Those with disabilities now ABLE to save, celebrate the passage of bill

by Salena Zito from Triblive.com:

WASHINGTON — Sara Wolff's life story aptly took her to the White House on Tuesday.

There, she joined two others from her hometown of Scranton — Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey — to celebrate passage of a bill that enables families of disabled children to save money for their needs.

“I never could imagine such a great experience than being here with the champions that pushed this bill across the finish line,” Wolff, 32, who has Down syndrome, said as she stepped up to the podium. “Wow, and I get to be here with the vice president of the United States!”

Casey invited Wolff, a former intern in his Scranton office, to attend the event marking the years of work that went into the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act, or ABLE law, that President Obama signed in December.

The bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., allows people with disabilities to save up to $100,000 in 529-type accounts without jeopardizing government benefits. Recipients can withdraw the money tax-free to pay for medical costs, employment training, housing, education and other qualified expenses.

“This bill goes to the heart of what the president and Republican and Democrat colleagues want for all Americans: to be given an even chance,” Biden said.

Law boosts ability of those with disabilities to save

by Ellie Silverman from McClatchey Washington Bureau Sun Herald.com:
WASHINGTON — When Kayla Kosmalski was 6 months old, her parents realized they weren’t allowed to save for her future. Family members could give Kayla only small amounts of money as birthday or graduation presents.This realization shocked her parents, Amy and Rick Kosmalski of Delaware. To them, Kayla is an “amazing and beautiful and intelligent” girl who “just happens to have Down syndrome.”But the law didn’t see it that way, until the bipartisan passage in December of the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act, known as the ABLE Act. President Barack Obama subsequently signed the bill into law. To celebrate the new financial freedom for families such as the Kosmalskis, Vice President Joe Biden and a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Sens. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Bob Casey, D-Pa., gathered Tuesday at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.Previously, a person with a disability had a $2,000 limit on assets. If there were more, they would lose their Medicaid and Social Security benefits.Burr called the measure a “common-sense” piece of legislation.

Delaware family celebrates new law for disabled

by Nicole Gaudiano from News Journal Washington Bureau:
WASHINGTON – Rick and Amy Kosmalski of Bear wanted their 8-year-old daughter to be able to save for her education and other needs, just as their son could.
But a Medicaid rule prevented Kayla, who has Down syndrome, from having more than $2,000 in her name. Unlike her 2-year-old brother, Logan, Kayla couldn't use a tax-advantaged account to save money she received as gifts from relatives.
A new law changes that rule – and Kayla's future. On Tuesday, Kayla's family participated in an event hosted by Vice President Joe Biden to celebrate passage of the ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) Act.
"She'll be able to save for and pay for the things that she needs to be the best person she can be," said Rick Kosmalski, a marketing manager at JPMorgan Chase & Co. "That's really what the ABLE Act does. It gives her more financial freedom in her life."
Amy Kosmalski said, "Now we'll finally be able to save for her future."

White House Marks Passage Of ABLE Act

by Michelle Diament from Disability Scoop:
More than a month after enacting a law allowing people with disabilities a new way to save money, the White House is celebrating what’s 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, signed by 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.
Tuesday’s 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 and testified before Congress about the significance of the ABLE Act, is expected to speak at the White House ceremony.

Sign the petition to direct the DOJ & FBI to investigate the death of Robert Ethan Saylor

from the White House.gov:

we petition the obama administration to:

Direct the DOJ & FBI to investigate whether civil rights violations & police brutality led to the death of Ethan Saylor.

Ethan Saylor was a 26 yr old man with Down Syndrome. In Jan 2013, watching a movie, his chaperone told him to wait in the theater while she got the car.

A theater employee called mall police since Ethan hadn't bought a 2nd ticket. 3 off-duty sheriffs responded.

They dragged Ethan from the theater, hog-tied him with 3 sets of handcuffs, held him down with their weight, ignored the health-care worker that told them she had the situation under control, & intimidated others trying to render aid. Ethan suffocated to death. His final words: "I Want my Mommy".

We ask you, as our President and as a father, to express your condolences to the Saylor family, and to direct the FBI and DOJ to investigate whether Ethan's civil rights were violated, & whether police brutality caused his death.

