UPCOMING WEBINAR

Ways to Stay on Track (and Pay Your Debt Back)

Wednesday, December 18, 2024, from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Ready to take charge of your financial journey? Join our upcoming webinar on debt management, designed to provide you with knowledge and strategies for making confident financial decisions.

We’ll explore the roles and responsibilities of co-signers, the types of credit options available, and effective approaches to managing debt. Whether you’re considering a loan to invest in assistive technology or simply want to strengthen your financial skills, this webinar offers practical tips and insights to help you feel empowered and prepared.

Registration link: https://bit.ly/ways_to_stay_on_track.

Take this opportunity to build a strong financial foundation for the future!

If you have any questions or need assistance with registering, please contact: Karen Hassett at khassett@patf.us. 

RECENT WEBINAR

Understand Your Credit Report and Credit Score – November 20, 2024

In this webinar, we discussed how to unlock the secrets to financial success using credit, credit reports, and credit scores! Also included were ways to improve your credit score, the factors that influence it, and actionable tips for getting your credit back on track.

The recording includes open captions and ASL interpretation.

Voting is Your Superpower – October 21, 2024

Prepare for the upcoming election by learning about the offices, candidates, ballot measures, and voting rights. It’s perfect for voters who want to be well-prepared and confident on Election Day. The webinar includes a presentation by the Committee of Seventy and a question-and-answer period. The Committee of Seventy is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has promoted, supported, and facilitated government ethics and election integrity for over a century.

The session covers:

• Key issues
• How to research candidates
• Tips for making informed decisions, and
• Your rights (including accommodations) as a voter.

 Webinar Speakers:

• Tanisha Bezus, Committee of Seventy
• Karen Hassett, Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation

Your Money and You – October 16, 2024

This webinar covered how to manage current spending and develop a livable financial strategy, focusing on identifying money habits, distinguishing between needs and wants, creating money maps, and understanding cash flow. The recording includes open captions and ASL interpretation.

Webinar Speakers:

Becky MacDicken, Director, Financial Empowerment, National Disability Institute
Karen Hassett, Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation

Consumer Financing for People with Disabilities – October 2, 2024

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four adults in the US has a disability, and a 2021 report by the FDIC found that individuals with disabilities are unbanked at four times the rate as individuals without disabilities. This represents a substantial and under-served market for CDFIs to offer affordable financial products and services that will enhance the ability of people with disabilities to live more independently, work, and participate in their communities.

The National Disability Finance Coalition (NDFC), in collaboration with Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF), hosted a webinar,  Consumer Financing for People with Disabilities the last of the three-part series, so that CDFIs can explore how to expand their products and services into the disability community.

This webinar discussed ways to mitigate risk by building relationships with clients, flexibility in underwriting, and developing small-dollar and unsecured loans along with larger (and secured) consumer loans.

Webinar Speakers:

• Tracy Beck, Lending and Operations Director, Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation
• Prabin Pokhrel, Senior Lending Manager, Opportunities Credit Union, Vermont
• Emerson Sekins, Executive Director, Northwest Access Fund

Webinar Recording, Slides, Spanish Audio & Captions, and Transcript

Financial Education and Coaching – August 28, 2024 

The National Disability Finance Coalition (NDFC), in collaboration with Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF), hosted a webinar, the second of a three-part series,  for CDFI’s to explore how to expand their products and services into the disability community.

The Financial Education and Coaching webinar provided information about some of the special components of financial education that are critically important to individuals with disabilities, such as understanding asset limitations, work incentives, and safe ways to save (via ABLE programs) and the resources to develop and expand culturally competent and relevant financial products and services for individuals with disabilities. Click the link below for the materials from the webinar:

Webinar Speakers

Lisa Jones, Northwest Access Fund

Karen Hassett, Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation

Disability Identity, Culture, and the Importance of Accessibility – June 20, 2024

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four adults in the U.S. has a disability, and a 2021 report by the FDIC found that individuals with disabilities are unbanked at four times the rate as individuals without disabilities. This represents a substantial and under-served market for CDFIs to offer affordable financial products and services that will enhance the ability of people with disabilities to live more independently, work, and participate in their communities.

