United Way Bay Area Announces Enhanced Financial Coaching Capabilities For People With Disabilities

MEDIA CONTACT:
Blake Case
(601) 832-6079
blake@emccommunications.com

San Francisco (July 9, 2024) – United Way Bay Area (UWBA) today announced expanded, free, financial coaching opportunities for Bay Area residents with disabilities and their families. Working with National Disability Institute (NDI) to implement its Disability Inclusive Financial Counseling Initiative, with support from the Wells Fargo Foundation, UWBA has integrated the Initiative into its SparkPoint™ financial coaching program offered at locations across the Bay Area. NDI’s Disability Inclusive Financial Counseling Initiative narrows the financial health equity gap that individuals with disabilities face, especially people of color with disabilities, by increasing access and use of tailored financial coaching and financial counseling services.

“People with disabilities face significant barriers to financial stability, including low or unstable income, lack of savings and the extra costs of living with a disability. Financial decisions can often be further complicated by interactions with and dependence on public benefits that require limited income and assets to remain eligible,” said Thomas Foley, Executive Director, National Disability Institute. “Financial counseling plays a key role in helping individuals with disabilities develop financial strategies to achieve improved financial health. We value the new partnership we are building with United Way Bay Area and are excited about this continued collaboration.”

Adults with disabilities experience poverty at more than twice the rate of adults without a disability. People of color with disabilities face even higher levels of marginalization, discrimination and stigma that lead to poor socioeconomic outcomes. More than 676,850 residents, or 9.4% of the population, in the Bay Area identify themselves as a person with a disability.
As part of this initiative, 29 United Way Bay Area SparkPoint™ financial coaches each received over 20 hours of specialized training. The training equipped these coaches with the knowledge and resources to offer financial coaching on social security disability benefits, work incentives and disability-specific financial products that impact the financial lives and financial decisions of people with disabilities.¹

“SparkPoint is a cornerstone in UWBA’s poverty-fighting efforts, and our partnership with NDI, with support from Wells Fargo, has helped us to tailor our approach when working with people with disabilities, enhancing our impact and ensuring we’re up to date on best practices,” said Nicole Harden, Vice President of Economic Success for United Way Bay Area. “SparkPoint’s financial coaches use a holistic approach to help people develop strategies for economic success, and thanks to this partnership, we’re able to better serve our neighbors with disabilities.”

Trained coaches are located at eight SparkPoint™ centers including: Contra Costa, Marin, Fremont, Oakland, Solano, Cañada College, Napa, and College of San Mateo.

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About United Way Bay Area
United Way Bay Area (UWBA) mobilizes the Bay Area to assist people living in poverty and to dismantle the root causes of poverty. One of the most respected and highly effective philanthropic organizations fighting poverty, UWBA supports workers and students seeking employment and better careers, helps families struggling to meet basic needs, supports our neighbors toward achieving their financial stability goals, and advocates for housing justice for all Bay Area residents. Learn more at uwba.org.

About National Disability Institute
National Disability Institute (NDI) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to building a better financial future for people with disabilities and their families. The first national organization committed exclusively to championing economic empowerment, financial education, asset development and financial stability for all persons with disabilities, NDI affects change through public education, policy development, training, technical assistance and innovative initiatives. To learn more, visit www.nationaldisabilityinstitute.org. Engage with NDI on Facebook: @NationalDisability or follow NDI on Twitter: @NatDisability.

¹US Census Bureau, 2020 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Table S1810 Disability Characteristics: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=disability&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1810. Total Population, Population with a disability (Table S1810)