Woman Dedicates Her Life to Building Assets for People with Disabilities
Megan O’Neil got into a car accident that changed her life – and others’ lives.
The injuries she suffered made her paraplegic, restricting her to a wheelchair. After struggling to survive on Social Security disability benefits, she joined the asset-building field to expand opportunities for people with disabilities.
As the Access to Assets Project Coordinator at the World Institute on Disability (WID), Megan became in charge of the Individual Development Accounts program to help low-income people with disabilities gain independence through the purchase of lifelong assets. For every dollar that a person saves, they are matched $1-3 by nonprofit and federal funds.
“For too long, people with disabilities have been relegated to the margins of society,” Megan said. “Asset-building programs give people the support, self-confidence and opportunity to become economically self-sufficient and truly integrated into society.”
WID is one of CFED’s diverse on-the ground partners who advocate for appropriate public policies to enable low-income people to participate in the economy. Megan has always valued the work that CFED does.
“It is wonderful to have a partner that is truly committed to inclusion of all populations and is willing to back up the rhetoric with action.”
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