The National Disability Finance Coalition (NDFC), in collaboration with Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF), is hosting a three-part webinar series (June 20, August 28, and October 2, 2024) for CDFIs to explore expanding their products and services into the disability community.

Click the link below for the materials from the webinar:

Webinar Recording, Slides, Spanish Audio & Captions, and Transcript

What You Need to Know About PA ABLE! – April 10, 2024

Pennsylvania’s ABLE program provides individuals with qualifying disabilities a way to save and invest without impacting their benefits. Diana Fishlock of the Pennsylvania Treasury Department provides the details of Pennsylvania’s ABLE program. Karen Hassett with Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF) starts the webinar with a brief introduction.

Webinar Speaker

Diana Fishlock (PA ABLE Outreach Specialist @Pennsylvania Treasury’s Bureau of Consumer Programs)

Diana Fishlock is the PA ABLE Outreach Specialist for the Pennsylvania Treasury’s Bureau of Consumer Programs. She shares information about the PA ABLE Savings Program throughout the state.

Diana’s mother and sister worked with individuals with disabilities throughout their careers, so Diana grew up hearing about disability issues, and has been passionate about disability topics for many years. Before coming to the Treasury Department, Diana created publications for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and covered the disability community as a newspaper reporter. She is the mom of two young adults with disabilities.

Webinar Recording, Slides, Spanish Audio & Captions, and Transcript

Identity Theft: What Everyone Needs to Know – January 29, 2024

This is the first in a series of PATF “Money Talks” webinars for 2024. Presented by David P. Shallcross, Director of Senior Protection, PA Office of Attorney General, this webinar provided attendees with some do’s and don’ts of ID theft. Each year, more than 10 million Americans have their personal information — including name, social security number, bank account, or credit card number — stolen. This presentation is designed to raise awareness of identity theft tactics, steps to take to protect your identity and personal information, and information on reporting identity theft.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this webinar is for educational purposes only. The Office of the Attorney General is not affiliated with Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF).

How to Talk to Your Children About Money – November 15, 2023

In this webinar, we explored PATF’s new Family Companion to Cents and Sensibility and heard from a panel of parents who created the Family Companion about strategies, tips, and activities for introducing money concepts to children.

Introducing PATF’s Family Companion Guide: Big Ideas for Teaching Financial Education – June 26, 2023

Money is never easy to talk about but introducing money concepts to our children can be intimidating. At what age do you start? Allowance or not? Need or want?

In this webinar, we discussed PATF’s A Family Companion to Cents & Sensibility: A Guide to Money Management and the easy-to-digest and relatable financial education strategies and tips from parents and families of children with disabilities to parents and families of children with disabilities that can be found in the Guide. The Family Companion focuses on the big ideas for introducing financial education, anecdotes on what worked (and what didn’t), and resources for families.

What You Need to Know About PA ABLE! – March 15, 2023

Pennsylvania’s ABLE program provides individuals with qualifying disabilities a way to save and invest without affecting their benefits. What is new with ABLE? A lot has happened in the last few months and more is to come. Diana Fishlock of the Pennsylvania Treasury Department discusses the details of Pennsylvania’s ABLE program. Susan Tachau and Karen Hassett, Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF), along with the following partners provide a brief introduction:

• Melissa Hawkins, Director, Pennsylvania Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing;
• Amy Nieves, Executive Director, Mayor’s Commission for People with Disabilities;
• Amy Levine, Director of Institutional Advancement, Philadelphia School for the Deaf.

Smart Home Technology: Leading to Independence

RAISE Center hosted a webinar that will introduce the power of Smart Home technology. Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF) is presenting the webinar. PATF will walk through our new publication, Smart Homes Made Simple, and corresponding website, smarthomesmadesimple.org. These resources will provide you with the information you’ll need to help your community explore the most current smart home technology, create a framework to choose technology, and how to build a team to support this technology.

Federal Student Loan Debt Relief Plan Explained

Join us for a one-hour webinar where we provide valuable information to individuals with student loan debt, their families, and supporting professionals on how to receive loan debt relief from the program.

