National Disability Employment Awareness Month takes place each October to celebrate the contributions of America's workers with disabilities.

This year’s theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month is “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation.”

For people with disabilities and caregivers in the workplace, ABLEnow can be an empowering financial tool to save, invest and plan for the future with confidence.

Employers can offer education on ABLEnow accounts and allow for payroll deduction to facilitate saving. Employers that want to go a step further can offer ABLEnow contributions or matches as an inclusive workplace benefit.

Employees who are saving – or plan to save – earned income in their ABLEnow account may appreciate these features:

• Thanks to the ABLE to Work Act, working ABLEnow account owners who do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan may be able to contribute above the annual ABLE contribution limit ($16,000 in 2022).
   
• Certain account owners may be eligible for the federal Saver’s Tax Credit for up to $2,000 in contributions made to their ABLEnow account. This credit is designed to encourage low- and moderate-income workers to save for retirement.
   
• With direct deposit, a paycheck or other recurring electronic payment can be automatically deposited into an ABLEnow account.
   
• Employer contributions in an ABLEnow account are disregarded as an asset when determining eligibility for certain means-tested benefits programs, such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). However, the contribution is taxable income and will be reflected on the employee’s W-2 and income may affect certain benefits.

The ABLE National Resource Center offers an Employer Toolkit to help employers understand and use ABLE accounts to recruit and retain employees who have a disability or a family member with a disability.

Learn how to participate in National Disability Employment Awareness Month by exploring the resources on the campaign website, managed by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy.