Any disability that qualifies for SSI or SSDI or blindness that developed before the age of 26 is eligible for an ABLE account.
The Internal Revenue Service categorizes eligible disabilities as follows:
- Developmental Disorders: Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, Developmental delays and learning disabilities
- Intellectual Disability: May be reported as mild, moderate, or severe intellectual disability
- Psychiatric Disorders: Schizophrenia, Major depressive disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Anorexia Nervosa, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD), Bipolar Disorder
- Nervous Disorders: Blindness, Deafness, Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Spina Bifida, Juvenile-onset Huntington’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Severe sensorineural hearing loss, Congenital cataracts
- Congenital Anomalies: Chromosomal abnormalities, including Down Syndrome; Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Xeroderma Pigmentosum, Spinal muscular atrophy, Fragile X Syndrome, Edwards Syndrome
- Respiratory Disorders: Cystic Fibrosis
- Other: Tetralogy of Fallot, Hypoplastic left heart syndrome, End-stage liver disease, Juvenile-onset rheumatoid arthritis, Sickle cell disease, Hemophilia, and any other disability not listed
Those who don’t receive social security benefits are still eligible if they can get a signed Diagnosis Form from a licensed physician.