TOPEKA – (April 9, 2024) – A statewide roadshow aimed at increasing awareness of the Kansas ABLE Savings Plan will kick off next Monday in Topeka, Kansas State Treasurer Steven Johnson announced today.
The tour will include 50 stops around the state, as well as multiple opportunities to participate in virtual presentations for Kansans with disabilities to learn about the ABLE Savings Plan. The first stop of the tour will be at the Capper Foundation, 3500 SW 10th Avenue, Topeka, on Monday, April 15, from noon to 1 p.m. The event is open to the media and members of the public.
These events will provide ABLE information directly to Kansans with disabilities, their families and caregivers, as well as answer any questions they may have and provide support in taking action and opening an account.
The Kansas ABLE Roadshow is part of a collaborative effort announced last fall between Johnson’s office, the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services and the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities. The effort is targeting in particular those Kansans with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD) who are on the Home and Community Based Service (HCBS) waiver waitlist. Johnson’s office is working with the Community Developmental Disability Organizations across the state to inform individuals on the waitlist about the program.
Thanks to financial support from CareSource, Sunflower Health Plan, Arcare, the Kansas Financial Empowerment Foundation and the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities, $85,000 has been raised to help fund $100 opportunity grants for 850 individuals on the Kansas IDD waitlist who open new ABLE accounts.
The Stephen Beck Jr., Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act of 2014 created a savings and spending tool designed specifically for people with disabilities. Under the ABLE Act, “ABLE accounts” allow individuals to spend on disability qualified expenses, save, and invest money while helping them to protect benefits like Medicaid and SSI. The Kansas ABLE program currently has 1,972 open accounts with a total of $20.7 million in assets under management.
Additional information on ABLE, the upcoming in-person and virtual tour dates, and the opportunity grant program is available on the treasurer’s website at https://kansascash.ks.gov/able.
