WID Wins Award for "Access to Assets" Project
By
Megan O'Neil, World Institute on Disability (megan@wid.org)
In celebration of the 25 th anniversary of the Corporation For Enterprise Development (now known simply as CFED), for the first time organizations or individuals were honored with the prestigious distinction of Asset Innovators. The awards were bestowed upon pioneers who have shaped the field of asset development and Individual Development Accounts (IDAs).
The World Institute on Disability's Access to Assets Program was featured as one of five illustrious award winners at a luncheon at CFED's annual conference on IDAs, in New Orleans on September 22. Approximately 800 specialists in asset development for people of low income attended the conference. New CFED president Andrea Levere introduced Kathy Martinez, WID Deputy Director, who accepted the award. Here are some excerpts from her acceptance speech, which was followed by a standing ovation:
"It is estimated that 20% of the U.S. population has some type of disability. Even after all the ramps, Braille on elevators, and telephones with amplifiers, people with disabilities remain on the margins of the margins, the poorest of the poor...especially if you are a woman or person of color. Our remaining barriers are largely invisible: low expectations, myths, stereotypes, and lack of information. The public understanding of the concept of disability is still confused with illness, dependency, and inadequacy. On behalf of our disabled brothers and sisters who dare to get off benefits, who dare to escape the cycle of poverty and are determined to become financially literate, build assets, and enjoy economic prosperity, we accept this award.
"Dede Leydorf, our former Project Manager, worked tirelessly to build bridges between asset building and disability communities. It was largely through her dedication and hard work that we have received this award. With your support, confidence, we will all work together to build even stronger bridges so that more people with disabilities can reach and attain financial security, contribute to our communities and participate in the American Dream."
Among the other recipients were:
- Center for Social Development (CSD) at Washington University, the leading academic center of theory and research on asset building, i.e., strategies that promote saving and investment (in contrast to income and consumption). CSD's founding director, Dr. Michael Sherraden, introduced the concept of asset building for people of low incomes with his seminal book "Assets and the Poor: A New American Welfare Policy" in 1991.
- Ray Boshara serves as current Director of the New America Foundation's Asset Building Program and was previously the Policy Director at CFED. He is widely published in the field of asset building and has testified before Congress, advised both the Bush and Clinton Administrations, as well as leaders in Europe, on asset building policies.
- Community Action Project of Tulsa County (CAP), lead by Executive Director Steven Dow, operates one of the country's largest single-site Individual Development Account programs through the CFED-sponsored American Dream Demonstration. CAP is active in a wide range of issues affecting low-income and continues to push the boundaries with innovative new technologies and advocacy work.
Center for Venture Philanthropy's Assets for All Alliance is a collaborative that includes nonprofits working with low-income individuals, Lenders for Community Development, Citibank, and a host of funding partners. The Alliance is committed to the documentation and dissemination of its effective practices. A cornerstore of that sharing is the IDA Collaboratives Toolkit, which provides many practical tools for building and maintaining a successful IDA program.
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