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United Way of Tompkins County along with partners, Alternatives Federal Credit Union, Challenge Workforce Solutions, Finger Lakes Independence Center, Catholic Charities Tompkins/Tioga, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, and Tompkins Workforce NY is participating in the Reach Outcomes. Achieve Dreams.

Succeed (ROADS) to Financial Independence, an initiative aimed at improving the financial well-being and economic security of individuals with disabilities. This initiative is being piloted in six communities across the country; with the goal of connecting financial counseling with employment, independent living, and other support services that are being provided to individuals with disabilities. ROADS to Financial Independence is an initiative of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the nation's first federal agency whose sole focus is protecting consumers in the financial marketplace. The initiative will be managed through a contract with the National Disability Institute (NDI).

"People with disabilities face significant obstacles when it comes to saving money and planning for their financial futures," Michael Morris, Executive Director, National Disability Institute, said. "ROADS to Financial Independence will help empower people with disabilities to take control of their financial lives so that they can more fully participate in the economic mainstream."

The ROADS to Financial Independence Initiative will provide financial counseling to people with disabilities who are currently working or as they transfer into the workforce. Through this initiative, consumers will have the opportunity to complete a financial assessment, and have access to a financial counselor, who will help them set and work towards achieving financial goals such as improved credit scores, lower debt levels and increased personal savings.

ROADS  Finger Lakes NY is one of 18 diverse partner organizations from around the country that have been selected to provide financial counseling services as part of the ROADS to Financial Independence initiative. These financial services will be integrated into the work the organizations are already doing. Other local organizations supporting this effort include Ithaca Housing Authority, Loaves and Fishes, and Lifelong.

Confronted with high rates of unemployment and resulting economic stress, people with disabilities have often relied on alternative financial services like payday loans or check cashing to meet their financial needs. Operating outside of the financial mainstream, however, can be more costly and time consuming. According to some studies, people with disabilities are more than twice as likely to use nonbank services as other members of the general U.S. consumer population. The Disability Statistics Compendium reports a 28.7 percent poverty rate for working age people with disabilities ages 18-64 compared to a 12.5 percent poverty rate for non-disabled adults.

ROADS is operating in six communities across the country. The organizations involved are as follows:

• Birmingham, Alabama: United Way of Central Alabama and Disability Rights and Resources
• Greater Washington, D.C. Metro Area: ServiceSource Virginia and Capital Area Asset Builders
• Delaware: Delaware Department of Health and Social Services and ServiceSource Delaware
• New York’s Finger Lakes region: Alternatives Federal Credit Union, Cornell Cooperative Extension Center, Finger Lakes Independence Center, Ithaca Housing Authority, Tompkins County Workforce New York, Challenge Workforce Solutions and United Way of Tompkins County
• Austin, Texas: Goodwill Central Texas
• Seattle, Washington: The Washington State Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, Neighborhood House, City of Seattle, The Financial Empowerment Network, and the Washington Access Fund.

"The efforts of this coalition will help create paths to greater financial self-sufficiency for local residents who are unaware or unable to effectively utilize the network and resources our community is so fortunate to offer," stated James A. Brown, President & CEO of United Way of Tompkins County.

The National Disability Institute will provide technical assistance training, and facilitate partnerships to disability and financial empowerment organizations nationwide.

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