LIFE Accounts

Recommendations for a Research Agenda on Asset Development for People with Disabilities-Previous work indicates that people with disabilities have significantly fewer assets than people without disabilities. Research suggests that individuals in lower income tiers are able to save and that holding assets has a positive relationship with personal well being, economic security and community involvement. This paper recommends four significant areas in developing a research agenda.

The Compendium contains basic information about each of the Real Choice Systems Change Grantees. The Compendium will help you learn more about how these grants will be used to allow more people of all ages with a disability or long term illness to live and participate in their communities. Real Choice Systems Change Grantees will also find the Compendium useful to identify other Grantees with similar goals and activities. The fifth edition of the Compendium replaces all previous editions.

A number of autonomy-compatible vehicles exist for people with disabilities and their families to exercise choice and control over resources; however, many programs are complex to navigate and vary from state to state. In shaping a savings program, benefits planning seems to be a likely ingredient. This report illustrates why LIFE Accounts holds great promise as an adjunct to other permissible approaches for the accumulation of assets that lead to increased independence and social participation.

Based on a comprehensive review of the relevant literature, this paper examines the impact of asset ownership on meaningful and participatory social inclusion. The paper first, presents an overview of the assets-based perspective of welfare and highlight factors that have shaped this perspective with an overview of rural communities and their relationship to these issues. Next, the paper reviews the potential effects of asset ownership and how this may impact social inclusion in rural areas.