New Report Spotlights the Disability Finance Opportunity for CDFIs
The National Disability Finance Coalition (NDFC) has released Opening Financial Doors: Disability Finance in the U.S., a groundbreaking new report that explores how Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) can better serve people with disabilities (PWD)—a growing and deeply underserved population across the United States.
With slightly more than 1 in 4 U.S. adults identifying as disabled, and with poverty and financial exclusion disproportionately affecting this group, the need for targeted financial products has never been more urgent. Yet until now, there has been little research to guide lenders, funders, investors, and advocates in addressing the unique barriers faced by PWD.
Commissioned by NDFC in 2024, the report is the first of its kind to map the disability finance (DF) ecosystem, from unmet borrower needs to the practical steps CDFIs can take to expand access and impact. It draws from a national survey, stakeholder interviews, and data analysis to identify four critical sectors in need of investment: assistive technology, affordable, accessible housing, small business, and community facilities.
Key Findings for CDFIs
- The need is great: The financial needs of PWD are deeply intersectional and their needs cut across every CDFI type, geography, and financial products and services on offer.
- Capacity-building is badly needed: Most CDFIs want to engage in disability finance but lack guidance, capital, or partnerships with disability-serving organizations (DSOs) to get started.
- Demand for Assistive Technology (AT) loans is high: Loans for AT—for everything from hearing aids to home modifications to adapted vehicles—are in demand, but rarely available through traditional lenders.
- Affordable, accessible housing is low: A persistent shortage of accessible, affordable housing disproportionately affects people with disabilities.
- PWD are more likely to be self-employed: Entrepreneurs with disabilities are more likely to pursue self-employment than non-disabled people but face heightened barriers to startup capital and technical assistance.
The report doesn’t just spotlight gaps, it offers practical, actionable strategies for CDFIs, funders, DSOs, and policymakers to collaborate in building a more inclusive financial system.
“Disability Finance doesn’t need to remain a niche. The need for it is central to the mission of community-centered lending,” said Emerson Sekins, NDFC’s Board Chair and CEO at Northwest Access Fund. “With the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act being celebrated this summer, now is the time to recognize the systemic barriers to capital access this population faces and the need to design solutions that address them. We hope this report helps CDFIs recognize the opportunity they have to lead in this space.”
Ready to Learn More?
Download the report or visit our membership page to access trainings and connect with peer organizations already leading in this space. Or email us at info@disabilityfinance.org.
Let’s move from possibility to practice. Together, we can open more financial doors.
New Report Reveals Untapped Opportunity in Lending to People with Disabilities
Assistive Technology Lending: A High-Impact Opportunity for CDFIs
For CDFIs looking to enter the growing field of Disability Finance (DF), assistive technology (AT) lending offers a compelling place to start, both for its life-changing impact on borrowers and for its relatively low financial risk to lenders.
AT includes a wide range of devices and services—such as hearing aids, wheelchairs, adapted vehicles, home modifications, and AI-powered smart glasses—that help people with disabilities (PWD) live independently, work, and fully participate in their communities. But for many PWD, access to AT remains out of reach. Insurance rarely covers the full cost of equipment, and public benefits often come with narrow eligibility rules and rigid timelines that limit the capacity of PWD to take on debt. That leaves individuals to piece together funding through credit cards, retirement withdrawals, or personal loans—if they can secure them at all.
“This is a market that’s underserved and ready for thoughtful investment,” says Will Hall, CEO of Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF), one of the longest-standing CDFIs focused exclusively on AT lending. “If you’re a CDFI with consumer lending capabilities, this is a smart entry point into Disability Finance.”
A Model That Works
PATF’s success rests on a lending model designed with the realities of disability in mind. The organization offers two main types of loans: no-interest, no-fee direct loans of up to $7,000 for a maximum term of 48 months; and low-interest loans of up to $60,000, underwritten by bank partners and guaranteed by PATF. For the latter, PATF provides an upfront interest rate buy-down, ensuring the borrower pays no more than 3.75% while avoiding additional fees to the borrower.
The structure is designed to keep borrowing simple, affordable, and accessible. But it’s also smart lending. “We do manual underwriting,” says Hall. “Every file is reviewed by a real person who can see the full picture of the borrower. That means we’re able to approve loans that make sense, even if someone’s credit score doesn’t tell the whole story.”
Despite lending to individuals often overlooked by traditional financial institutions, including many on fixed incomes or with non-traditional credit histories, PATF maintains a default rate of just 4%.
The Power of People and Process
For CDFIs interested in replicating this model, Hall’s first piece of advice is to think carefully about staffing. “It may seem counterintuitive to put your most thorough, tenacious team members on your smaller-dollar loans,” he says. “But this is a high-volume program, and the details matter. If you’re not careful, you risk skipping over folks you could’ve helped, or making loans that don’t set people up for success.”
That people-first approach extends to borrower support as well. PATF’s underwriters provide light-touch credit coaching and refer applicants to trusted counseling partners when deeper help is needed. The organization also offers a free financial education curriculum, Cents and Sensibility, tailored for people with disabilities.
