Public Resource Library

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Accessibility and Civil Rights

Accessibility Checklist
This checklist will help to determine how accessible a building is and what improvements are needed and where.

Accessibility Checklist for Web Content
This is a checklist of points for Web content accessibility for those with developmental disabilities.

Source: Real Choice ACCESS

Accommodation Ideas for Vision Impairments
Collection of resources from the Office of Disability Employment Policy Job Accommodation Network includes basic information on vision impairments and various accommodation strategies.

Americans with Disabilities Act Anniversary Toolkit
This toolkit provides a variety of resources related to the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Materials include:

• ADA - Findings, Purpose, and History
• ADA from a Civil Rights Perspective
• ADA Resources and Publications
• ADA and Olmstead Resources
• ADA Amendments Act of 2008 Summary and Resources
• National ADA Initiatives
• Statistics You Can Use
• White House Agenda on Disabilities
• Tips on Writing a News Release
• Sample Proclamation: ADA Anniversary

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Technical Assistance CD-ROM
Free CD-ROM containing a complete collection of ADA materials from the U.S. Department of Justice. It includes regulations, architectural design standards, and technical assistance publications.

Source: http://www.ada.gov

Frequently Asked Questions About Reasonable Accommodation
Provides frequently asked questions and answers around reasonable accommodation, which refers to modifications or adjustments to a job or work environment that will enable a qualified applicant or employee with a disability to participate in the application process or to perform essential job functions.

Source: DBTAC Northwest - ADA Information Center

Minnesota Governor's Press Release
A poll sponsored by the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities comparing current attitudes of Minnesotans with those reported in a similar survey 45 years ago shows substantial movement toward greater inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in society. See the results of the opinion poll.

Report From United Cerebral Palsy Portrays a Troubling Snapshot of the Status of Disability in America
United Cerebral Palsy has released a report, State of Disability in America, an evaluation of the disability experience in America. This 65-page document examines existing research on the overall state of affairs for individuals with disabilities in America in the areas of disability rights, healthcare, education, employment, housing, and organizing for change.

Source: United Cerebral Palsy

Universal Design and Visitability
The book, Universal Design and Visitability: From Accessibility to Zoning, is available to download for free. It explores Universal Design as a process that goes beyond minimum access codes and standards, to design environments that are comfortably usable by people from childhood into their oldest years.

Source: New Hampshire implementation grantee

Web Accessibility Resource List
Provides links to free online information related to creating accessible Web content for individuals with disabilities. The resource list includes links to accessibility guidelines and laws, as well as checklists and tools, such as color contrast checkers.

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Advocacy

Evaluation of Resources

Disability is Natural E-Newsletter
Each E-newsletter includes a feature article, information about new products, a listing of new (at the time) articles on the Revolutionary Common Sense (RCS) page, and other information by Kathie Snow.

Family Handbook on Future Planning
Guide to help families develop a future plan for their sons or daughters with cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities that provides personal, financial, and legal protections for these individuals after the parents either die or can no longer provide care or support. It will help families review and inventory the needs and strengths of their family member(s), determine what should be in a plan, and then locate qualified professionals and resources to finalize the plan.

Source: The Arc

NCLB and IDEA: What Parents of Students With Disabilities Need to Know and Do
This guide from the National Center for Educational Outcomes informs parents of students with disabilities about The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), two of the most important federal laws relating to public education.

Source: Education Resources Information Center

Parent Leadership Training Curriculum
Helps empower parents of children with disabilities to advocate for change in their communities. The Parents as Collaborative Leaders curriculum, a project of the University of Vermont and PACER, is now available as ten PowerPoint modules. Module topics include Critical Elements of Collaboration, Tips for Leading Effective Meetings, and Solving Problems in Groups.

Source: Parents as Collaborative Leaders Project

Partners in Policymaking Online Courses
Created in Minnesota by the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities in 1987. Partners in Policymaking is an innovative, competency based leadership training program for adults with disabilities and parents of young children with developmental disabilities. The purpose of the program is twofold: to teach best practices in disability, and to teach the competencies of influencing public officials.

Source: Minnesota Family Support 360

Special Needs Parent Toolkit
This guide from the Department of Defense aims to help military families and others with special needs children navigate the maze of medical and special education services, community support, and benefits and entitlements.

Source: Military HOMEFRONT

Self-Directing Supports: A Guide for Families Seeking Choice and Control
Introduction
Decision Making
Person Centered Planning
Self Directing Supports
Evaluation of Resources
Self-directed supports give people with disabilities and their families the freedom to direct resources to achieve a meaningful life in their community. Self-directed supports use public funding as an investment in the lives of children and families. This manual explains self-directing supports and will help people decide whether these supports are right for them.

Source: North Dakota Family Support One-Stop

Self-Advocacy

My Health, My Choice, My Responsibility: Training Program
8-week training program written to promote health advocacy among adults with developmental disabilities. Each of its eight sessions covers a health area and focuses on making healthy decisions on a daily basis. The program includes three health tools: My Medical Appointment, a form to help prepare for medical appointments; Health Information Form, a record of health needs and medical history; and My Health Plan, a listing of goals developed during the seminar.

