May 2012
11 posts
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My Favorite Year
In my last post, I wrote about some of the part-time jobs I have had while receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). One year-long job particularly stands out in my memory because it was my favorite. Was there ever a job that you really loved? That brought out skills you hardly knew you possessed? That brought unexpected gratification? I suggest you examine that job again and ask...
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Issue Brief: Does Service Collaboration Enhance... →
The hallmark practices associated with effective school to work transition for students with disabilities include:
student centered planning;
youth empowerment;
career/ work experiences;
paid employment;
family support and participation; and
interagency collaboration and service coordination.
While the first five practices have received significant attention in the empirical literature and...
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Financial Workshop Kits - Website of the Week →
Created by the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), the Financial Workshop Kits contain information needed to create engaging and meaningful financial education programs. Financial Workshop Kits is designed to help effectively teach money management skills in your community. Through this site, you have access to workshops, tools, and other resources that can be used separately or...
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Benefits Planning Query Handbook - Publication of... →
The Benefits Planning Query (BPQY) is part of the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) efforts to inform Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients about their disability benefits and the use of work incentives. A BPQY statement contains detailed information about the status of a beneficiary’s disability cash benefits,...
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Benefits.gov - Website of the Week →
Benefits.gov was launched in an effort to provide citizens with easy, online access to government benefit and assistance programs. The site’s core function is the eligibility prescreening questionnaire or “Benefit Finder.” Answers to the questionnaire are used to evaluate a visitor’s situation and compare it with the eligibility criteria for more than 1,000...
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The Value of My Work
Receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) offers me monthly a modest unearned income. I have several friends on SSDI who don’t work. For various reasons they are not able to hold down a job but most of them do volunteer.
I need and want the extra income and vital structure of working. Even if I can’t work in a full-time office setting now due to my physical and mental health...
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General Self-Help Resource Guide for Students Who... →
The Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology recently published this self-help resource guide, designed to assist students with disabilities who are not in special education. The guide provides students and their families, guardians, advocates and professionals with general information on services that are available pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as...
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WorkWORLD - Website of the Week →
WorkWORLD is a Decision Support Tool for people with disabilities and families who are receiving public benefits. It represents innovative software for personal computers designed to help people with disabilities, advocates, benefit counselors, and others explore and understand how to best use the work incentives associated with the various Federal and State disability and poverty benefit...
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Why Assets Matter - Publication of the Week →
CFED’s Policy & Research team created a short fact sheet that provides an overview of research on assets and their effect on financial stability and economic opportunity. Many research studies have shown that:
Assets create a financial buffer to weather emergencies
Assets can promote success in the labor market
Assets can promote long-term thinking, planning and psychological well-being
...
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FDIC and SBA Team Up to Offer Financial Education... →
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) today announced new resources to support small businesses across the nation. FDIC Director for Depositor and Consumer Protection Mark Pearce and SBA’s Deputy Associate Administrator for Entrepreneurial Development Michael Chodos released Money Smart for Small Business, a training curriculum for new and...
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Social Security Administration's Ticket to Work... →
Social Security’s Ticket to Work program supports career development for people with disabilities who want to work. Social Security disability beneficiaries 18 through 64 qualify. The Ticket program is free and voluntary and exists specifically to help people with disabilities progress toward financial self-sufficiency. The Ticket program is a good fit for people who would like to improve their...
April 2012
15 posts
6 tags
Starting Next Year: The Check’s (Not) in the Mail
Don’t expect your disability check to arrive in the mail anymore if that’s the way you’ve been getting it. Next year, the Social Security Administration is stopping issuing paper checks for all benefits programs. Now you will receive your benefit through direct deposit to your bank account or in a debit card you can use.
It’s still tax time and tax refunds will still come through the post office....
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Students at Greatest Risk for Poor Post-School... →
Center on Transition Employment for Youth with Disabilities Issue Brief
Decades of research have consistently shown that students with disabilities as a group fare poorly after school exit, particularly in employment. While the transition planning mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004...
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National ABLE Act Call-In Day - Wed. April 25
Tomorrow, National Disability Institute will co-host National ABLE Act Call-In Day to ask members of Congress to cosponsor this important legislation. Follow the hashtag #passtheABLEact on Twitter Wednesday for real-time updates on National ABLE Act Call-In Day.
With bipartisan support, Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-FL) in the U.S. House of Representatives and Sen. Robert Casey (D-PA) in the U.S. Senate...
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Return-to-Work Toolkit for Employees & Employers -... →
This recently updated toolkit from the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) helps both employers and employees understand the return-to-work process and provides resources to assist in getting employees back on the job quickly and smoothly. Effective return-to-work approaches can help employees work while still recuperating, protecting their earning power...
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April is National Financial Literacy Month - Check... →
The language of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) includes, “assure their [citizens with disabilities] full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency.”
National Disability Institute is the first national non-profit dedicated exclusively to building a better economic future for people with disabilities. An important component of economic empowerment is knowledge,...
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The Work Incentives Planning and Assistance... →
Many Social Security disability beneficiaries want to work, but they often face barriers to doing so. To break down some of these barriers, the Social Security Administration has introduced a host of work incentives and other supports to promote employment among disability beneficiaries. However, use of these supports is low; indeed, less than five percent of beneficiaries use the work incentives...
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Accessible Space - Website of the Week →
Accessible Space provides independent and assisted living apartments in 26 states across the country for very-low income adults with physical disabilities, as well as seniors. You can browse the Accessible Space databank to locate affordable, accessible housing.
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April is National Financial Literacy Month! Check... →
The language of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) includes, “assure their [citizens with disabilities] full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency.”
National Disability Institute is the first national non-profit dedicated exclusively to building a better economic future for people with disabilities. An important component of economic empowerment is knowledge,...
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Practical vs. Playful: Ways to Spend Your Tax...
As a person living mostly on Disability, I get a fairly low tax refund from my other sources of income. But I do get something, it’s just under $500. In my past blogs around tax time, I’ve urged first the Practical Approach, looking at your refund as money you paid into the system and deserve to treat frugally when you get it back.
In the past, I’ve used tax refunds for:
an emergency...
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IRS Tax Tips on YouTube
Our friends at the Internal Revenue Service would like to remind taxpayers that IRS YouTube videos can help them with their taxes before the April 17, 2012, deadline. The IRS channels offer information on a variety of the most frequently asked taxpayer questions at this time of year. Videos are available in English, Spanish and American Sign Language. Among the hot topics for last-minute filers:
...
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Career Exploration in Action - Publication of the... →
This brief is part of a series of publications called Innovative Strategies Practice Briefs. Each brief highlights strategies for implementing a specific practice gleaned from Innovative Strategies from the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth)-identified promising and exemplary programs.
This latest brief describes strategies and resources that youth programs...
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Top Five Ways Persons with Disabilities Can...
April 17, the last day to file taxes, is fast approaching. But last-minute filers with disabilities shouldn’t despair. Eligible taxpayers across the nation still have time to maximize their tax refunds and file their federal and state taxes online or in person for free through tax filing provider MyFreeTaxes.com. Powered by the Walmart Foundation, United Way Worldwide, One Economy and National...
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It’s Not Too Late! File Your Federal and State...
Tax Refunds DO NOT Count as Income When Determining Other Federally Funded Public Benefits
The April 17 tax-filing deadline is fast approaching. Did you know that you could be leaving money on the table by NOT filing your taxes?
Many myths and misconceptions exist about tax filing for persons with disabilities. Many taxpayers with disabilities wrongly fear that a tax refund will negatively...
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March/April Issue of the Washington Insider... →
National Disability Institute’s Washington Insider is a monthly newsletter highlighting key federal policy news related to key NDI priority areas. The Washington Insider will track legislative and policy initiatives in the areas of taxation, asset building, and economic development that specifically impact people with disabilities and are gaining momentum in Washington.
Check out this month’s...
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April is National Financial Literacy Month!
The language of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) includes, “assure their [citizens with disabilities] full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency.”
National Disability Institute is the first national non-profit dedicated exclusively to building a better economic future for people with disabilities. An important component of economic empowerment is knowledge,...
March 2012
14 posts
3 tags
Evaluating the Implementation and Outcomes of... →
The Center on Transition to Employment for Youth with Disabilities Issue Brief
Supported employment increasingly has become understood by professionals, parents, employers, and individuals with disabilities as a valuable way to provide essential support for jobseekers with disabilities who have never worked before or who are considered as not having the potential to succeed (e.g., Luecking, 2009;...
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Independent Living Research Utilization Program -... →
The ILRU (Independent Living Research Utilization) program is a national center for information, training, research, and technical assistance in independent living. Its goal is to expand the body of knowledge in independent living and to improve utilization of results of research programs and demonstration projects in this field. It is a program of TIRR (The Institute for Rehabilitation and...
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Fact Sheet: Job Opportunities For Individuals With... →
This fact sheet (available as a webpage or a downloadable PDF) summarizes the process of applying for a federal employment position for individuals with disabilities. The fact sheet also explains the standing special appointments for persons with severe disabilities and veterans with disabilities and details how individuals apply for federal positions can request reasonable accommodations.
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Partners in Employment - Website of the Week →
Partners in Employment is a free self-study online course designed to help people with developmental disabilities find meaningful jobs and jumpstart their careers. The course was created by The Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities as part of Partners in Policy, an innovative, award-winning leadership training program for adults with developmental disabilities and the...
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April 17th
It’s tax season again. Federal tax deadline is April 17th. That’s because April 15th falls on a Sunday and Washington, D.C. will observe Emancipation Day on Monday, April 16th. So the deadline to file federal tax returns this year is April 17th. Most deadlines for filing state returns are also April 17; however some states may be different. Be sure to check on your own state deadlines.
