Seminar on Financial Planning Tools for Individuals With Disabilities This Friday

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 27, 2017) — The University of Kentucky Human Development Institute (HDI) will host a seminar from 1-3 p.m. ET Friday, March 3, on “ABLE Accounts and other Financial Planning Tools: The Importance of Developing a Financial Identity.” Participants are welcome to join in person at the HDI Training Room on the UK Coldstream Research Campus or online.  

Register here. A link to the live video stream of the seminar will be sent to registrants. For help registering, contact walt.bower@uky.edu.

ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) accounts allow eligible individuals with disabilities to save up to $14,000 a year in an ABLE account without jeopardizing their eligibility for federally-funded means tested benefits, such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid. This seminar will provide information on both ABLE accounts, with a particular emphasis on Kentucky’s ABLE program, as well as Life Plan of Kentucky Inc., Kentucky’s pooled special needs trust program.

"Millions of persons with disabilities and their families are often relegated to a life of poverty as a result of not being allowed to build even the most modest levels of resources," said Carolyn Wheeler, project director at HDI. "Persons receiving supports through Social Security, Medicaid and other publicly-funded programs are often disqualified from those supports if they have more than $2,000 worth of countable resources or assets."

Carolyn Wheeler and Dave Matheis will share their expertise. Wheeler has over 30 years of experience working with families and persons with disabilities. Since 1999, she has worked as a project director with HDI where she has trained numerous individuals in the Personal Futures Planning Process. Matheis has over 35 years of experience working with families and persons with disabilities. Since 2004, he has been the program planning and development branch manager for the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.

Serving as panelists for the question and answer session will be Samara Heavrin, STABLE Kentucky coordinator; OJ Oleka, chief of staff for the Office of Kentucky State Treasurer Allison Ball; and Karen Perch, executive director of Life Plan of Kentucky Inc.

Seminar participants will learn the value of financial education and asset development specific to persons with disabilities and their families. They will also be able to identify asset development strategies for persons with disabilities and organizations or programs in Kentucky that can assist persons with disabilities with financial education and asset development.

CEUs (Continuing Education Units) for this seminar are pending in rehabilitation counseling in conjunction with the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.