AbleNet in the News

Yakima Herald-Republic - January 24, 2007

State kicks in for care of disabled
by Leah Beth Ward

Shari Scott knows what she wants, and she lets her mother know by pushing the picture of a cup of coffee on her Super Talker, an electronic device that allows her to communicate.

"Coffee with cream and sugar please," says the programmable machine, a little smaller than a notebook computer.

Shari, 32, who lives in a private home with two other disabled adults in Yakima, carries on many conversations with her parents and others, thanks to the device. She can let them know when she wants to visit Grandma, ride in her folks' motorcycle sidecar or go to a musical show.

Her parents bought the $375 electronic talker with proceeds from a unique trust they were able to set up with help from the state. With a monthly disability income of just over $600, Shari doesn't have much left over after rent and food to buy things to enhance her quality of life.

Created by the Legislature in 1999, the Developmental Disabilities Life Opportunities Trust was the first of its kind in the country to combine public funds with private investments.

The trusts allow parents to plan for the day when they will no longer be around to manage their disabled children's needs. Trusts also shelter the assets of the disabled, who can lose their benefits if they have more than $2,000 in assets.

The Legislature provided $5 million to match private contributions, allowing for 1,000 trusts. Private contributions by a family are matched at a rate of 25 percent up to $775 annually. The lifetime maximum match is $7,750 per trust.

Because the trusts have been popular, the original funding is about to be exhausted. But officials with the state Development Disabilities Council say the need is still great. Rough estimates are that 15,000 children statewide may be eligible for trusts.

"We're just scratching the surface," said Ed Holen, trust administrator. "More than ever, people know they need to save for a rainy day. Families with children with developmental disabilities are no different."

As a result, the Developmental Disabilities Council is seeking another $5 million from the 2007 Legislature to create an additional 1,000 trusts. The money isn't in Gov. Chris Gregoire's proposed two-year budget, but advocates say they are working on the issue in the state House and Senate, which come up with their own spending plans.

Backers say the money isn't a government handout because every $1 from the original $5 million has been met with $1.60 invested by the families.

Sue and Bob Scott of Selah contribute regularly to the trust they set up on Shari's behalf in 2002. They paid an initial enrollment fee of $600 but the state matched that sum so the trust account opened with a balance of $600. The state also offers a payment plan for families who can't afford the up-front enrollment fee.

Patti Bell, trust manager with The Arc of Washington State, a nonprofit agency that advocates for the developmentally disabled, said before Life Opportunity Trusts, the only option available to parents was hiring a lawyer to set up a special needs trust at a cost of up to $2,500.

"And that was just for the documents, not including any money management," Bell said.

Many banks no longer manage smaller trust accounts, she added, leaving the job to families, which may lack expertise.

The Scotts are happy with the investment strategy of the State Investment Board. "They are very conservative," Sue Scott said.

The trust gives the Scotts something that's impossible to measure: peace of mind about Shari's quality of life as she ages. For example, adult dental care often goes on the chopping block when government programs are cut.

"In the future when she doesn't have Bob and me, her brother can use the trust account to take her on visits, to pay for her medical needs above and beyond what is covered. It just gives her a whole lot more options."

A Kris Holland photo ran with this story.

Leah Beth Ward can be reached at 577-7626 or lward@yakimaherald.com.