Knowing...
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Emerging Employment Issues for People with... →
written by Cornell University Employment and Disability Institute and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) December 2011
[The following is taken from the Abstract.]
People with disabilities are employed at less than half the rate of their non-disabled peers, and the current economic climate is making it even harder for people with disabilities to obtain employment (Kaye,...
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Disability.gov, Newly Redesigned - Website of the... →
Disability.gov has launched a newly designed, clutter-free website, making it easier for people with disabilities, their families and others to find disability programs and services in their communities. Visitors can now use one of two ways to find resources; they can type a word or phrase into the Search Box or select a subject from the “Information by Topic” menu on the left side of the home...
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Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for... →
“Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success,” is a curriculum developed by the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), focused on teaching “soft” or workforce readiness skills to youth, including youth with disabilities. Created for youth development professionals as an introduction to workplace interpersonal and...
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National Council on Disability - Website of the... →
The National Council on Disability (NCD) is a small, independent federal agency charged with advising the President, Congress, and other federal agencies regarding policies, programs, practices, and procedures that affect people with disabilities. NCD is comprised of a team of fifteen Senate-confirmed Presidential appointees , an Executive Director appointed by the Chairman, and eleven,...
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A Place of My Own
“Women, then, have not had a dog’s chance of writing poetry. That is why I have laid so much stress on money and a room of one’s own.” - Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own
This week, I’d like to share some of my thoughts about getting a place of my own. Now I don’t write poetry like the author cited. Haven’t since high school. But I do write for...
February 2012
15 posts
6 tags
Framework for Designing and Implementing... →
The Accessible Technology in the Workplace Initiative at Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment (ODEP) has drafted a paper to help employers develop a corporate-wide, comprehensive strategic plan for adopting and implementing accessible ICT corporate policies, practices and procedures in their own workplace.
14 Frugal Uses for Your Income Tax Return →
Check out this great post at the Mint.com blog that shares a few smart ways to spend your tax refunds. A few examples:
Pay down your credit card balance. After you’ve given yourself that 10 percent treat, throw whatever is left at your consumer debt. If it’s a large balance, you may not feel that you’re making much difference but you are.
Seed money for your emergency fund. Again, even a...
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SaveUp - Website of the Week →
SaveUp is a free rewards program that connects to your existing accounts. SaveUp rewards you for increasing your savings and reducing your debt in almost any bank in the US. Using a similar technique to connect to your accounts that great sites like Mint.com use, SaveUp sets itself apart by being purely a game and not ANOTHER monitoring tool. What’s great about this approach is that even...
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Ten Points for Veterans to Consider When Returning... →
This fact sheet highlights some of the things Veterans should keep in mind as they re-enter the workforce. It discusses if and when to tell an employer about your disability, requesting workplace accommodations and how work may affect disability payments.
Ten Points for Veterans to Consider… was created by Northeast ADA Center, Employment & Disability Institute, Cornell University...
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"What Can YOU Do?" Video Contest - Website of the... →
DEADLINE: March 30, 2012
Can YOU promote positive change and challenge misconceptions about disability employment? Enter the What can YOU do? Video Contest sponsored by the Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE), a national collaborative effort funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy.. The contest seeks compelling videos that reflect the diversity of...
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NATIONAL DISABILITY INSTITUTE JOINS DISABILITY...
ABLE Act will help the 1 in 3 individuals with disabilities living in poverty and their families take important steps toward economic self-sufficiency and independence
(Washington, D.C. – Feb. 16, 2012) – National Disability Institute joined Congressional leaders and other national disability organizations on Capitol Hill today to advocate for the passage of the Achieve a Better Life Experience...
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Delayed Web Gratification
You could say I live on a fixed income. I receive Social Security Disability and while I am a freelance writer, those checks aren’t regular enough to get me out the “fixed income” zone. As I’ve chronicled over the past few years on this blog, I’ve been working very hard to become better with my finances. But a few years ago, I had a real problem living within the...
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February Issue of Washington Insider Newsletter...
The National Disability Institute’s Washington Insider is a monthly newsletter highlighting key federal policy news related to key NDI priority areas. The Washington Insider will track legislative and policy initiatives in the areas of taxation, asset building, and economic development that specifically impact people with disabilities and are gaining momentum in Washington.
Check out this...
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AccessibleTech.org - Website of the Week →
AccessibleTech.org aims to promote full and unrestricted participation in business and society by persons with disabilities through the use of electronic information technology that is universally accessible.
The site includes information and resources on:
Accessible Technology — Accessible information technology is technology that can be used by people with a wide range of abilities and...
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Free Virtual Tax Prep Available in Clearwater,... →
This tax season, the ServiceSource Florida Regional Office is partnering with the National Disability Institute’s Real Economic Impact Tour and the United Way of Tampa Bay to be a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) virtual tax preparation site for people with disabilities and/or low incomes. Virtual VITA allows individuals to use the latest computer technology to connect with an IRS...