Fw: DisabledDiscounts.com

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APRIL IS AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH...Subject: DisabledDiscounts.comTo: dlorman@...Date: Friday, April 16, 2010, 6:50 AM

Couple launches Web site to help disabled find

discounts By

Cary Staff Writer Posted: 04/15/2010

08:09:30 AM PDT

The Web site for

disabled discounts. Squar recently

started the Web site DisabledDiscounts.com to help caregivers and the

disableded find money-saving bargains. He has become a caregiver for his wife,

Mara, who has multiple sclerosis. ( Varley/Staff Photographer) The beautiful wings of a butterfly suggest freedom. Freedom

to go wherever you want. Freedom to see whatever you desire. That's why Mara Squar and her husband, , chose the

butterfly as a symbol for their new Web site,

DisabledDiscounts.com,

which is intended to give people with disabilities that sense of freedom. Mara Squar was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a disease

of the central nervous system, nearly 30 years ago. Unable to work, she thought

of herself as a financial burden on her family. "When you're disabled and you can't work, sometimes you

don't feel like you're contributing and doing your fair share," said

Squar, a former preschool teacher. "Sometimes when I think about what our

insurance costs - and even though () has never, ever, made me feel this

way - I think it's my fault because I have a pre-existing condition and we are

stuck. And that makes me feel horrid sometimes." But while Mara and her husband were filling out paperwork

for their new home in Sherman Oaks, they stumbled across information about a

tax break available to disabled homebuyers. If this kind of savings existed unbeknownst to - who

owned an escrow company - they wondered, what other discounts might be

available for the disabled? About

two months ago, the couple launched DisabledDis counts.com as a link to these types of discounts, benefits and services for people with

disabilities, broken down by state and county. The site has more than two dozen categories in which

discounts can be found, including sports and recreation, health care, taxes,

pet care, entertainment, legal services, education and utilities. "In the beginning, we thought it would be really great

if you could save $100 a month," Squar said. "Depending on what

you use, it can be thousands of dollars a month. We are saving between $1,600

and $1,900." calls these savings "pull-back money"

because it comes from everyday expenses. Hundreds of discounts are available but not all states offer

the same savings. And often the opportunities differ between counties within

the same state. Not all states are included on the Web site - though

California is - but

anticipates that 35 to 38 states will be available by the end of April. Emanuel Alvarez, a program specialist for the

Los Angeles

Caregiver Resource Center at USC, said DisabledDiscounts.com

seems well developed for the most part, and that its mission is very clear. Alvarez said he has received minimal feedback on the site

from clients, though he has heard complaints about the annual $25 per state fee

that users are charged. So who exactly is eligible for these discounts? The federal Americans with Disabilities Act defines a

disabled person as someone who has a physical or mental impairment that makes

him or her unable to do one of life's daily functions. This can range from

driving a car to tying a shoe to reading. Those who receive federal Supplemental Security Income are

considered disabled. But even those who do not receive SSI could be considered

disabled and eligible for the benefits. "For the electric company, the gas company, those types

of companies, they send you a letter, your doctor fills in what you have, signs

it and that's the end of that," Squar said. "It's a very

non-problem." Along with informing users about discounts for the disabled,

said, he hopes the site brings awareness to businesses that do not offer

such benefits and services. "(The disabled community) is the largest untapped

market in the United States ,"

he said. "It has 55 million plus, there is no market as big. If you are a

store, you could market to 55 million people by giving discounts that you are already

giving in some sort of way anyway and you are going to pick up a lot of

business." Through the Squars' pull-back money, Mara has found a sense

of validation, she said, because she is once again pitching in. "All these discounts, for me, make me feel like I am

contributing and it was kind of nice," she said. "When certain things

came into play, I went, 'Wow, this is kind of my contribution.' " Though the Squars' main concern is helping people rid

themselves of the financial burden of their disabilities, Mara said she has

other plans for the site as well. She is developing a blog that will be used as

a forum to bring people together and get them talking. People who do not have a visible disability, she said, often

feel invisible because others don't recognize they are disabled. Likewise, she

said, those who have a visible handicap can feel invisible because many people

refuse to look at them. "I want to be able to talk with people because I think

it's really important and I think people need to know that other people feel

that way," Mara said. "You don't have to be alone, there are ways of

coping. There are a lot of things on the Web site that you can use." Mara uses education benefits to take classes at local

colleges to keep herself busy. She used to be a devoted reader, but her MS often affects

her eyesight and causes extreme fatigue. Through the National Library Service

for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, she said, she now receives free

audiobooks that allow her to experience the joy she once felt while reading. Mara said she hopes these services will bring people with

disabilities together to create a strong voice. There are things that need to

change - laws and insurance policies, she said. People are unaware of much of the information regarding the

disabled community, she said. And addressing these issues gives her a sense of

purpose. "I would like to bring the community of disabled people

together, because I can do that as a writer and a person with a

disability," she said. "I just think it's an important thing and it's

a good way to give back. And I guess in some way it makes my experiences with

MS count." Like a butterfly, Mara has regained her sense of freedom.

And together, the Squars hope the disabled community will be able to spread its

wings. Cary , Ext. 6630 stephanie.cary@... Donna Lorman, President