A great article inDisability Scoopby Michelle Diament about how the White House marked the passage of the ABLE Act. She explains that the Vice President, members of Congress, and disability advocates met to celebrate. The law which was passed in December allows people with disabilities to open special accounts where they can save up to 100,000 without losing Social Security and other benefits.

White House Marks Passage Of ABLE Act

By Michelle Diament

More than a month after enacting a law allowing people with disabilities a new way to save money, the White House is celebrating whats being hailed as landmark legislation.

Vice President Joe Biden will host members of Congress and disability advocates Tuesday afternoon at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building for an event marking the passage of the Achieving a Better Life Experience, or ABLE, Act.

The law,signedby President Barack Obama in late December, paves the way for people with disabilities to open special accounts where they can save up to $100,000 without jeopardizing eligibility for Social Security and other government benefits.

Tuesdays event is expected to bring together advocates who lobbied for the ABLE Act and more than a half-dozen lawmakers instrumental in passing the legislation including U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla.

Sara Wolff, who has Down syndrome andtestifiedbefore Congress about the significance of the ABLE Act, is expected to speak at the White House ceremony.

Passage of the ABLE Act altered federal law to allow for the new accounts. However, each state must now put regulations in place in order for financial institutions to make the accounts available.

So far, about 10 states have taken steps to allow for ABLE accounts and advocates recently met with officials at the U.S. Department of the Treasury to discuss federal regulations, according to Sara Weir, president of the National Down Syndrome Society which led efforts to lobby for the law.

I expect if will probably be 2017 before someone can walk into a financial institution and open an ABLE account, Weir said.

Source: http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2015/02/10/white-house-able-act/20049/

Tax Highlights for Persons with Disabilities

By now you've received your W2 and other tax documents. And, if you are like most taxpayers with and without disabilities, you want to go ahead and get your taxes out of the way, however, you have questions. TheIRS' Tax Highlights for Persons with Disabilities, can help answer many of them. Whether you have questions on your income, itemized deductions, tax credits and incentives, personal support services or your healthcare, the Publication of the Week helps cross the t's and dot the i's on your tax return.

So, what are you waiting for? Get your questions answered and get your taxes off of your shoulder. As a reminder: the sooner you file, the faster you get your refund.

Haven't filed yet? If you earned $60,000 or less in 2014, you can useMyFreeTaxes.comto e-file your federal and state tax return in all 50 states, and the District of Columbia, absolutely free - no catch!

The ADA Wisconsin Partnership is seeking a volunteer coordinator for the Wisconsin ADA Legacy Project 25th Anniversary Tour Bus Stop. This is going to really neat event in Madison. This would be an excellent opportunity to get involved in a history making event in Wisconsin.

Applications are due February 9th. See thisflyerfor more information.

The Great Lakes ADA Center is offering stipends for the 2015 ADA National Symposium. Please read the message below.

Stipends for 2015 ADA National Symposium in Atlanta, Georgia

We are pleased to announce that the ADA National Network is hosting the 19^thannual ADA National Symposium on the Americans with Disabilities Act and related disability issues. The Symposium will take place in Atlanta, Georgia fromMay 10 to13,2015.

The ADA Symposium includes up to date information regarding employment, communication, transportation, emergency preparedness, case law, regulatory updates for government and private entities and the latest on the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design.

Hear from presenters representing various federal agencies including the Departments of Justice, Education, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and U.S. Access Board. This year there arebreak-out sessions on a wide-range of ADA related topics and online access to hand-outs from all sessions prior to the conference.You can view the Symposium schedule of sessions and activities on-line atwww.adasymposium.org.

The Great Lakes Centerwill continue our history of supporting participation and attendance from across our six state region.To that end, we are making available a number of stipends in the amount of $650.00 to cover the cost of registration. Registration must be completed byMarch 20, 2015. (Recipients who fail to register by theMarch 20, 2015deadline will forfeit their stipend).

Applications will only be accepted from individuals who reside in the Great Lakes Region (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI). This stipend is only valid for the 2015 Symposium and registration must be completed byMarch 20, 2015. Applications for the stipend will be accepted through January 30^th, 2015. Notification to recipients will be made by emailwithinthe first week of February to enable individuals to meet the early bird registration deadline ofMarch 20, 2015.

