63 Places Offering Discounts for People With Disabilities
June 3, 2019
If you’re an adult or a child with disabilities, there are plenty of ways to get free or discounted stuff, be it medical supplies, financial assistance or even educational assistance and scholarships. You just need to know where to look!
To make your search easier, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of all the best discounts for people with disabilities. We’ve also included a section on organizations that provide assistance and aid to those with disabilities, which you can read below.
Feel free to use the jump-to links to skip to a specific section or read through our guide to learn about all the ways you can save.
Accessible Technology | Education Assistance| Financial Planning| Medical Assistance| Recreation | Travel and Transportation
Organizations That Help People With Disabilities Get Discounts
Given that some disability discounts and freebies are only available through special organizations, we thought it would be beneficial to include them here. Many of these sites are updated regularly, so be sure to monitor them to learn about upcoming discounts and deals.
- ADA.gov: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) website features extensive guides and resources for Americans with disabilities and provides valuable information for those living with invisible disabilities as well.
- Disabled World: Disabled World’s site offers news, disability information, a thriving online community and plenty of free online resources.
- Easterseals: Easterseals provides children and adults with disabilities a number of services, from employment resources to recreational offerings.
- Housing and Public Utilities Benefits: The federal government’s benefits website can connect you to energy assistance programs in your state.
- Library of Congress: The Library of Congress offers access to books for those who are blind or whose physical limitations require them to use books in braille or audio format.
- Lifeline: Lifeline is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program that seeks to make communications services more affordable. Enter your city and state or ZIP code to see which phone carriers near you support Lifeline service.
- The Arc: The Arc is a national community that advocates for disability rights. Their website provides free online resources for anyone who wants to get involved.
- U.S. Department of Labor: This site offers a comprehensive list of programs and services available through the U.S. federal government to those with disabilities.
- WellCare: WellCare works with families and individuals with complex medical needs by providing them with government-sponsored care services primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans.
Free Apps and Accessible Technology
From specially designed apps to text-to-speech digital books, there are plenty of technological resources out there for people with disabilities. Look at our list of free stuff below to see how you can take advantage of these deals.
- Apple: All Mac computers come with Accessibility Features that help with seeing, hearing and mobility interactions.
- Ava: This app transcribes what people say when they speak into the microphone. The basic plan captions one-on-one and group conversations for up to five hours a month.
- BeMyEyes: BeMyEyes is a free app that connects blind and low-vision users with sighted volunteers in the area.
- Bookshare: Bookshare hosts the largest online library of accessible books. Free for qualifying U.S. students of any age, all books come with text-to-speech technology.
- Google Voice: This free Google app transcribes voice to text.
- NVDA: NVDA screen reader is a free Windows-based product that converts text into Braille.
- OnlineOCR: This free tool extracts text from image files and converts them into digital text files, which can then be read aloud using built-in text-to-speech technology.
- Speak4Me: Available on iTunes and Android, this app converts your text to speech.
- TapTapSee: This free app takes videos and photos and identifies the object out loud for you.
- Windows: Microsoft Windows allows you to personalize your computer with Accessibility Features that help with seeing, hearing and mobility interactions. Be sure to take advantage of these Microsoft coupons too!
Educational Assistance and Scholarships
There are plenty of organizations and institutions that support the educational and professional pursuits of adults and children with disabilities.
We’ve listed some of the more prominent organizations below, but you can also conduct a local online search by entering the name of your state, city or town with keywords like “office of disability services” or “services for students with disabilities.”
- 1800wheelchair: 1800wheelchair provides one or two $500 scholarships a year. While there aren’t any requirements on ability to apply, past application topics have included mobility on campus and overcoming personal obstacles.
- Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship: Graduating high school students with a documented disability can apply for this one-time $2,500 scholarship.
- American Association on Health and Disability: The AAHD awards several scholarships a year worth $1,000 each to students with disabilities.
- Ameriglide Achiever Scholarship: This $2,500 scholarship is available to full-time college students who use a manual wheelchair, power wheelchair or mobile scooter.
- Avonte Oquendo Scholarship: This scholarship awards $1,000 to a college student living with autism or whose loved one lives with autism.
- Cochlear: Cochlear offers renewable scholarships of up to $2,000 for students that have received a Cochlear implant.
- Cystic Fibrosis Scholarship Foundation: The CFSF sponsors several annual scholarships and grants for students with cystic fibrosis.
- Federal Pell Grants: The federal government distributes Pell Grants to qualifying undergraduate students. Students with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.
- Federal TRIO Programs: The federal government also issues scholarships for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, which includes individuals with disabilities.
- Landmark College Scholarships: One of two colleges in the U.S. that exclusively accepts students with learning disabilities, Landmark’s college scholarship ranges from $5,000–$34,000 and is awarded to students based on financial need.
- Lighthouse Guild: The Lighthouse Guild gives out 10 merit-based scholarships a year to students living with blindness.
- National Amputation Foundation: The NAF offers scholarships to students with limb amputations.
- National Federation of the Blind: The NFB offers 30 merit-based scholarships for students interested in STEM subjects.
- Organization for Autism Research: Students with autism can apply for a $3,000 scholarship from OAR.
- RISE Scholarship: The RISE scholarship is offered to high school students with learning disabilities who show exceptional determination and success in overcoming their difficulties.
- Sertoma Hard of Hearing and Communicative Disorders Scholarships: Sertoma offers scholarships for students with hearing loss or those who are pursuing advanced degrees in audiology or speech language pathology.
- SpinLife: This mobility equipment retailer offers one $1,000 scholarship and one $500 Spinlife.com gift card to students who use manual or power wheelchairs.
Free Financial Planning and Assistance Resources
If you’re struggling financially due to your disability, there are federal and state programs that offer assistance. There are also local organizations throughout the U.S. that help individuals with disabilities, so be sure to seek them out.
- Caregiver.org: Caregiver.org provides online resources for caregivers and offers a Caregiver Connect, a service that helps caregivers find local groups and support.
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: CMS provides information about Medicare and Medicaid and offers advice on how to apply to them.
- Good Days: Good Days offers financial support for patients who urgently need treatment but can’t afford it.
- IRS Credit for the Elderly or Disabled: The IRS also offers tax credits for the elderly and individuals with disabilities. Read Publication 524 to learn more about it.
- IRS Medical and Dental Expenses: There are specific tax benefits for those with physical or mental impairments. IRS Publication 502 explains the process in depth, and the section on capital expenses discusses special equipment and home modifications.
- Kids’ Waivers: This online tool assists parents of children with disabilities by helping them locate waivers based on needs, location, income level and other factors.
- Pacer Center: The Pacer Center’s “Possibilities” guide provides parents of children with disabilities a comprehensive financial care guide.
- PAN Foundation: The PAN Foundation covers deductible, copay and coinsurance for prescribed medications for those that qualify. Apply online or call 1–866–316–7263.
- Supplemental Security Income: SSI is designed for those with disabilities who have little to no income and provides cash to meet basic needs.
Free and Discounted Medical Assistance and Supplies
U.S. citizens with a disability and that receive assistance from Medicare, Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) may qualify for OTC benefits with their healthcare plan.
The details vary from state to state, but it’s worth discussing with your healthcare provider in any case. There are also organizations out there that provide medical assistance and supplies at discounted rates or for free, depending on your location.
- Alternatives in Motion: This not-for-profit organization provides mobile assistance to those who are uninsured or whose coverage doesn’t meet their needs.
- Cascade Healthcare Solutions: Cascade Healthcare solutions offers coupon codes and shipping deals on medical supplies via their e-Specials page.
- Discount Medical Supplies: Discount Medical Supplies analyzes market prices for quality medical products and offers them to their customers for less.
- Free White Cane Program: Fill out the required information fields or email the National Federation of the Blind to inquire about your free cane.
- FSA Store: The FSA Store offers online coupons for home medical supplies and other items sold in their store.