Source: Westchester Institute for Human Development

The Riot!
The Riot! is an e-newsletter for self-advocates, produced by the Self-Advocate Leadership Network at the Human Services Research Institute.

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Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Fact Sheet
Provides basic information about autism spectrum disorder, as well as a list of organizations where further information may be found. Also available in Spanish.

Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Autism Speaks Tool Kits
Provides a variety of tool kits related to autism spectrum disorder (i.e. assisting members of the school community in supporting students with autism, and a guide for families as their children transition from adolescence to adulthood).

"No Myths" Public Service Announcement on Autism
Offers a positive view about life with autism. It was written and performed by individuals who are on the autism spectrum. The purpose of the PSA is to inform society that, with the right supports, people with autism can do anything anybody else can do, even if it is not in the same way. The PSA was sponsored by the Dan Marino Foundation.

ZAC Browser
The first web browser developed specifically for children with autism, and autism spectrum disorders such as Asperger's Syndrome, pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), and PDD-NOS. ZAC Browser is a place that children can safely, easily and independently surf the web and successfully interact with many web applications. It also provides a parent/caregiver forum, useful links, and a newsletter, available in English, Spanish, and French.

Assessments and Surveys

Assessment Quick Reference Guide
Provides an overview of the information collection process that can be used in decision-making, career-planning, and service plan development for a young person.

Source: National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth

Education Assessment
Sample one-page assessment documenting education needs and future plans.

Source: Family Support 360: Disability Support Center for Families

Employment Assessment

Sample one-page assessment documenting previous employment and employment needs for those with developmental disabilities.

Source: Family Support 360: Disability Support Center for Families

Environmental Adaptations and Aids
Sample one-page assessment documenting the types of equipment, aids, and/or modifications that those with developmental disabilities need.

Source: Family Support 360: Disability Support Center for Families

Family Assessment Form
Sample form for one-stop centers, which includes information on personal information, family/household information, guardianship information, referral information, financial information, etc.

Source: South Dakota PLANS

Family Needs Survey
Two-page survey which determines family needs, including social support, finances, and child care among other needs.

Source: Family Support Network of North Carolina

Financial Assessment
Sample one-page assessment documenting benefits received by those with developmental disabilities as well as other financial needs and issues.

Source: Family Support 360: Disability Support Center for Families

Housing Assessment
Sample one-page assessment documenting level of comfort with living arrangements and other living needs for those with developmental disabilities.

Source: Family Support 360: Disability Support Center for Families

Learning Opportunities for Your Child Through Alternate Assessments
U.S. Department of Education booklet explaining alternate assessments and how they relate to Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004), and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

Legal Needs Assessment
Sample one-page assessment measuring the legal assistance needs of those with developmental disabilities and their families.

Source: Family Support 360: Disability Support Center for Families

Medical Needs Assessment
Sample one-page assessment measuring the health of those with developmental disabilities, including determining current health insurance and medications.

Source: Family Support 360: Disability Support Center for Families

Recreation and Leisure Assessment
Sample one-page assessment documenting the recreation and leisure activities of those with developmental disabilities.

Source: Family Support 360: Disability Support Center for Families

School Services Assessment
Sample one-page assessment measuring effectiveness of school services.

Source: Family Support 360: Disability Support Center for Families

TRACE Snapshot - Pediatricians Appraisals of a Universal Checklist for Making Early Intervention Referrals
The Tracking, Referral and Assessment Center for Excellence (TRACE) has released a new snapshot that presents the results from a survey of pediatricians’ assessments of the usability and applicability of a universal checklist for identifying infants and toddlers who may be eligible for early intervention.

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Best Practices and Lessons Learned

Family Support Everyday and in Times of Crisis
This is the Beach Center on Disability’s summer 2006 newsletter, which focuses on family support, both in times of crisis and in everyday life. It offers a real story from Hurricane Katrina, an interview, and other useful information.

Source: Beach Center on Disability

Best Practices in Supports and Services to Individuals With Developmental Disabilities
This is a draft of North Carolina's Supporting Individuals and Families in Their Communities: Best Practice in Services and Supports to Individuals with Developmental Disabilities. This document reflects the continued movement toward reform and evidence-based practice.

Family Support 360 Benefits, Best Practices, and Lessons Learned
These lessons and successes were submitted by the 2004–2009 Family Support 360 grantees, the inaugural FS 360 grantees. In addition, some comments were gleaned from discussions that took place at the final Technical Assistance Institute in 2009.

Individual and Family Support Principles
Oklahoma's Individual and Family Support Principles are guiding truths that shape the way individuals, families and service providers interact; establish common ground upon which individuals, families, advocates and service providers operate; and form the basis for program policy and practice.

Source: Oklahoma's Family Support 360

Innovative Models and Best Practices in Case Management and Support Coordination
This Policy Research Brief describes models, innovations, and best practices in case management and support coordination for persons with disabilities. The approaches presented were identified during a study exploring the redesign of case management services for people with disabilities in Minnesota, and have broader applicability to other states.

