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Governor’s Commission on Disability highlights ABLE savings, tele‑equipment assistance and call‑center demand
Summary
The Governor’s Commission on Disability told House Finance Division I that it manages programs that help people with disabilities save and obtain assistive communications equipment, and that routine public inquiries — especially about service animals and accessibility — are the commission’s largest single demand.
The Governor’s Commission on Disability (GCD) presented its FY26–27 operating plan to House Finance Division I, summarizing program work on accessibility, technical assistance and direct consumer supports such as New Hampshire’s ABLE savings accounts and a telecommunications equipment assistance program (TEEP).
Executive Director Chuck Seah said the commission’s work is grounded in the Americans with Disabilities Act and state statute and includes advising the governor and legislature, supporting an Architectural Barrier‑Free Design Committee (ABFDC) that issues opinions on state‑leased or owned facility accessibility, and operating several grant and assistance programs.
Seah said the GCD co‑administers New Hampshire’s ABLE plan with the State Treasurer. He told lawmakers the plan holds roughly $12.2 million in assets across about 1,900 accounts and is designed to let people with disabilities save without endangering means‑tested benefits. On equipment assistance, the GCD runs a federally referenced or PUC‑funded program that provides devices and communications aids to people with sensory disabilities; the current vendor is Future Insight.
The commission also highlighted routine intake demand and public inquiries: Seah said the GCD receives nearly 500 calls and email inquiries annually and that the “number 1 call that comes into the GCD is service animals.” The commission requested $7,500 in fiscal 2026 for communication access services (CART and ASL) to make public meetings accessible and said prior benefit‑estimate errors required a correction to health‑insurance benefit budgeting in its smaller, personnel‑heavy office.
The GCD asked the Legislature to amend terms for governor‑appointed members (in a trailer bill) to extend member terms from two to three years so volunteers can contribute more consistently without turnover eroding institutional knowledge. The department also noted a vacant part‑time ADA coordinator position and said two council positions (the Statewide Independent Living Council program assistant) are supported by a Department of Education contract.
What’s next: The commission will follow the committee’s direction on staffing and prioritized needs; it will continue administering ABLE and TEEP programs and provide requested documentation of program draws and vendor activity.
Ending: The GCD stressed that most work is small‑budget, staff‑intensive outreach and technical assistance that helps individuals with disabilities access basic public services and that modest funding for communication access and staffing stability would improve program delivery.
