Statewide Asset Building Summits

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Statewide Asset Building Summits

• Increasing Outreach and Participation with
  Persons with Disabilities
• April 24, 2008
• Michael Morris
• Director, National Disability Institute
• mmorris_at_ndi-inc.org

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Purpose

• Build New Relationships Between The Asset
  Building and Disability Communities

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Context

• NDI has facilitated Asset Building Summits in
  four states
• Florida - 2006
• North Carolina - 2007
• Ohio - 2007
• Georgia - 2008

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Results

• New outreach strategies in place
• New customers for financial institutions
• New relationships being developed
• Expanded access and use of economic asset
  building strategies

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History and Background

• The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990
• The Nations proper goals regarding individuals
  with disabilities are to assure equality of
  opportunity, full participation, independent
  living, and economic self-sufficiency for such
  individuals
• 42 U.S.C. 1201(a)(8) (2005)

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• Seventeen years after the passage of the ADA, the
  time is long overdue for evaluating progress
  through a new lens.
• Policy and programs must be aligned to lift
  people out of poverty by encouraging work,
  savings, and building assets.

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• Current dependence on public benefits (Social
  Security and Medicaid) perpetuates long-term
  impoverishment.
• Poverty deprives an individual of choices and
  limits community participation.

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Challenge Poverty

• One out of every three adults with disabilities
  live in very low income households as opposed to
  one of every eight non-disabled adults (NCD 1996
  Report)
• Lack of money is a serious problem among people
  with disabilities
• 68 say it is a problem
• 39 say that the lack of financial resources is
  the most serious problem they face. (NOD/Harris
  Survey 2000)

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• During the past five years, the National
  Disability Institute began to challenge
  assumptions of policy, public attitudes, and
  program objectives.

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• There is no single strategy or solution that will
  overcome common misconceptions and multiple
  barriers to advance greater self-sufficiency for
  persons with significant disabilities.
• NDIs role is as a facilitator of a new public
  dialogue. Our focus is on partnerships, capacity
  building, education and training, and policy
  change.

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• Step One Real Economic Impact Tour
• Step Two Expand Financial Education
• Step Three Plan and Implement State and Local
  Asset Development Summits

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• Why is Income Preservation and Asset Development
  important?
• To persons with disabilities, it will produce
  choices that directly impact quality of life.
• It will impact mental and physical health.
• It will impact positively self-concept and level
  of community participation.
• It will change expectations and status with other
  community stakeholders.

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Statewide Summit Goals

• To build relationships between the asset building
  and disability communities
• To increase understanding of asset building
  strategies available

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Statewide Summit Goals

• To increase understanding of the needs,
  interests, and aspirations of the disability
  community for a better economic future
• To begin to develop a roadmap out of poverty

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Statewide Summit Goals

• To focus on next steps
• Policy Development
• Education and Training
• Capacity Building

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Summit Planning Process

• Create a Planning Committee
• Include leaders in both communities
• Develop Invitation List
• Financial Institutions
• Government
• Disability Leaders
• Asset Building Program Leaders
• Develop the Agenda

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The Agenda Day One

• Panel Presentation Savings and Asset Building
  Initiatives
• Panel Presentation Introduction to the
  Disability Community
• What Have We Learned?
• Reception

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The Agenda Day Two

• Video I Love Being Self-Employed
• Panel Presentation Persons with Disabilities
  Aspirations and Needs for a Better Economic
  Future
• Small Group Discussions
• Policy Development
• Public Education and Training
• Relationship and Capacity Building
• Lunch Speakers
• George Barany - America Saves
• David Rothstein - EITC in Ohio
• Small Group Reports
• Next Steps Action for the Future

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Lessons Learned

• The Disability and Asset Building Community have
  limited interaction and as a result limited
  knowledge about the other.
• The tools and strategies that have been developed
  over the past 15 years to help people of low
  income save and grow assets are not generally
  accessed or used by people with disabilities.

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Lessons Learned

• Yet these tools and strategies can be leveraged,
  utilized and expanded to benefit persons with
  disabilities.
• Through public education and training, state
  summits, and policy reform, there are multiple
  strategies to accelerate relationship building,
  systems change, and improved individual outcomes.

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Emerging Tools and Strategies

• Roadmap Out of Poverty
• Access to Financial Services
• Utilization of Favorable Tax Benefits
• Matched Savings Opportunities
• Utilization of Work Incentives
• Homeownership
• Business Ownership

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Emerging New Partnerships

• Mayors Offices
• United Way
• IRSFDIC
• IDA Providers
• EITC Coalitions
• Financial Institutions
• Microenterprise Lenders
• Home Ownership and Credit Counseling Programs

• DD Council
• VR Agency
• Social Security Field Office
• WIPA Grantees
• ARC
• Centers for Independent Living
• Goodwill