If a borrower runs into trouble? “We offer payment holidays, deferments, even emergency rescue payments in some cases,” Hall explains. “We’re not trying to create harm, we’re trying to open doors.”
High Impact, Low Risk
CDFIs are often drawn to lending that can show tangible, community-level results. AT lending delivers that in spades.
“The impact is obvious,” says Hall. “If you’re a CDFI focused on housing, employment, or entrepreneurship—those goals may not be achievable for someone without the right assistive tech. AT is the foundational step.”
Indeed, data from another AT specialist CDFI, Northwest Access Fund’s 2024 Annual Client Survey backs this up: 98% of borrowers said their AT improved their quality of life, 86% said it improved their safety, and 85% said it helped them maintain social connections. These are outcomes that matter, and they’re eminently measurable.
And for lenders? “No single one of these loans is going to break your portfolio,” says Hall. “While you still want to underwrite responsibly, you can afford to be thoughtful and flexible. That’s what makes this such a smart opportunity.”
Getting Started
According to a recent market assessment conducted by National Disability Finance Coalition, there’s strong interest among CDFIs in serving people with disabilities—but limited experience in doing so. AT lending offers a way in.
CDFIs ready to explore the space should consider:
- Partnering with DSOs and state-run AT programs to enhance outreach and borrower support.
- Designing flexible underwriting standards that account for SSI/SSDI income and nontraditional credit histories.
- Investing in staff training on the financial realities of living with a disability, including benefits planning and asset limits.
- Building relationships with certified benefits counselors to reduce the risk of unintentional harm to public assistance eligibility.
Above all, says Hall, “You have to care. You have to want to get it right. If you bring that mindset, there’s no reason you can’t do this work well.”
Ready to Explore Assistive Technology Lending?
Join a growing network of mission-driven lenders expanding financial access for people with disabilities. Visit our membership page to learn more, access trainings, and connect with peer organizations already leading in this space. Or email us at info@disabilityfinance.org.
Financing Freedom: The Role of Disability Finance in Supporting Self-Employment and Small Businesses for PWD
In recognition of National Small Business Week, May 4-10, 2025
For people with disabilities (PWD), entrepreneurship can be a powerful path to independence — but it’s not without barriers. Traditional financial systems often overlook disabled founders, limiting access to capital and business support. Fortunately, a growing number of organizations are working to change that. Groups like the Disability Opportunity Fund, Synergies Work, and the Autism Impact Fund are leading efforts to expand access to financing, mentorship, and investment for disabled entrepreneurs. Together, they highlight the emerging field of disability finance and the vital role mission-driven capital can play in building a more inclusive small business ecosystem.
CDFIs (Community Development Financial Institutions) and mission-driven investors are uniquely positioned to unlock opportunity by tailoring capital and technical assistance to meet the needs of disabled entrepreneurs. By designing accessible lending products, offering inclusive technical assistance, and centering disability as a dimension of equity, these institutions can help create a more just economy — one where self-employment is truly a pathway to freedom.
Why Disability Finance Matters
People with disabilities are significantly more likely to be self-employed than their non-disabled peers. Yet access to capital remains a persistent challenge. Many disabled entrepreneurs face barriers to traditional financing due to inconsistent income histories, lack of collateral, or credit profiles shaped by systemic inequities. In this context, disability finance isn’t a niche solution, it’s a necessary intervention.
The Disability Opportunity Fund (DOF) exemplifies this approach. Through its Equity Portfolio, DOF makes early-stage investments in enterprises led by or serving people with disabilities. These investments range from inclusive technology platforms to innovative housing and employment solutions, each tailored to bridge capital gaps while driving systems change. DOF doesn’t just fund businesses — it funds freedom.
Building Inclusive Ecosystems
Beyond capital, disabled entrepreneurs often need ecosystems of support. Organizations like Synergies Work are stepping up to fill this gap, helping founders with disabilities navigate the startup world through mentorship, skill-building, and storytelling. Their work is rooted in a powerful truth: with the right support, people with disabilities can build scalable, sustainable businesses and change entire industries while doing it.
This inclusive entrepreneurship model also challenges prevailing narratives. Rather than framing disability as a limitation, Synergies Work and others affirm it as a source of innovation, creativity, and resilience.
Investing in the Future
There is growing recognition among impact investors of the importance of disability inclusion, which makes it a significant market opportunity. The Autism Impact Fund is leading the way here, channeling capital into startups at the intersection of autism and innovation. Their thesis is bold and necessary: by investing in autism-focused solutions — from employment platforms to assistive technologies — we can catalyze transformative impact while driving economic growth.
The Role of CDFIs
CDFIs have a critical role to play in this movement. They are trusted lenders in communities often overlooked by mainstream finance. By integrating disability-forward practices into their lending and technical assistance work — including physical accessibility, plain language communications, and staff training — CDFIs can ensure that their capital reaches all entrepreneurs, not just the most “conventional.”
As we celebrate National Small Business Week, let’s remember that small business is not one-size-fits-all. For many people with disabilities, entrepreneurship is not just a livelihood, it’s a liberation. By expanding disability finance, we move closer to an economy that values every dream and every doer.
