Baltimore, Maryland (December 4, 2014): The National Federation of the Blind, the nation’s leading organization of blind Americans,  today commended the United States House of Representatives for passing the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act yesterday, and urged the United States Senate to pass the legislation as quickly as possible. The ABLE Act allows Americans with disabilities to set up savings accounts to provide for expenses such as housing, transportation, continuing education, and medical care, even while receiving critical benefits such as SSI and Medicaid.

Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “Many blind Americans are trapped in poverty and dependence because they cannot save the funds to work toward a better life without losing the benefits on which they currently depend. The ABLE Act will allow the blind and others with disabilities to escape this trap so that they can ultimately achieve personal and economic independence and self-sufficiency. We applaud the House of Representatives for passing this critical legislation with overwhelming bipartisan support, and we urge the United States Senate to do the same expeditiously.”