According to a recent study, some 42.5 million Americans are living with disabilities of one type or another — which can include difficulties with hearing, vision, cognitive functions, walking, self-care, or being able to live independently.
Many cannot afford the cost of accessing the resources and services that can help them live successful and independent lives. Fortunately, there are numerous nonprofits with missions to advocate for people living with disabilities and special needs — and ensure they and their families have consistent access to healthy food, health care, quality education, adaptive technology, trained caregivers, family respite services, job training, and other resources and opportunities.
There are many ways these nonprofits serve, so when it comes to the insurance coverage that these organizations need to operate, their coverage needs to fit their specific mission.
So, what do nonprofits that serve those with disabilities and special needs need from their insurance provider?
Meet four nonprofits that serve those with disabilities and special needs.
We talked with some NIA-insured nonprofits whose missions include disability services, special needs advocacy, and parent/caregiver support. They shared how their unique missions and day-to-day operations helped them determine what they needed most from their insurance coverage.
In their own words…
Orange County Disability Awareness Council (Chapel Hill, NC)
“The Disability Awareness Council (TDAC) is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization made up of professionals and community members with expertise in education, employment, human services, and healthcare. Founded in 1977, TDAC was designated in 1991 by the mayors of Orange County to serve as an advisory body on issues related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and barrier removal. We conduct assessment on accessible programs and physical structures.”
— Timothy Miles, Human Services Executive Director, Orange County Disability Awareness Council
Wide Horizons (Manteca, CA)
“Wide Horizons is dedicated to empowering neurodiverse individuals by providing opportunities for personal growth, skill-building, and community integration.
Through tailored programs, we help individuals achieve independence, meaningful employment, and fuller lives. Our mission is to help individuals achieve integrated employment and live fuller, more independent lives.
Wide Horizons offers the EVOLVE program, which provides neurodiverse individuals with vocational training, life skills development, and employment assistance. Services include art therapy, vocational development, job coaching, and community service opportunities, all aimed at fostering independence and integrated employment.”
— Troy Stelmack, Co-Founder & Corporate Secretary, Wide Horizons
Restored Souls (Wilmington, NC)
“Restored Souls’ mission is to provide support and resources to families with vulnerable children. We want foster, adoptive, medically fragile and families with special needs children to be encouraged to prevent caretaker burnout and have their joy restored because we are all God’s children.
We offer events for all abilities, we host a birthday skating party, Christ Cruise, Sharing Waves Surf camp and a Kids Hooked on Fishing Tournament. We also send whole families on free, restful vacations and connect parents to support groups.
Our newest program is Restored Styles, our mobile haircutting salon that can come and cut hair at your home, for those that are unable to go to a traditional hair salon.”
— Melissa Matthews, Executive Director, Restored Souls
Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) Foundation (Henderson, NV)
“We focus on digital accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities. Our foundation’s mission is to disrupt the culture of technology and digital product development to include accessibility as a core requirement.
Our vision is that accessibility is built into the product development lifecycle for technology and digital products.
We run the annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) on the third Thursday each May. Companies and organizations hold events to raise awareness on the topic of digital access by and for people with disabilities.
Other programs include an annual awards celebration (the Gaadys) which recognizes companies/organizations that are living the mission of the foundation, as well as a GAAD Speakers Fund that supports those who wish to present on topics regarding digital access and inclusion at tech events.”
— Jennison Asuncion, Co-Founder & First Vice-Chair, GAAD Foundation
What did these nonprofits that provide disability services and special needs advocacy need most from their insurer?
Keep the budget as mission-focused as possible
“We needed to maximize funding for staff recruitment, professional development, and program supplies to support our general operations.”
— Timothy Miles, Orange County Disability Awareness Council
Coverage for everyone’s safety and well-being
“Our primary concern was to secure comprehensive protection for our participants, staff, board members, and operations to ensure the safety and well-being of all involved with our organization. This includes coverage for potential liabilities associated with our services, activities, and fundraising.”
— Troy Stelmack, Wide Horizons
Protect our people and programs
“We needed coverage for all of our programs, as well as for those that run them. It is hard to find an insurance company that will cover life by the ocean.”
— Melissa Matthews, Restored Souls
Protection for special events and venues
“The need for insurance came up when we ran our first Gaadys Awards celebration and learned that a number of the venues we looked at required us to hold liability insurance, and we felt it made sense to hold a policy for our organization.”
— Jennison Asuncion, GAAD Foundation
How did these disability services and special needs advocacy nonprofits hear about NIA?
Referrals from partner organizations
“Our organization learned about NIA through the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits.”
— Timothy Miles, Orange County Disability Awareness Council
A partner from the start
“NIA was our first insurer. We are a new organization. It started with research on the internet, and then personal interaction with NIA’s representatives.”
— Troy Stelmack, Wide Horizons
Another insurer’s recommendation
“We have always had a hard time finding insurance until NIA. When we were in the market, we were referred to NIA by another insurance company as a possibility.”
— Melissa Matthews, Restored Souls
A venue’s suggestion
“NIA came to our attention by way of a recommendation from one of the venues we looked at to hold an event.”
— Jennison Asuncion, GAAD Foundation
Since becoming an NIA member, how has that relationship helped these disability services and special needs advocacy nonprofits?
Expertise and professionalism for a strong partnership
“I truly appreciate the collaborative and supportive nature of my relationship with NIA. One of the key benefits I’ve discovered is the expertise and professionalism the team consistently brings to the table. Their ability to provide clear guidance and innovative solutions has been invaluable.
Additionally, NIA’s commitment to fostering strong communication and building long-term partnerships has greatly contributed to the success of our work together.”
— Timothy Miles, Orange County Disability Awareness Council
Quality coverage, access to resources
“We appreciate the nonprofit resources, liability coverage recommendations, and the ease of doing business with NIA — as well as the free publications, templates, and subscriptions.”
— Troy Stelmack, Wide Horizons
An insurer that understands nonprofits’ funding issues
“With NIA, we have been able to reinstate our insurance after our organization went through a donation drought and wasn’t able to make payments for a few months.”
— Melissa Matthews, Restored Souls
Painless and efficient interactions for a new nonprofit
“The GAAD Foundation is only a few years old, and NIA is our first provider. We fortunately did not have any previous bad experiences and signing up with NIA was quick and painless.
As an early-in-life nonprofit, all of our interactions with NIA have been painless and efficient.”
— Jennison Asuncion, GAAD Foundation
Disability services and special needs advocacy nonprofits need insurance that’s designed for them.
Why do nonprofits that offer disability services and special needs advocacy prefer to get their insurance coverage from NIA?
It’s not hard: They want insurance coverage that protects their people, their programs, and the people they serve. They want an insurance provider that understands they have budgets, that they don’t want to pay for coverage they don’t need, and that they want to speak to a real person when they have questions.
These nonprofits are there to support families and give them the opportunities and resources they need for success — they deserve an insurance provider that gives them that same level of support, advocacy, and understanding.