Visit https://disability-finance.org to connect with peers, explore training, and start a conversation about how your CDFI can get involved. Or email us at info@disabilityfinance.org.
Disability Finance: Why Every CDFI Should Care
Across the country, more than 60 million adults — nearly 1 in 4 — live with a disability. This number is only expected to grow as the population ages and as long-term effects of COVID-19 increase rates of chronic illness.
And yet, this large and diverse population remains dramatically underserved by the financial system.
CDFIs (Community Development Financial Institutions) have long been champions for people overlooked by mainstream finance. But people with disabilities (PWD) can still be left out, not because of bad intentions, but because of outdated assumptions, infrastructure gaps, and limited visibility into the needs of this community. Developers may build affordable, accessible housing, but more financing is needed. PWD have limited access to financing for assistive technologies to improve their quality of life. They want to open small businesses, have access to products that cater to their needs, and be afforded the same opportunities as any other community, but a lack of access to capital prevents them.
Financial Exclusion by the Numbers
Consider this:
- According to the FDIC’s 2023 Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households, households that include someone with a disability are more than three times as likely to be unbanked compared to those without.
- The same report found that PWD are less likely to use online and mobile banking and more than 2.5 times likely to be denied credit.
Medical debt, interrupted employment histories, and restrictive public benefits rules create additional barriers to wealth-building for many PWD.
These financial inequities are the tip of the iceberg, and they are not marginal. They’re structural, and they mirror the same systemic gaps that CDFIs were created to address.
Disability Crosses Every Line
Disability is not rare, nor is it confined to any single demographic. It affects people of every age, race, gender, income level, and geography, making it one of the most broadly relevant considerations in community lending.
As the population ages, the prevalence of disability increases dramatically. According to the CDC, among adults aged 65 to 74, one in four lives with at least one disability; among those over 74, the number climbs to one in two. This trend will only accelerate as aging intersects with the long-term effects of chronic illness and post-COVID health complications.
But age is just one dimension. In rural regions like Appalachia, or on tribal lands, disability prevalence is notably higher than the national average. For CDFIs working in these areas, acknowledging disability isn’t a specialization, it’s essential to understanding the community as a whole.
Disability is, simply put, a normal part of the human experience. And the financial system must adapt to meet PWD where they are.
What is Disability Finance?
Disability Finance refers to a growing area of practice within community development finance that intentionally designs and delivers projects dedicated to PWD and/or financial products and services tailored to meet their needs.
It recognizes that traditional financial systems have fallen short in serving this population, whether due to inaccessible processes, restrictive underwriting, a lack of understanding about their lived experiences, or the need for more capacity to develop affordable, accessible housing and businesses dedicated to their needs.
Disability Finance starts from the assumption that people with disabilities are a core part of any community — and that financial tools should reflect the realities they face. It bridges financial access with practical solutions, helping individuals build independence, resilience, and long-term opportunity and helping developers and business owners access new financial streams.
This can include:
- Consumer loans for assistive technology (AT), mobility equipment, or home modifications
- Predevelopment, acquisition, construction, and permanent loans for accessible affordable housing development
- Small business loans for entrepreneurs with disabilities
- Technical assistance such as financial coaching and credit-building support
- Partnerships with Disability Service Organizations (DSOs) to extend reach
Why it Matters for CDFIs
For mission-driven lenders, Disability Finance offers both a clear alignment with core values and a practical opportunity to expand reach, deepen impact, and strengthen long-term sustainability. Here’s why it matters.
- It aligns with your mission. If your CDFI is committed to community development, you already serve people facing financial barriers. Disability Finance is a natural extension of that work.
- It expands your reach. PWD are a significant and growing demographic. Reaching them doesn’t require an entirely new model — it requires listening, adapting, and partnering smartly.
- It’s achievable. CDFIs don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Resources, training, and peer learning opportunities are available through networks like ours, the National Disability Finance Coalition (NDFC).
- It strengthens your compliance and competitiveness. The CDFI Fund now recognizes people with disabilities as an Other Targeted Population (OTP), opening the door for better tracking, alignment, and eligibility in awards like the DF-FA (Disability Finance Financial Assistance) set-aside.
- It’s an opportunity to build capacity. CDFIs not only provide traditional loans, they also offer capacity building, grants, and project initiation loans that can help build an industry. These resources are needed in order to increase the number of affordable, accessible housing projects and businesses dedicated to serving people with disabilities.
Small Changes, Big Impact
CDFIs don’t have to overhaul their entire portfolios to begin serving people with disabilities. Many can start by:
- Reviewing product eligibility and underwriting criteria
- Training staff to recognize and respond to disability-related needs
- Partnering with local DSOs to identify clients and co-design solutions
- Exploring AT loans or inclusive housing investments
- Increasing outreach to accessible housing developers and businesses dedicated to serving people with disabilities.
Let’s Start a Conversation
People with disabilities are already in your community — as neighbors, entrepreneurs, caregivers, renters, and aspiring homeowners. Many have been navigating financial systems not built with them in mind.
Let’s work together to change that.
Visit https://disability-finance.org to connect with peers, explore training, and start a conversation about how your CDFI can get involved. Or email us at info@disabilityfinance.org.