Applications for thestipends can be completed on-line at:http://www.adagreatlakes.org/Webforms/Symposium/

Questions regarding the Symposium and the stipend program should be directed to the Great Lakes Center by email toadata@adagreatlakes.org.

Stipend recipients are responsible for their own travel arrangements and travel costs. The registration fee includes 2 breakfasts and 2 lunches. There is an additional fee for the Opening Reception to be held at the National Civil Rights Museum. The 2015 Symposium will be held at theHyatt Regency Atlanta. Rooms are available at adiscounted rate of $139.00 plus tax. Hotel information can be found on the Symposium Website atwww.adasymposium.org

A great article in Disability Scoopwritten by Borys Krawczeniuk about a self-advocate who got invited to the State of Union. Sara Wolf helped get the ABLE Act passed. She testified for the bill in front of the Senate. What a neat honor!

Self-Advocate Gets State Of The Union Invite

ByBorys Krawczeniuk

Sara Wolff fought hard to help others like her, so U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., offered her a special thanks.

He invited Wolff to sit in the U.S. House gallery next Tuesday to watch President Barack Obama deliver the State of the Union speech. Wolff helped Casey get a bill passed that helps those with disabilities.

I was very surprised and excited at the same time, Wolff, 31, of Moscow, Pa. said Monday. This is my first time. Im very excited. A little bit nervous, but very excited.

The Achieving a Better Life Experience Act, ABLE Act for short, allows people with disabilities to save money in untaxed accounts similar to tax-advantaged accounts used by families who save for college. The act also allows Americans with disabilities to save money for education, housing, transportation and health care without losing eligibility for government programs.

The bill passed theHouseon Dec. 3 by a vote of 404-17. In the Senate, the provision was part of a larger tax bill thatpassed76 to 16.

Obamasignedthe bill into law Dec. 19.

I call it history in the making, Wolff, who has Down syndrome, said. Its very important for people with disabilities, Down syndrome, autism, etc. Now, they can save money for their future.

Casey said he wanted to honor Wolff because of her advocacy. She kept him focused on getting the bill passed with a catchphrase, Stay pumped, he said. Wolff testified for the bill at a Senate hearing in July.

If she wasnt the leading, she was one of the leading voices in the country for passage of the ABLE Act, he said. I wanted to acknowledge her contribution, which was substantial. She was a personal witness, which was very compelling.

Source: http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2015/01/13/self-advocate-state-union/19961/

A great blog on Disability.gov written by Katherine Schneider about the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It's interesting that the ADA has only improved access for 19% of Americans with disabilities. She highlights 25 kinds of access the ADA covers. It's neat to think about all the different things the ADA covers. How will you celebrate the anniversary?

Celebrating 25 Years of the Americans with Disabilities Act: What Will You Do?

By Katherine Schneider

This July, the 25thanniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will occur. Access has improved for the 19 percent of us who have disabilities because of the ADA.1It is still a work in progress and involves much negotiating for access in many situations. But if we dont celebrate how far weve come, its easy to get discouraged. So what will you do?

So far, Ive started working on a display for my universitys library, nudged the local Aging and Disability Resource Center to have an open house and get the county board to pass a resolution, and started working on an art contest with the theme of What Does Access Mean to You?

The library display will highlight 25 kinds of access (for those who think only of ramps). They are:

