Millions of individuals with disabilities and their families depend on a wide variety of public benefits for income, health care, and food and housing assistance, but these individuals are ineligible for benefits if they have more than $2,000 cash savings and retirement funds. However, the ABLE Act recognizes the significant costs of disability, including raising a child with significant disabilities, and the costs of accessible housing and transportation, personal assistance services, and assistive technology. Furthermore, many caregivers worry about providing for the future of their children with disabilities.

The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act (H.R. 647), a bipartisan bill passed on December 19, 2014, amends the federal tax code to allow Section 529 tax-exempt savings accounts for disability-related expenses. This allows earnings to grow tax deferred and account owners the ability to withdraw earnings to use toward qualified disability expenses. Account contributions are limited to $15,000 per year; however, beneficiaries who are employed can potentially have a higher yearly contribution limit of up to $27,060 due to the newly passed ABLE to Work Act. Assets in your account do not affect eligibility for federal or Arizona means-tested benefits programs like SSI or Medicaid. ABLE Accounts are structurally like 529 accounts, in terms of tax advantages, online use, and investment options, but they have the transactional capabilities of a checking account and the benefits protections of a Special Needs Trust.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is pleased to once again participate in the international event entitled Dreamnight at the Zoo (Friday, October 12, 2018 from 6pm – 9pm).  This event was started in 1996 by the Rotterdam Zoo and has since spread to zoos around the world.  The purpose of the event is to open our…

Register your team for Tucson Buddy Walk at: https://www.ds-stride.org/tucsonbuddywalk

SANDS is proud to sponsor this event hosted by Congenital Heart Defect Families of Tucson.

This exclusive evening is for children with special health care needs, children with disabilities, their parents, and their siblings. It's a special night for these children and their families to experience their Zoo free of charge. Activities include: animal encounters, zoo keeper chats, arts and crafts, face painting and glitter tattoos, carousel rides, photo booth,…

Please join us for the Southern Arizona Network for Down Syndrome's 2nd annual fundraiser! This year we are raising funds to not only fund our entire community's need with training, medical equipment, and physical education support, we are striving to help send families to the National Down Syndrome Society's Annual Adult Summit. This event it…

Be part of the D-backs Down Syndrome Awareness Night on September 28th as the D-backs take on division rival Padres. We will have a pre-game recognition for all families and friends through this special offer. Also, $5 from every ticket sold through this offer will be donated to SANDS! For any accessible seating, please contact…

In collaboration with Children's Museum Tucson, SANDS is hosting a family night on opening night, and a few lucky kids are going to meet a Disney character in person!