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III. Challenges, Opportunities, and Lessons Learned

Disability Benefits and AmeriCorps

SSDI and SSI

VISTA member benefits generally do not affect social security government benefits, but for all other types of AmeriCorps members (state, national, education award and promise fellows), there is a possibility that Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) may be negatively impacted. The AmeriCorps living allowance is counted as earned income for SSDI. The AmeriCorps living allowance, health insurance, and child care subsidy are not counted as earned income for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and does not affect eligibility.

There is a risk that the AmeriCorps living allowance will result in a determination by Social Security that the individual was engaged in substantial gainful activity and therefore considered as no longer disabled. This risk can be decreased by taking advantage of SSDI work incentive options and income exclusions, and working with a benefits planner. Benefits planning services are free to all social security beneficiaries with disabilities. Local benefits planning services can be found at the following website: http://www.ssa.gov/work/ServiceProviders/BPAO Directory.html

In addition to work incentives available to all beneficiaries, the student earned income exclusion was recently extended for AmeriCorps members under the age of 22 who are not married or head of a household, and the AmeriCorps education award was excluded from countable income to the extent it is used to pay tuition fees and other educational expenses, not including room and board, and repaying student loans. More information is available at these websites: www.socialsecurity.gov/work/youth.html or www.socialsecurity.gov/redbook/eng/main.htm or by calling the Social Security office at 800-772-1213.

Medical Assistance (MA)

Even if they have other health coverage, people with disabilities may need MA to cover high prescription drug costs and special health expenses such as personal care assistants. Persons on SSI can receive MA at no cost. Other people with disabilities may qualify for the Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD) program, which provides MA coverage for a monthly premium, based on income. As long as FICA taxes are withheld, the AmeriCorps living allowance is counted as earned income, thereby allowing AmeriCorps members with disabilities to meet the work requirement for MA-EPD.

Food Stamps

The AmeriCorps living allowance does not affect eligibility for Food Stamps.

Housing and Other Benefit Programs

Involvement in AmeriCorps may affect eligibility for other programs. Some subsidized housing programs do not count the living allowance, but others may count it.

Waiving the Living Allowance

Although AmeriCorps rules allow members to waive their living allowance, people with disabilities should use caution in doing so. The 2008 AmeriCorps provisions state: “Even if a member waives his or her right to receive the living allowance, it is possible – depending on the specific public assistance program rules – that the amount of the living allowance that the member is eligible to receive will be deemed available.” Moreover, it may not be necessary to waive the living allowance if a person qualifies for certain work incentives that can be used to reduce the amount of income counted by public programs.

Transportation

It is critical to arrange accessible transportation (lift-equipped vehicles) for any crew members who use scooters or wheelchairs. Payment for transportation may be available through your AmeriCorps state office disability accessibility/accommodation fund (See the section on Funding below). There are a number of options available to find accessible transportation. If your organization participates in a state motor pool with accessible transportation available, that will most likely be your least expensive option. You can also contact your local center for independent living (www.ilru.org/html/publications/directory/index.html) or senior citizen center to see if you can rent their lift-equipped van if it isn’t being used. Easter Seals Project Action (800-659-6428, 202-347-7385) has information on van rental companies, public transit operators, accessible taxis, airport transportation, shuttles, and more.

A couple of national car rental companies have accessible vans in their fleets. These companies include: Enterprise (800-325-8007, 866-534-9270 TTY) and Hertz (800-654-3131, 800-654-2280 TTY). There are a number of companies that specialize in renting accessible vans, but they are often more expensive. If you go this route, be sure to book your van as early as possible, as they often have limited inventory with fairly high demand. Ask for a demonstration of all equipment and the van. Accessible van rental companies include the following:

Accessible Housing

Don’t wait until the last minute to find accessible housing for any crew members who use a wheelchair or scooter, are hard of hearing or blind. You also need to make sure all of your on-site field work sites are accessible as well. An accessible campsite means the site is accessible, the bathroom entryway and stalls are level and wide enough, and the sink is at the right height for someone using a wheelchair. For more detailed information, check out the accessibility checklist in the appendices. A crew member with disabilities may develop an infection without adequate access to clean water. Although other crew members may carry water or help with accommodations, the crew member with a disability loses independence and dignity – not what you want to promote or have happen on your watch. Consider which areas will work best for your crew and what their individual needs are.

A good place to start looking for accessible housing is by calling your local center for independent living (www.ilru.org/html/publications/directory/index.html). You can also call local colleges and universities to see if they have accessible dorm rooms available. There is a national database that lists 46,000 apartments for people with disabilities nationwide at www.accessibleapartments.org or by calling 800-421-1221. Another national databank that has information on accessible housing in 27 states can be located at http://www.accessiblespace.org/housing/index.php. You may consider renting an accessible hotel room if the person is only going to be there for a short time.