• Signatures needed by May 03, 2013 to reach goal of 100,000: 98,363

• Total signatures on this petition: 1,637

Created: Apr 02, 2013

Issues: Civil Rights and Liberties, Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement, Disabilities

Check out Webcast of "Getting Real II" - Promising Practices in Inclusive Emergency Management for the Whole Community

From The White House Disability Group:

The Office of Disability Integration and Coordination ODIC at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and our co-sponsors, the National Council on Disability NCD and the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research NIDRR and our partners the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and People with Disabilities ICC and the Emergency Management Institute EMI are hosting Getting Real II - Promising Practices in Inclusive Emergency Management for the Whole Community, September 12-14, 2011 in Arlington, VA.    
 
This year, we’re particularly excited to have a webcast generously supported by the National Council on Disability available for people who cannot join us in person. This webcast will include many of the Promising Practices presentations (and all will be videotaped for “on demand” viewing after the conference). Click on the link provided to register for the webcast Getting Real II. 

IMPORTANT DATES & TIMES:

September 12, 2011

7pm – 10pm: Opening Plenary

September 13, 2011

9:00am – 10:15 am: Morning Plenary

10:30am – 12:40pm: Promising Practices

12:40pm – 1:30pm: Lunch

1:30pm – 5pm: Promising Practices

September 14, 2011

8:30am – 9:30am: Morning Plenary with Administrator Fugate

9:45am – 12pm: Promising Practices

12pm – 1pm: Lunch

1pm – 3:15pm: Promising Practices

3:30pm – 5pm: Team Reports and Closing Discussion

Please plan to join the Office of Disability Integration and Coordination and the National Council on Disability by webcast on Sept 12-14 for “Getting Real II- Promising Practices in Inclusive Emergency Management for the Whole Community”

National Preparedness Month - September 2011

“FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capacity to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.”

White House Disability Group Monthly Call on July 27

Join the White House Disability Group Monthly Call on July 27

In order to keep the public more informed, the White House Disability Group hosts monthly calls to provide updates on various disability issues, as well as to introduce individuals who work on these issues in the federal government. The next call will take place on Wednesday, July 27^th at 1:00 PM Eastern.

This call is open to everyone, but is off the record and not for press purposes.
Dial in number: (866) 298-7926. Please call in five minutes early due to the large volume of callers expected.

Topics: Technology, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, independent agencies, emergency preparedness, employment, budgetary issues and other topics. 

Title: White House Disability Call (use instead of code)

For live captioning, visit http://www.fedrcc.us//Enter.aspx?EventID=1796804&CustomerID=321 at the start of the event. Please be respectful and only use this feature if you are deaf or hard of hearing.

If you would like to be added to the White House Disability Group email distribution list, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/disability-issues-contact and fill out the "Contact the Disabilities Issues Outreach Team" online form, or send an email to disability@who.eop.gov with your full name, city, state and organization.

White House Disability Group Monthly Call

 

Next White House Disability Group Monthly Call to Take Place April 28th

In order to help keep you more informed, the White House is hosting monthly calls to provide updates on various disability issues, as well as to introduce individuals who work on disability issues in the federal government.

The next call will take place on Thursday, April 28 at 2:00 PM Eastern.

  

Dial in for listeners: United States: (888) 428-4479              

Title: White House Disability Call (use instead of code)

  

Please call in at least five minutes prior to the start of the call.

For live captioning during the call, visit http://www.fedrcc.us//Enter.aspx?EventID=1745291&CustomerID=321.  

White House Disability Group Monthly Conference Call

Next White House Disability Group Monthly Conference Call - March 31

In order to keep Americans with disabilities and other interested parties informed about the Obama Administration's disability-related efforts, the White House Disability Group is hosting monthly calls to provide updates on issues such as key political appointments, employment, civil rights, health care and transportation, as well as introduce staff who work on disability issues in the federal government.

The next call will be held on Thursday, March 31 at 5:00 PM EDT. Please dial in five minutes before the scheduled call time. It will feature remarks from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and include introductions to other Obama Administration personnel.

Details for the call are as follows:

Dial in for listeners: United States: (800) 230-1059   

Title: White House Disability Call (use instead of code)