Serving People With Disabilities
Increase Access to IDAs for People With Disabilities
AFI grantees and their partner organizations report that some people with disabilities are having trouble accessing and using IDAs. Because they are disproportionately low-income, people with disabilities account for a large share of the AFI target population, but they are underrepresented among IDA participants.
What Grantees Need to Know About Disability
Learn about employment and other barriers to asset building—and how to overcome them.
Learn why IDAs are as applicable to people with disabilities as anyone else.
(No.) Learn to coordinate IDAs with disability benefits.
Find university and other publications on various disability issues.
How IDAs Affect Disability Benefits
Understand that SSDI and SSI recipients are “wonderful” candidates for IDA participation.
Learn how to encourage clients with disabilities to use IDAs and PASS to jumpstart their businesses.
Learn how clients can recoup the cost of accommodations that enable them to work.
Understand how students can exclude income from SSI eligibility requirements—and invest it in IDAs.
Learn how WIPAs can help grantees and IDA holders determine how work will affect disability benefits.
See examples of how to calculate SSI eligibility and how IDAs can affect benefit levels.
See SSA’s rules and regulations as they apply to IDAs and disability benefits.
Resources for Navigating Disability Services
Get detailed answers to the seven most common and important questions about IDAs and disability.
Understand that WIPAs are there to help AFI grantees and IDA holders.
Learn how the agencies can help with recruitment, disability benefits, and sometimes provide matching funds.
Know that these federally funded centers can help navigate disability programs and otherwise aid grantees and IDA holders.
Learn how these agencies can be valuable client referral sources.
Know that the centers can help with recruitment, staff training, and advice on accessibility.
Serving IDA Participants With Disabilities
Learn to mainstream clients into an existing IDA program or create a program tailored to their needs.
Learn to make the format and content of your curriculum accessible to all participants.
Learn to present information, products, and services so that clients with disabilities can take full advantage.
Learn the best marketing outlets and techniques, and about staff training and accessible office space.
Know how to deal tactfully with assistive devices and to communicate respectfully and directly with clients.
Learn to ask sensitively whether clients have disabilities and see good sample intake assessment forms.
Understand how Federal law defines an “accessible” business and how AFI grantees can “reasonably accommodate” clients with disabilities.
See university and other publications on various disability issues.
Information for People With Disabilities and Disability Service Providers
Use this fact sheet to help clients understand IDAs generally and AFI’s program specifically.
Use this fact sheet to help clients understand the three asset goals (homeownership, education, business startup) of AFI IDAs.
Learn that it does make sense for SSDI and SSI beneficiaries to participate in IDAs.
Give this fact sheet to disability service providers so they can better support their clients’ participation in IDAs.
Give this fact sheet to disability service providers to help them collaborate in four key areas.