Funding

Specific disability funds are available from AmeriCorps state and national programs, including the Utah Commission on Volunteers, for the specific purpose of facilitating the inclusion of persons with disabilities in service programs. These funds can be used for making accommodations, marketing, outreach, and training. Reasonable accommodations that have been funded include adapted gardening tools, an accessible desk, portable ramps, video cameras for Skype, and voice recognition computer software. Contact the AmeriCorps program in your state to obtain information about application procedures.

Tax incentives are available for employers of people with disabilities. These tax incentives may cover the cost of any needed accommodations for employees and equipment to make businesses accessible. Tax incentives available are the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), the Disabled Access Credit (DAC), and the Architectural and Transportation Barrier Removal Deduction. More information about tax incentives can be found at: www.jan.wvu.edu/media/tax.html or by contacting the Job Accommodation Network at 800-526-7234 (voice) or 877-781-9403 TTY. For additional information on tax credits, contact a local Internal Revenue Service (IRS) office or visit the IRS on the Web at: http://www.irs.gov.

The UCC has received fee-for-service match dollars through partnership projects with land management agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service. The U.S. Forest Service has been very satisfied with the work the UCC inclusive crew has accomplished. The UCC continues to work with the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest on the development of transition plans for campgrounds and trails and the implementation of suggested changes. The Forest Service National Accessibility Program Manager, Janet Zeller, has given the inclusive crew project her full support and has been instrumental in expanding the program on the national level. In 2009, the UCC inclusive crew partnered with Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. The Minnesota Conservation Corps has also utilized partner support from service projects to support the program.

There are other opportunities to obtain funding through writing grants on a local, state, and federal level. Initial funding for the UCC inclusive crew project was provided by the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation (MEAF). The UCC has applied for and received multiple small grants and donations for the accessible garden project. The Minnesota Conservation Corps has been successful in securing funding from a number of sources to support the inclusion program. The State of Minnesota, through the Department of Employment and Economic Development, has awarded the Corps with funds to support youth participants and crew leaders who are deaf, and provides additional funding to support interpreters. Finally, inclusion of participants who are deaf and hard of hearing has been highlighted in several successful grant proposals.

The best place to start searching for federal funding opportunities is www.grants.gov. Searches for current request for proposals (RFPs) are available by keyword, category, agency, number, or other criteria. You may also sign up for an email subscription so applicable grants will be sent to you. You can receive all grant notices daily or notices based on eligible applicant (nonprofits, governments, universities, etc.), funding type, category (agriculture, arts, community development, education, health, etc.), or agency.

The Foundation Center (www.foundationcenter.org) is one of the nation’s leading authorities on philanthropy with a comprehensive database on U.S. grant-makers and their grants. On the Center’s website, searches may be conducted by location or keywords. The Center has main libraries in 5 cities and 340 cooperating collections in participating libraries across the country. In Utah, cooperating collections are located in the Salt Lake City Public Library, Grand County Public Library, Moab, and the Utah Nonprofits Association. You can also sign up for the Philanthropy News Digest, a free newsletter with RFPs and notices of awards for nonprofits and grant-making organizations, and the RFP Bulletin, a roundup of recently announced RFPs from private, corporate, and government funding sources.

Another good resource is funds net services (www.fundsnetservices). This website has many grant links by category, including disability- related projects.

Many states have foundation directories in one form or another. There are regional associations that produce directories in some states, while others are produced by the state attorney general’s office or by small publishing houses or fundraising firms. These directories vary considerably in size, quality, and price. A list of state directories may be found at: http://www.tgci.com/magazine/Finding%20Local%20Funding.pdf If you want to search individual form 990s for more than 60,000 foundations, you may do so at the website of the following nonprofit service: www.grantsmart.org.

Information on the Philanthropic Foundations of Utah Directory, published annually by Henry Dean Publishing, can be found on the web at: http://www.henrydeanpublishing.com/ or email: roger@henrydeanpub.com. This directory contains a listing of foundations in Utah, including their address, purpose/interest, application procedures, fiscal information, and gifts awarded. Local businesses, banks, organizations, and civic clubs such as Lions, Rotary, Kiwanis, etc., often will consider donating funds or materials to community projects. Local Wal-Mart and Target stores, among others, often offer small annual grants. Check with the stores for their application process.

Hopefully your search for funding will be successful, but please keep in mind that whether or not disability funds are available, accommodations must be provided to the extent that they are reasonable and do not cause an undue financial burden. Undue burden may be considered an excessive cost, or an extensive, substantial, disruptive, or fundamental alteration of the nature or operation of the program. You might consider adding a disability accommodation line item into every project budget to ensure adequate resources are available.

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