12092004 Webcast Invite

Webcast Invitation
December 9, 2004
12:00 – 2:00PM EST

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance: Effective Strategies to Reach People with Disabilities and Practical Solutions for Meeting Accessibility Challenges

Co-Sponsored by the NCB Development Corporation and the Law, Health Policy, and Disability Center at the University of Iowa College of Law

People with disabilities are three times more likely to live in poverty than their peers without disabilities.
Individuals with disabilities are utilizing favorable tax provisions at a 25 percent rate as compared to their non-disabled peers according to a 2004 Harris Poll.
The TAX facts+ campaign is working with existing community based coalitions to expand their targeted outreach to people of low-income to include people with disabilities to advance their economic independence.
On December 9, 2004, from 12:00pm to 2:00pm EST, the TAX facts+ invites you to participate in a free Webcast which will provide information on how to outreach to the disability community, offer practical solutions to make your volunteer tax preparation sites accessible, and answer questions about effective and sensitive interaction with individuals with disabilities.

The Webcast

The TAX facts+ campaign invites all interested in learning more about strategies to reach people with disabilities:

Community based coalitions involved an EITC campaign to assist individuals and families with low-incomes interested in learning more about how to reach people with disabilities.
Those seeking practical solutions to physical and communication accessibility challenges.
Those interested in learning about resources available at the community level to assist them with building relationships with the disability community.

The Speakers

Marian Vessels, Director of ADA and IT Information Center, Mid-Atlantic DBTAC Region

Megan O’Neil, Program Coordinator of Access to Assets, World Institute on Disability

Michael Morris, Moderator, Associate Director, Law, Health Policy and Disability Center, University of Iowa College of Law and Director, National Disability Institute at the NCB Development Corporation

Registration Information

Registration Information and Questions should be sent to Matthew Gernstein at Mgernstein@ncbdc.org in advance of the Webcast. A registration form may be downloaded at the Law, Health Policy, and Disability Center’s website (disability.law.uiowa.edu) and accessing the TAX facts+ link in the “What’s New” section or directly at disability.law.uiowa.edu/lhpdc/projects/aatp-casts.html. The registration form may also be accessed by visiting www.mastermymoney.org, a new website by the NCB Development Corporation (www.ncbdc.org).

Accessing the Webcast

The Webcast can be accessed by visiting www.mastermymoney.org and linking to: “Volunteer Income Tax Assistance” at the top of the page. The Webcast can also be accessed by visiting disability.law.uiowa.edu/lhpdc/projects/aatp-casts.html. Each site will have two connections: one for those on dial-up connections and one for those using broadband connections.

The Webcast requires users to have Windows Media Player Version 7.1 or higher. The latest version of Windows Media Player can be downloaded at: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/default.aspx

Questions for the Presenters

It is possible for participants to ask questions of the presenters. Questions for the panel can be emailed to: TaxFactsWebcast@yahoo.com beginning Monday, December 6 until the end of the webcast on December 9.

The TAX facts+ Campaign

TAX facts+ is a three-year multi-faceted national campaign that will empower communities working with persons with disabilities to participate and expand their knowledge and utilization of favorable tax benefits and financial education services. TAX facts+ will direct needed public attention to the advancement of economic freedom and full community participation of persons with disabilities. The campaign has three parts that includes material development, training, and technical assistance activities.

The purpose of the TAX facts+ campaign is to build knowledge and utilization of favorable tax provisions and financial education for individuals with disabilities, their families and employers to empower and advance self-directed economic security.

The TAX facts+ Collaborators

The Office on Disability, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; the Internal Revenue Service; the Law, Health Policy and Disability Center, University of Iowa College of Law; NCB Development Corporation/National Disability Institute; National Cooperative Bank; National Federation the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; National Cooperative Bank; and the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The Kaiser Foundation (www.kff.org) generously provided the studios and webcasting services.

TAX facts+ Campaign Questions

Johnette Hartnett, Ed.D.
Vice President
NCB Development Corporation
1725 Eye Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, D.C. 20006
Ph: 202-218-7284 Fax: 202-218-7297
E-mail: jhartnett@ncbdc.org

Law, Health Policy and Disability Center
University of Iowa