NDEAM Spotlight: Expanded ABLE Accounts Help HR Champion Inclusion

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), a time to celebrate the contributions of workers with disabilities and promote inclusive workplace practices. This year, NDEAM offers more than reflection — it’s a strategic moment to begin educating employees about a soon-to-expand benefit: ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) accounts.

Starting Jan. 1, 2026, ABLE account eligibility will expand to include individuals whose disability began before age 46 — up from the current threshold of 26. This change, enacted through the ABLE Age Adjustment Act signed into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, will make millions more Americans eligible to open these tax-advantaged savings accounts. ABLE accounts allow individuals with disabilities to save for qualified expenses without jeopardizing their access to Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income. Contributions grow tax-free, and withdrawals for disability-related expenses are also tax-free. Yet uptake remains low — less than 2.5% of eligible individuals have opened an account, despite that over 8 million people qualify for the benefit. That number is projected to rise to 14 million once the age expansion takes effect.

HR and policy professionals have a unique opportunity to close this awareness gap. October’s NDEAM programming is the perfect launchpad for ABLE education, whether through open enrollment materials or financial wellness sessions.

But more work remains. ABLE accounts remain underutilized and administratively complex, which is why SHRM supports further policy improvements described in the recently published ABLE 3.0 report. These proposals include simplifying enrollment, streamlining employer contributions, and enhancing savings incentives, helping HR professionals make ABLE accounts more accessible to employees with disabilities.

By starting the education effort this NDEAM, while also advocating for continued modernization through ABLE 3.0, HR leaders can ensure their organizations are responsive to today’s workforce needs and prepared for tomorrow’s policy improvements.