Empowering the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community with ABLE Accounts

CSD Learns hosted a webinar on February 22, 2023, with National Association of State Treasurers (NAST) focused on introducing ABLE accounts and how it benefits the deaf and hard of hearing community. This webinar was hosted in part of the partnership announcement between CSD Learns and NAST earlier in the month on the creation of a webcast video explaining ABLE accounts in American Sign Language.  

What are ABLE accounts? 

Created by the federal government in 2014, ABLE accounts are tax-advantaged savings accounts that allow individuals with disabilities to save for qualified disability expenses without affecting their eligibility for government benefits. Funds in an ABLE account are tax-free and can be used for a variety of expenses related to the individual’s disability.  

How to Qualify and Get an ABLE Account 

Individuals must have a disability that occurred before the age of 26 to be eligible for an ABLE account. It must be a long term disability and in addition, one of the following criteria must be met: 

(1) you are eligible to receive SSI or SSDI; 

(2) you have a condition on the SSA’s List of Compassionate Allowances Conditions;  

OR 

(3) you have a written diagnosis from a doctor* 

*Taken from https://www.abletoday.org/faqs.  

When ready, choose a state program and open an account through the program’s website. To get started, go to NAST’s website and choose your state for the next steps.  Sign up for an ABLE Account today