coming weeks and months, the group will focus on improving outreach, providing comment on related state legislative proposals and assisting the Treasury Department and IRS develop future ABLE regulations.

The ABLE Resource Center’s next meeting will be on Friday, March 6, 2015. Disability organizations interested in joining the ABLE Resource Center should contact Chris Rodriguez, Senior Policy Advisor, NDI at Crodriguez@ndi-inc.org for more information.

Is this our Chris Rodriguez, recently at MPAS?

Today, we define the rights of Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness as they relate to the largest minority in the United States of America:  people with disabilities ... the disability community ... the crippled legion ... gimps.

Snyder on Monday issued an executive directive requiring the government adopt a variety of policies and procedures eliminating hurdles faced by people with disabilities as they seek a career in public service.

Snyder also called for increased training for all state employees to raise awareness of disability etiquette and best practices, ensuring every employee is treated with dignity and respect at all times.

“My administration is committed to eliminating barriers for those with disabilities who wish to enter the workforce,” Snyder said. “People with disabilities have much to offer our great state and should be provided the same opportunities for employment as everyone else. I expect all state departments and agencies to show leadership and work together to ensure that the disability employment program is successful.”

The employment-to-population ratio decreased from 27.8 percent in September 2013 to 26.9 percent in September 2014 (down 3.2 percent; 0.9 points) for working-age people with disabilities. For people without disabilities, the employment-to-population ratio increased from 70.9 percent in September 2013 to 71.9 percent in September 2014 (up 1.4 percent; 1.0 percentage points). The employment-to-population ratio, a key indicator, reflects the percentage of people who are working relative to the total population (the number of people working divided by the number of people in the total population multiplied by 100). 

The sheltered workshops that are still prevalent in Pennsylvania were shut down in Vermont more than a decade ago. And now, the employment rate of people with developmental disabilities in the New England state is twice the national average.

Vermont resident Bill Villemaire, who has an intellectual disability, benefitted from the state’s major policy shift, a change that states throughout the nation are mulling.

Villemaire, 58, said he felt claustrophobic and worn out while working for a pittance at a sheltered workshop. He is now a seasoned employee at a Sweet Clover grocery store, checking for products that have expired or have been damaged.

With that paycheck, he enjoys trying new restaurants and buying Christmas gifts for friends and family. “My life has taken a turn for the better,” he said.

Michelle Paya can vouch for that. As the employment director at Champlain Community Services, where Villemaire received help in finding the job, she remembers the day he got his first paycheck.

Federal lawmakers say they’ve reached a deal to move forward on legislation that would establish a new way for people with disabilities to save money without jeopardizing their government benefits.

Members of the U.S. Senate said Friday that they have an agreement that will allow the Achieving a Better Life Experience, or ABLE, Act to proceed.

The bill’s chief sponsors and leaders of the Senate’s Committee on Finance said in a joint statement that they expect the legislation to be considered when Congress returns to Washington in November.

“We are committed to working with our House colleagues to ensure this legislation will be passed in a bipartisan, bicameral manner and sent to the president’s desk in the lame duck session,” read the statement from Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C.

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