The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy recognizes National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) every October to celebrate and highlight contributions people with disabilities make to America’s workplaces.
The PA Treasury Department’s PA ABLE Savings Program is hosting a virtual event on October 1. Registration is open, and details will be available soon!
Wednesday, March 15, 2023
6:00 pm ET
Register here
Pennsylvania’s ABLE program provides individuals with qualifying disabilities a way to save and invest without affecting their benefits. What is new with ABLE? Join PATF and find out!
A lot has happened in the last few months, and more is to come. Diana Fishlock of the Pennsylvania Treasury Department will discuss the details of Pennsylvania’s ABLE program. Susan Tachau and Karen Hassett, Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF), along with the following partners will provide a brief introduction:
ASL, CART, and Spanish interpretation will be provided for the webinar. If you require additional accommodations, please let PATF know if you require additional accommodations when you register for the webinar no later than March 1, 2023.
PLEASE NOTE: PATF will host an in-person workshop with ASL and tactile interpreters in late Spring 2023.
This webinar will be recorded, and the recording will be sent out after the event via email to all who register. If you have any questions or need assistance with registering, please contact Karen Hassett at 484-675-0506 or via email.
PA ABLE Turns 5!
Please join PATF in celebrating the fifth anniversary of the PA ABLE Savings Program.
PA ABLE helps Pennsylvanians with disabilities and their families save safely.
Since the first PA ABLE accounts opened five years ago, Pennsylvanians have saved nearly $72 million for current and future expenses, including assistive technology, education, housing, transportation, health care, financial management, and more.
The program provides a tax-free way to save without affecting eligibility for critical means-tested benefits such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (up to $100,000) or Medical Assistance.
Learn how to set up an ABLE account here.
“Having the ability to save through the ABLE program provides an opportunity for people with disabilities to escape the cycle of poverty that is so often their reality. The ABLE program can make it possible for people with disabilities to be empowered to have greater control over their financial future.”
– Susan Tachau, PATF CEO
This month, our CEO, Susan Tachau, joined PA Treasurer Stacy Garrity, Senator Lisa Baker (R-20), Sherri Landis of The ARC of PA, and other disability advocates in Harrisburg to mark PA ABLE’s fifth anniversary. Read the full News Release.
PATF’s Financial Capability Resources
April is Financial Capability Month so now is a great time to check out our interactive and accessible financial education website. The website is a companion to our book, Cents and Sensibility: A Guide to Money Management. Explore our financial education resources.
Financial education is the key for living independently and access to this information is crucial. With these financial capability tools, people have a solid foundation for success.
In recognition of our financial education work, we were awarded the Non-Profit Organization of the Year 2021 Excellence in Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Award.
Planning for the Future
PATF’s Board of Directors adopted a three-year Strategic Plan Framework, placing equal focus on our four programs: financial loans, information and assistance, financial education, and advocacy.
Additionally, PATF is working on succession planning as CEO Susan Tachau will be transitioning to a new role as Innovations Officer at PATF in September.
PATF has also launched a DEI+A initiative, which includes an internal audit, recommendations for individual and organizational growth, and learning sessions on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility.
Smart Homes Made Simple Webinar Draws International Attention
In 2021, we published Smart Homes Made Simple: Your Guide to Smart Home Technology and launched Smart Homes Made Simple to help the disability community learn about mainstream smart home devices and how they can be financed. In March of this year, PATF hosted a smart home webinar, Real Life Stories: Using Smart Home Technology for Independence, with more than 500 attendees from around the world!
Upcoming Events
The Center for Independent Living of Central PA is hosting a free Youth-Adult Wheelchair Basketball Clinic on Saturday, May 14. PATF’s Outreach Director, Wendy Davis, will be there and can talk more about how PATF can help people with purchasing adapted sports equipment. Learn more about this event.
Disability Pride PA kicks off Disability Pride Philadelphia Week with a flag-raising at City Hall on Monday, June 6 at 3:00 pm. The parade takes place on Saturday, June 11. Get more details.
The Technology Enhancing Capabilities Virtual Conference will be held on Wednesday, June 22. PATF CEO Susan Tachau will be joined by Michael Anderson, Alexa Brill, and George Russo, as they discuss how they use smart home technology to live safer and with greater independence. Additional information.
Wednesday, November 18
11:30 am – 12:15 pm
Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) gives families and individuals an opportunity to talk about money issues and set goals. The creation of the ABLE savings program in 2014 was a monumental win for people with disabilities. For the first time ever, people with disabilities had a safe way to save without jeopardizing their benefits. Diana Fishlock of the Pennsylvania Treasury Department will discuss some of the details of Pennsylvania’s ABLE program, and Dr. Josie Badger and Susan Tachau will share their first-hand experiences with using ABLE accounts.
Join us to learn about:
Learn more and register here.
For questions or help with registration, please contact Megan Bolin at 888-744-1938.
Join us and gain the tools you need to have an impact.
Each Money Talks webinar hosted by the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation will provide information and resources to handle the unique financial issues that impact individuals with disabilities, including new challenges that have arisen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are a person with a disability, a family member of someone with a disability, an advocate, an educator, or a service provider, this series is for you. Each session will be fully accessible, and recordings, transcripts, and slides will be made available.
Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation
Toll Free Voice: 888.744.1938
Voice: 484.674.0506
Fax: 484.674.0510
Email: [email protected]
In follow-up to an Info issued on March 17, 2017, announcing the launch of PA Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Savings Program at a legislative event conducted on April 3, the Pennsylvania Department of Treasury announced they will be offering free webinars on this program. The webinars will provide an overview of the important features and benefits of PA ABLE, including eligibility requirements for opening an account, the federal and state tax benefits, and how the account interacts with current benefits. The dates and times of the webinars available are on the PA ABLE website and will be held in April.