- Home Medical Equipment: HME sells home medical equipment online at a discounted rate. All orders come with free shipping.
- Staywell: Staywell, a WellCare company, offers families and individuals with OTC benefits $25 worth of OTC items per household each month.
- The Kids Equipment Network: This organization provides refurbished medical equipment to children of families in need.
- The Medical Supply Depot: Get free shipping on orders over $75 and save even more with these online coupons for Medical Supply Depot.
Recreation Discounts
As an adult or child with disabilities, you can access many of the nation’s prestigious state and national parks for a discounted rate (or, in some cases, for free!).
Many museums also offer discounted prices, free programs and on-site assistive technology for visitors with disabilities — you just need to ask beforehand to make sure. Check out our list of passes and parks below to see how you can save.
- America the Beautiful Pass: This $10 lifetime pass is available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents with a diagnosed permanent disability and provides admittance to over 2,000 recreation sites.
- Brooklyn Museum: Visitors with disabilities get in for $10 and their care partners get in free.
- Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Met offers special programs and services for visitors with disabilities, but not all programs are free. To inquire, email The Met at [email protected] or call them at (212) 650–2010 and check out these coupons from The Met as well.
- Museum of Modern Art: MoMA in Manhattan, N.Y., offers accessible programs for visitors with disabilities. To inquire about free events, reach them at (212) 408–6347 or email the museum.
- The National Museum of American History: Although admission to Smithsonian museums is always free, they also offer special services for those with disabilities, such as access to free wheelchairs and Aira Access mobile information and description services for visitors who are visually impaired.
Travel and Transportation Discounts
Travel and transportation for individuals with disabilities can be difficult and often requires a lot of planning beforehand due to medical conditions or accessibility issues. However, there are discounts and accommodations out there that make traveling easier and more enjoyable.
- 800CharityCars: 1–800-Charity Cars is a non-profit that offers charity vehicles to those in need, including people with medical disabilities.
- American Public Transportation Association: APTA connects you to local transportation resources and authorities. While policies and services vary, you can usually find special pricing discounts on community transportation.
- Amtrak: Amtrak offers up to 60% off for adult and child passengers with disabilities depending upon age and distance.
- ClubGO: ClubGO members can get up to 60% off select hotels, resorts and motels using the exclusive accessibleGO travel platform for people with disabilities.
- Cruise Critic: Cruise Critic lays out the most accessible cruise lines to help you plan your trip.
- Eurostar: Planning a trip to Europe? Eurostar offers passengers in wheelchairs Standard Premier and Business Premier seating for the price of a Standard Class ticket.
- Greyhound: Greyhound offers passengers with disabilities priority seating, offers assistance during stops and provides other services.
- Trips Inc. Special Adventures: A leader in special needs travel, Travel Inc. offers package vacation deals that promote personal and emotional growth, friendship and learning.
Other Ways to Find Discounts
Not all freebies and discounts available to people with disabilities can be found online. To really take advantage of all the services out there, you have to be proactive. Below are a few ways you can find more deals and discounts on your own.
- Connect via social apps: Apps like Meetup and Facebook Local are free and allow you to search for like-minded communities and social groups.
- Do a local search: There are plenty of organizations in states, towns or cities that aim to help people with disabilities in the immediate area. Many national organizations have state or city chapters you can join as well.
- Search online: Use sites like DisabledDeals.com or BenefitsCheckup.orgto find additional ways to save.
- Subscribe to newsletters: Subscribe to Disability Scoop’s newsletter (and others like it) to stay updated on news and events related to the greater disability community.
In addition to the services and programs included in this guide, there are many places willing to offer discounts to people with disabilities — you just have to ask.
Many businesses choose not to advertise special discounts for various reasons, so it’s always worth inquiring if they have any special deals for customers with disabilities.
Additionally, it’s always worth looking into state and federal programs and other local organizations in your area to see what ways you can save. Be it a free phone, car or new medical equipment, all you need to do is ask.