1. Assistance animals more people know the laws and more kinds of assistance animals are allowed.
2. Old and new access symbols. (The new symbol shows motion.)
3. TheEyeNote app, which helps people who are blind tell the denominations of U.S. paper currency apart.
4. TheSchneider Family Book Awardsfor childrens books with disability content are receiving more entries every year, showing mainstream interest in disability as diversity.
5. Checkers or other accessible board games are more widely available.
6. Ramps are more common, although not universal like to pulpits, in churches.
7. Signsabout hearing loops are starting to appear.
8. Interpreters and captioners are at work in more places like medical appointments, school graduations, etc.
9. Playground equipment usable by kids with mobility impairments is more common.
10. Large print programs at worship services and public events are more common.
11. Print/braille books are sometimes available at public libraries for blind parents and sighted kids or vice versa to read together.
12. Buses and some taxis have access for wheelchair users.
13. Voting machines with audio capabilities, so people who are blind can vote independently.
14. Local sources of gizmos from Independent Living and Aging and Disability Resource Centers, so people who are newly disabled can try before they buy.
15. Powered carts to ride at grocery stores.
16. Hearing assistance devices provided in movie theaters.
17. Captioning devices provided in movie theaters.
18. Occasional audio descriptions provided in theaters and on television.
19. Captioned and/or audio described movies available at libraries.
20. Audio and touch tours of museums are more common.
21. Electronic access to websites, newspapers, email, etc. for people who are blind.
22. Occasional Braille menus, bank statements, greeting cards, etc.
23. Para-transit.
24. Reasonable accommodations, so jobs are accessible.
25. Electric doors are more common.

You, who advocate for access for yourself, family and friends, and the rest of the 19 percent of us who need it will make the next 25 years of implementation of the ADA even better. So lets celebrate how far weve come!

To get involved in celebrating the 25thanniversary of the ADA,contact your local independent living center, disability rights group or see whats going on atThe ADA Legacy Project.

Source: https://usodep.blogs.govdelivery.com/2015/01/09/celebrating-25-years-of-the-americans-with-disabilities-act-what-will-you-do/

Self-Determination Network News

January 2015

Connect|Share|Learn|http://sdnetworkwi.org/

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! We want to encourage you to take full advantage of this network in 2015. There are several ways to get involved on this network. Its a great time to take a few minutes to explore what the Self-Determination Network has to offer. Networking is a key to success!

It Only Takes "Five"

Take five minutes to check out what's happening on the Self-Determination Network:

• Watch: LaNae posted a great video about self-advocacy. This is an awesome video to share with others!

• Powerful Message: Watch another great video LaNae posted that has a very powerful message.

• Interesting Findings: Read about how a study finds that over half of Medicaid providers were unavailable to people on Medicaid.

• Stay up to Date: Here are the Wisconsin Survival Coalitions budget and policy recommendations for people with disabilities for 2015.

• Stay Informed: Stay up to date on the new HCBS settings rule. Two webinars have been released to help people understand the changes. One is a brief summary of the rule and the other one goes in depth about it means.

• ADA Legacy Bus Tour: Here is a great chance to get involved in the legacy of the ADA. Theyre looking for co-pilots to help in this mission. Find out how you can help today!

• Transportation Grants: Find out which Wisconsin county recently got grants from the Department of Transportation that will improve transportation for the elderly and people with disabilities.

• National Park Accessibility: Read about a neat project a team at the University of Hawaii is doing to try to provide unique experiences to people with visual impairments at national parks.

• Be Inspired: This is an inspiring story about a man with a disability who is using his education to design equipment to help people with disabilities partake in recreational activities.

• Disability Champion Leaving: Read about how the senator who shaped the American with Disabilities Act is stepping down after 40 years.

• Learn: Here is a great explanation of the ABLE Act which was recently signed into law.

• Determined Athlete: An excellent story about a high school senior who uses self-determination to overcome her disability.

• Nominations for Chairmans Accessibility Awards: Find out how to nominate products, services, technologies, and practices that advance the accessibility of communications or video programming for people with disabilities for the Chairman's Awards for Advancement in Accessibility. Nominations due March 5^th.

• Read: This New Years message from the National Council on Disability highlights the history of the ADA. Its interesting to see how far weve come, but, at the same time, how much work still needs to be done.

• Post news or start a discussion: It's easy to do and a great way to share information and network with others!

New Members

Stop by to welcomeournewest members

• Shes ateacherwho wants to collect information that might be helpful to pass along to others.

• This person is aparentwho wants to help her son reconnect with friends.

• Shes aparent and an IRIS consultantwho sees the benefits of living a self-determined life.

• Sheworks for Milwaukee Center for Independenceand wants information about self-directed supports.

Do you know someone who should join the Self-Determination Network? Spread the word andinvitefriends, families and other interested folks!

