This post was written by Laura Robb, an ABLEnow customer. Read more about Laura’s role with the program.

Thinking about the future can be a big deal for people with disabilities.

How can I pursue dreams that cost money when the government limits me to no more than $2,000 in assets?

If I had the option to save money, what dreams are important to me?

I asked myself these questions a few years ago. I needed a way to begin and ABLEnow was the answer. I started to save for a big dream I hoped to pursue: graduate school.

Opening the ABLEnow account empowered me to prepare and take action rather than feel limited. Now, I am living out my dream. My first graduate school class started in January 2020.

Along the way, the coronavirus pandemic happened. Much of life has changed with the quarantine, but some things stayed the same. My class continued online. At the end of the semester, I registered for the next round of classes.

With the quarantine, many people across the country received a stimulus payment from the government. I was excited to receive mine because I already knew what I would do—move the stimulus funds to my ABLEnow account and save for future semesters of graduate school.

Soon after the stay-at-home order was lifted in my state, I rescheduled a dentist appointment. My insurance doesn’t cover dental costs. Once again, ABLEnow came in handy. I swiped my ABLEnow Card, knowing I could pay for the services with my savings.

None of us could have predicted the pandemic or quarantine. I can’t always predict when I will see a dream come to life or face an unexpected expense. However, my ABLEnow account is an empowering tool that leaves room for both. I have a financial cushion to achieve a long-term goal or cover basic necessities.

I may have stopped going into a physical bank building with the quarantine, but I have not stopped accessing ABLEnow. I can manage my account online at any time, day or night. I can still ask myself what dreams are important and plan for them, no matter what is happening in the world.

As I’ve already learned this year, not every dream requires me to leave home. It all started one night in 2017 when I opened my own ABLEnow account.

Laura Robb is a paid ambassador and consultant for the ABLEnow program. Her experience as an account owner may not be representative of other account owners.