Sources of Free Money And Help For People With Disabilities

$4,000 Grant To Paint Your Home…
… That's what Canton, Ohio offers to very low-income residents - grants to paint their house or put on new siding. They feel that an investment like this improves the value of all the properties in the area. Sunnyvale, California offers some of their residents $400 in grant money to paint their homes. And if you're over 60 or have a disability, you can get a $1,200 grant. See if your city or state offers a program like this go to www.govengine.com.

Cheap Health Insurance For Disabled Workers…
… A change in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 allows states to offer Medicaid to individuals who are working and who have a disability. Prior to this, states could only offer Medicaid to people with disabilities who were NOT working. The income limit goes up to $40,000 a year. Contact your state Department of Health to identify your Medicaid office. You can also check out the website of the Bazelon Center at www.bazelon.org.

Taxi to Get Mom to The Doctor’s…
… Mom has to get to a doctor’s visit in the middle of the day and you can’t take her. Or you have a disability that may cause you to miss an appointment if someone else doesn’t drive. You may be able to get free transportation and escort services provided by either your local health office or local office on aging. Some communities even provide very low cost door-to-door services for seniors to go anywhere. Contact your local area agency on aging or public health office. You can also contact your state Department of Aging or Health or the Eldercare Locator Hotline at 800-677-1116.

Find Money For People With Disabilities…
… Go to www.disabilityinfo.gov and find info on money programs, job programs and your rights as a person with a disability.

$8,000 To Train For A Better Job…
… in Arizona if you lost your job, are a women going back to work, a teenager, a veteran or have a disability. Not a bad idea if you want to leave the snow behind you. See the Arizona Heat program at www.ade.az.gov/arizonaheat. Most every state has a similar program. Explore your state for similar programs at www.govengine.com.

$10,000 To Buy A Van or Talking Computer…
… Learn how technology can help your disability and find money programs to purchase equipment. Contact your state Office of Social Services or Vocational Rehabilitation or Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA), 1700 North Moore St., #1540, Arlington, VA 22209; 703-525-6686; 703-524-6639 (TTY); www.resna.org.

Need Money For A Loved One With A Disability…
…Contact one of the relevant organizations that will assist you in finding the money and help you need to deal with your disability at www.napas.org/other%20pages/Disability%20related%20websites%20page.htm.

Show An Employer How To Get $7,500 When They Hire You…
… if you have a disability. A business can get up to $5,000 to make a work place disability friendly plus an additional $2,400 just for hiring someone with a disability. Here’s where to learn about the rules: www.eeoc.gov/ada/adahandbook.html. To find help in getting a job or job training in your area go to www.servicelocator.org/.

What To Do When Disability Benefits Are Denied…
…These advocacy groups can help:

• Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, 510-644-2555, www.dredf.org
• Washington Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, 206-545-7055, www.wccd.org

Free Help Getting Money For A Disability….
… You can start by contacting a free service called The Clearinghouse on Disability Information, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Dept. of Education, 202-205-8241, www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/. For help with getting money for education and training contact Higher Education and Adult Training for People with Handicaps (HEATH), George Washington University, 800-544-3284, www.heath.gwu.edu.

Ask Lesko…
This week’s question comes from Robert:

“ Now that our government is busy “re-building” Iraq and Afghanistan, how is that going to affect our ability to get money from our government?”

Answer: I have been showing people how to get government money for over 25 years and
this is a question that first came up during the Reagan Administration in the 1980's. What happened then is the same thing that is happening now. Very little changes from year to year. Overall spending continues to go up, but it shifts around a few degrees here or there which might be significant 10 years out, but for the immediate future nothing much if anything changes, except people's perceptions.

It’s natural to assume that programs will be cut when you hear other programs growing. But what will happen is that the existing programs just won't GROW as much as in the past. Most programs and grants will still be available, but fewer people will apply because they think programs are shrinking or are being eliminated.

So my rationale is that now is better than ever to apply to programs because
fewer people are applying because they believe the headlines.

Thank you for your question.

Send your questions on government grants to dixiestjohn@earthlink.net. If yours is selected for inclusion in our newsletter, I’ll send you a copy of my book, Gobs and Gobs of Free Stuff.