Upcoming Events

Here's a sample ofupcoming eventslisted on the Self-Determination Network:

• Facilitation and Person Centered Planning with PATH and MAPS: February 2^ndto 4^th, Friends Meeting House, Toronto, ON

• Advocacy for Change: A Family Leadership Institute: March 4^th, 8:30a.m. to 5p.m., Concourse Hotel, Madison WI

• The Survival Coalition Disability Advocacy Day: March 17^th, Monona Terrace and Convention Center, Madison WI

Post your eventon the Self-Determination Network and it can be included in future Network News emails to members! Questions? Suggestions? ContactStacy Ellingen.

We are in the process of reevaluating and possibly revamping how Coffee Breaks are done. Were hoping to start them up again soon. If you have thoughts or ideas regarding Coffee Breaks, please contactStacy Ellingen. We certainly welcome any input.

The Self-Determination Network is powered by In Control Wisconsin and supported financially by ourmembersandSponsors. We couldn't keep this Network going with you! Find out how you can help support the Network.

An article inDisability Scoopby Michelle Diament about how President Obama signed the ABLE Act into law in late December. This will allow people with disabilities to open special accounts where we can save up to $100,000 without losing our benefits. This article explains that each state will need to come up with regulations.. The hope is that by the end of 2015 every state will have it setup.

Obama Signs ABLE Act

By Michelle Diament

With his signature, the president has paved the way for people with disabilities to open tax-free savings accounts where they can amass more than $2,000 without losing government benefits.

President Barack Obama signed the Achieving a Better Life Experience, or ABLE, Act Friday before leaving Washington for the holidays.

The new law will allow people with disabilities to open special accounts where they can save up to $100,000 without risking eligibility for Social Security and other government programs. Whats more, individuals can keep their Medicaid coverage no matter how much money is accrued in an ABLE account.

Modeled after 529 college savings plans, interest earned on savings will be tax-free. Funds accrued in the accounts can be used to pay for education, health care, transportation, housing and other expenses.

To be eligible, individuals must have a condition that occurred before age 26 and each person may only open one ABLE account. Under current gift-tax limitations, as much as $14,000 could be deposited annually.

People with disabilities may be able to start opening ABLE accounts as soon as 2015. However, some hurdles remain. While the new law alters federal rules to allow for ABLE accounts, each state must now put regulations in place much as they have done for other types of 529 plans so that financial institutions can make the new offering available.

We cant mandate that a state will create a 529, but given the lobby that weve seen, I think by the end of next year, I think well see this in every state, Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., one of the measures chief sponsors, said on a recent call with reporters.

The laws name was amended in recent weeks to honor Stephen Beck, Jr., a longtime proponent of the bill who died unexpectedly in early December.

Source:http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2014/12/22/obama-signs-able-act/19935/

This is the New Year's message from the National Council on Disability. It's interesting reading about the history of the ADA.. 2015 marks the 25th anniversary of it. It's amazing how far we've come, but, yet, there's certainly more work that needs to be done.

New Year's Message 2015

The beginning of a new year is a natural time to pause and ask, What will the future hold for people with disabilities? When marking the 25th anniversary of landmark legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as we will in 2015, this forward look is not only more likely, it is arguably more important. A new year provides a perfect opportunity to contemplate the future by looking back.

Since becoming law in 1990, the ADA has assisted millions of people with disabilities overcome and eliminate barriers in all areas of society, from schools and the workplace to housing and public transportation. The National Council on Disability (NCD) proposed what became the ADA as part of our mandate to find ways to empower individuals with disabilities with the resources and means to achieve economic self-sufficiency, live independently, and be included and integrated into all aspects of society. Today, our role has evolved to gather information about the implementation, effectiveness and influence of the ADA.

For a quarter of a century, the ADA has been a legislative foundation to create more inclusive communities where people with disabilities live, work, and play on their own terms. Not incidentally, while doing so the rest of society has learned more about what people with disabilities can achieve, if given a fair shake and equal access.

As one of the landmark civil rights laws of the 20th century, with the likes of retiring Senator Tom Harkin dubbing it the Emancipation Proclamation for people with disabilities, the ADA seeks nothing special. Put simply, it provides the legislative foundation to ensure that people with disabilities can go places and do things that many, if not most, non-disabled Americans take for granted. As the slogan emblazoned on the back of countless wheelchairs reminds society even today, to finally, boldly go where others have gone before.

That is no small feat.

Over the past 25 years, the ADA has provided opportunity and access for more approximately 57 million Americans with disabilities. Prior to passage of this landmark civil rights legislation, Americans with disabilities routinely faced discrimination, stigma and barriers of both imagination and architecture in their everyday lives. And while there is still more work to do, we can now assuredly say that across this great nation, Americans with disabilities now have more opportunities than ever before to participate more fully in the civic, social and economic heartbeat of our communities through the steady reduction of obstacles to employment, transportation, public services, telecommunications and in public accommodations.

When the ADA was passed in 1990, and not too long ago when the ADA amendments became law in January 2009, bipartisanship in Congress made such progress possible. Today, headlines are dominated more by a sense of frustration and political gridlock. While issues related to employment, transportation and education remain central in our work no one could have imagined the ways that technology would help level the playing field in just over two short decades, nor could we imagine the concerns wed be facing with Social Security, healthcare and Medicare reform or predict that parenting with a disability would be the next wave of civil rights efforts or that the threat of violence against people with disabilities would reach levels never before documented.

While much progress has been made there is clearly much more work to do.

As the ADA marches and rolls steadily toward its 3rd decade and on into adulthood, its 25th anniversary provides an opportunity to recommit to the next generation of disability rights leaders and advocates. May 2015 mark an era of renewed, vigorous support for the NextGen of individuals with disabilities who will, in the not too distant future, become the mentors and role models for the young people with disabilities who are currently benefiting from changes that the ADA, to a large degree, made possible.

Just as the disability community will continue work to make certain people with disabilities are included at the decision-making table on every level we must lead by example by ensuring that we include diverse representation from across our nation by making a deliberate effort to bridge racial, religious, sexual, and socio-economic lines. This means, over two decades since the ADA became law, that we must not only demand a place at the table, but also set it and make sure when we assemble the guest list that there are always seats for our allies while making sure that they hold seats for us.

Throughout 2015, NCD will spotlight lessons of the ADAs legacy on our website, listserv, on social media and related activities. Well share exciting glimpses of, and plans for, the future of disability policy and inclusion in the United States. We look forward to sharing these with you and to celebrating the ADAs legacy and moving forward toward a more inclusive future in 2015 and beyond.

Thank you for your support of NCD through 30 years of contribution, including all the Council members, staff, and other personnel of many administrations who have steadfastly supported the important work of the agency. The ADA was imagined and eventually realized through sustained effort by the disability community and its champions. NCD supports your leadership and vision in the evolutionary progress of fulfilling Americas potential and promises through the ADA.

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National Council on Disability
1331 F Street, NW, Suite 850
Washington, DC 20004
202-272-2004 Voice
202-272-2074 TTY
202-272-2022 Fax

Website:
http://www.ncd.gov
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https://www.facebook.com/NCDgov
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http://www.ncd.gov/subscribe

This is a great opportunity to nominate products, service, technologies, and practices that advance the accessibility of communications or video programming for people with disabilities for the Chairman's Awards for Advancement in Accessibility.

http://www.fcc.gov/document/advancement-accessibility-awards-nominations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FCC Accepting Nominations for Chairmans Accessibility Awards BeginningJanuary 5, 2015

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be accepting nominations for the 4thhttp://www.fcc.gov/chairman-awards-for-advancement-in-accessibility" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chairman's Awards for Advancement in AccessibilityfromJanuary 5 - March 5, 2015. The awardsrecognize innovative products, services, technologies and practicesthat advance accessibility of communications or video programming technologies for people with disabilities. Nomination categories include wearable devices, real-time text and video description. Send nominations toChairmansAAA@fcc.govno later thanMarch 5, 2015. For information about last June's winners visithttp://www.fcc.gov/document/chairman-wheeler-honors-innovators-accessibility" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://www.fcc.gov/document/chairman-wheeler-honors-innovators-accessibility.