|
VSA arts of New Jersey and ThisAbled Debut “Connect” Exhibition at Artworks in Trenton
|
 |
 |
|
VSA arts of New Jersey and ThisAbled will present the art exhibition “Connect” at Artworks, Trenton’s downtown visual arts center, located at 19 Everett Alley in Trenton from March 20 to May 1, 2010. Featuring ten artists with disabilities, “Connect” showcases the diverse two-dimensional work being produced by emerging and established artists and invites visitors to explore the relationship between arts and disability. The public is invited to attend an opening reception on Saturday, March 20 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
|
|
|
|
|
Earned Income Tax Credit Can Put Money in Your Pocket
|
|
|
|
You may qualify to get up to $5,600 back from IRS and not know it. The agency estimates one in four eligible taxpayers could miss out on the Earned Income Tax Credit - or EITC - simply because they don't claim it.
EITC can be a financial boost for working people hit by hard economic times. Eligibility is based on several factors including the source and amount of your income, or combined income if married, whether you have qualifying children and how many. Children are not required, but they increase the amount of your credit. Through new legislation, families with three or more children can get even more money.
If you had less than $48,000 in income from wages, self-employment or farming in 2009, you may qualify. Use IRS's online EITC Assistant to determine your eligibility and amount of your credit. You must file a tax return, even if you aren't otherwise required, and claim the EITC to get it.
No-cost help is available. Volunteer income tax assistance sites or IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers will prepare your return at no charge. To locate a volunteer site, call your community's 211 or 311 number for local services or call the IRS at 1-800-906-9887.
See if your state also has an EITC. |
|
SSI & SSA Benefits and Overpayments
|
|
|
|
by Kevin Liebkemann
kliebkemann@lsnj.org
People who receive Social Security Disability (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are entitled to certain work incentive benefits. In some situations, these programs can protect their cash and medical benefits while they test their ability to return to work. However, these programs are complicated, and people can incur large benefit overpayment claims if they do not follow the rules. This presentation will provide information on how to use the work incentive programs while minimizing the chance of a benefit overpayment claim.
|
|
|
|
|
Former NBA Star Encourages People with Disabilities to Follow their Dreams
|
|
|
|
By: Kelly Rouba
Chris Dudley was only a sophomore in high school when he received some news from his doctor that would change his life forever. Dudley, who had been experiencing fatigue and extreme thirst, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1981—a disease that is caused when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to control blood sugar levels.
Dudley said his father suspected he might have diabetes and was the one who had him get tested. “My dad’s brother—my uncle—had diabetes, so I was fortunate in that my dad was suspicious to check for that,” Dudley said, adding, “He went to the local pharmacy and got what, at the time, was a way of testing for blood sugar.”
After the test showed that his blood sugars were high, Dudley’s father took him right to the hospital. Upon being diagnosed with diabetes, “I was upset, confused, just didn’t know what it meant, and scared,” Dudley recalls. “I didn’t know much about it, (except that) there was and are some very drastic long-term complications.”
|
|
|
|
Education and Vocational Rehabilitation
|
|
|
|
Making the Grade: The Best Colleges and Universities for the People with Disabilities
Traditionally speaking, individuals with disabilities have rarely been steered in the direction of higher education. For teachers, counselors, and parents in charge of doing so, the reasons for not pushing students with disabilities to pursue goals of higher education range from fear of failure, to lack of knowledge regarding opportunities and accessibility. In cases where students with disabilities do have a desire to continue their studies, many are advised to attend local community colleges and trade schools.
The reasons for such advice are often well-intended. Some parents might encourage their child to attend a local community college because they are concerned about their child’s safety and health in an out-of-state school. For others though, it is simply a case of low expectations and the desire to protect a child from discrimination and perceived failure.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 1 of 3 |