Presenters:

• Erin Ellis, Financial Educator at Philadelphia Federal Credit Union
• Karen Hassett, Financial Education Director, Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation

StudyMoney.us and Other Financial Education Resources for People with Disabilities

Join us to learn about StudyMoney.us, an exciting new financial education website for people with disabilities and families that makes learning about money management fun, effective, and engaging!

Presenters:

• Susan Tachau, CEO, Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation
• Susie Daily, Communications Director, Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation
• Dr. Robert Arnhold, Professor Emeritus, Slippery Rock University & President, Growing Together Aquaponics

Decision-Making for Adults with Disabilities

Control over your finances involves making many decisions – for example, when you buy a car, choose an apartment, or negotiate a salary. But you don’t have to make those decisions by yourself – in fact, many of us use a network of support, including family, friends, and trusted advisors. In this webinar we’ll discuss the differences among supported decision-making, representative payee, guardianship, and powers of attorney.

Presenters:

Tax Time… Get Ready!

Tax season is here. Everyone wants to make sure that they get their taxes right and pay their fair share, but not more. However, filing taxes can be confusing and stressful. Taxes are a fact of life when you are working and there may be an opportunity to receive a large payment through your tax refund. Join us as we break down taxes into simple concepts and discuss how to prepare to file your taxes this year.

Presenters:

• Alena Anderson, Program Manager, United for Families, United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania
• Holly Zugay, CFP®, Senior Financial Education Officer, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency
• Samantha Vollrath, 811 Project Rental Assistance Program Lead, Self-Determination Housing of Pennsylvania

Credit: What It Is and Why It Matters

Good credit is important for securing an apartment, a job, and low interest rates on things like car loans and credit cards. Join us to learn what credit is and why it matters.

Presenters:

• Jason M. Robinson, Manager, Blue Bell Financial Center of Univest Bank & Trust Corporation
• Bonaia Rosado, Senior Program Manager, Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation

Money Mapping: A More Flexible Way to Budget

A Money Map provides greater flexibility without the self-criticism that often comes with traditional budgeting. Join us to learn how to create your own money map and how to use it to manage your money and meet future goals.

Presenters:

• Holly Zugay, CFP®, Senior Financial Education Officer, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency
• Jill Gromen, Director of Operations, NJ & Independence Network Services, JEVS Human Services
• Susan Tachau, Chief Executive Officer, Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation

Top Five Funding Resources for Assistive Technology in Pennsylvania

For people with disabilities and health conditions, as well as older adults, assistive technology (AT) can greatly improve quality of life. But AT can be expensive and accessing funding can be complicated, making it difficult to get the exact device you want, when you want it, and from the vendor of your choice. Learn how to create a funding strategy, choose a funding resource, combine multiple funding resources, advocate for your wants and needs, and appeal a denial in funding.

Presenters:

• David Gates, Senior Attorney, Pennsylvania Health Law Project
• DJ Stemmler, Administrative Specialist, HIV Prevention and Care Project, University of Pittsburgh
• Susan Tachau, Chief Executive Officer, Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation

Insider Tips on PA ABLE

PA ABLE provides a way to save safely for your day-to-day purchases as well as larger goals, like a home or vacation. Learn the ins and outs of how to make this savings program work for you.

Presenters:

• Dr. Josie Badger, President of J Badger Consulting Inc. and Director of the national RSA-Parent Training and Information Center technical assistance center (RAISE)
• Diana Fishlock, Field Representative, Pennsylvania Treasury Department
• Susan Tachau, Chief Executive Officer, Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation

This is Not a Game: Protecting Your Benefits and Money by Protecting Your Identity

With scams and identity theft on the rise, learn how to protect your identity and your money.

Presenter:

• Becky MacDicken, Outreach Specialist for Financial Services at the PA Department of Banking and Securities

Speak Up and Be Counted!

With the 2020 Census and elections coming up, learn why your voice is important and how to ensure that you are heard and counted.

Presenters:

• Kelly Darr, Legal Director at Disability Rights Pennsylvania
• Katie Yost, Manager, Government & Chapter Relations at The Arc of Pennsylvania