Source: Institute on Community Integration

Lessons From Family-Strengthening Interventions: Learning From Evidence-Based Practice
The purpose of the brief is to help educators, service providers, and local evaluators in schools, intermediary and community-based organizations, and social service agencies become more effective by highlighting the best program and evaluation practices of family-strengthening intervention programs.

Source: Harvard Family Research Project

Partnering with Families to Design a Family-Centered Health Care System
Provides background information to facilitate the development of an action plan to ensure that sustained, meaningful partnerships with patients and families are in place in hospitals and health systems; in community clinics and other ambulatory settings; in schools educating the next generation of health care professionals; in national associations; in Federal, State, and community agencies; in foundations and advocacy organizations; and among payers.

Source: Institute for Family-Centered Care

Patient and Family Leaders in Paid Positions
This document describes common challenges that occur when family leaders are in paid positions at healthcare organizations and offers effective solutions for each challenge.

Source: Institute for Family-Centered Care

Picking Up the Pieces of Our Mistakes: Supporting People With Co-Occurring Conditions
This document reports on interviews conducted of five professional consultants who are working with state agencies, local providers, people with disabilities and their families, and direct care staff to respond to the needs of individuals with DD who have mental illness.

Presentations by Families: Staff Coordination and Preparation Roles
This document recommends steps for navigators to take when selecting and preparing clients for presentations.

Source: Institute for Family-Centered Care

Oklahoma Individual and Family Support Principles to Practice Indicators
The Oklahoma Individual and Family Support Principles to Practice Indicators were developed by families of individuals with disabilities, service providers, advocates, higher education faculty, and students. The Oklahoma Individual and Family Support Principles to Practice Indicators is a document that identifies ways of interacting, providing services and developing policy that reflect the principles of family support.

Source: Oklahoma's Family Support 360

Pueblo Connections: UCEDD Promising Practice Brief
A promising UCEDD practice is identified by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities through the MTARS (Monitoring and Technical Assistance Review System) grantee monitoring process. Pueblo Connections, the New Mexico Family Support 360 grantee, was identified as promising for its innovation in fulfilling the community services core function of a UCEDD, as well as the quality of the program delivery which is marked by continual evaluation, responsiveness to participant input, and respectful methods in serving Pueblo communities.

Source: UCEDD Resource Center

Sharing Your Story: Tips for Patients and Families
Tips for family members that are going to share their story with others so their stories will serve as powerful tools for bringing about constructive change in the service system.

Source: Institute for Family-Centered Care

Supported Families
This booklet presents the Oklahoma Individual and Family Support Principles, illustrated by success stories.

Source: Oklahoma's Family Support 360 Project.

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Child and Adolescent

27th Annual Report on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Parts B and C.
Department of Education report on the progress made toward the provision of a free appropriate public education to all children with disabilities and the provision of early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities. Volume 1 focuses on the children and students being served under IDEA and state-level data. Volume 2 contains extensive appendix tables of state-reported data required under Section 618 of IDEA.

Source: U.S. Department of Education

Building Sustainable Partnerships with Schools: Three Key Strategies for Mentoring Programs
Community-based organizations are increasingly working together with teachers and administrators to bring mentoring programs to schools. This page describes strategies and includes concrete action steps to achieve effective collaboration.

Source: Corporation for National and Community Service

Coping With Disaster: Suggestions for Helping Children With Cognitive Disabilities
Provides suggestions for helping children with cognitive impairments or delays to cope with disaster. This guide includes general information about what to expect, strategies for caregivers and teachers to use with children with disabilities that may affect learning, communication, and understanding, and provides links to other online resources.

Source: Administration on Developmental Disabilities

Disclosure Resources for Youth with Disabilities
This series of factsheets from the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy address disclosure and youth with disabilities, including workplace accommodations and when to share information about a disability with an employer.

Source: Office of Disability Employment Policy

Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education Services Brochures
PACER Center has published a series of brochures and accompanying handouts to help school districts and other professionals tell families of young children about early intervention and early childhood special education services. The materials are in English, Hmong, Spanish, Somali, and Russian. English versions are directed to Native American and African American parents.

Source: PACER Center

Family Involvement in Middle and High School Students' Education
The third in a series of briefs from the Harvard Family Research Project, synthesizes research studies that link family involvement in middle and high school to youth's academic and social outcomes. It profiles evaluated programs to show what works to promote family involvement and student achievement during this critical developmental period and highlights how you can use this research to promote effective policies and practices.

Source: Harvard Family Research Project

Family Involvement Network of Educators (FINE) Monthly Announcements
FINE is a national network of over 8,000 people who are interested in promoting strong partnerships between children's educators, their families, and their communities. FINE's membership is composed of faculty in higher education, school professionals, directors and trainers of community-based and national organizations, parent leaders, and graduate students. The monthly announcements are sent via email and include what's new at FINE.

Guideposts for Success
All vulnerable youth may need extra supports throughout their transition from youth to adulthood in order to make informed choices and become self-sufficient adults. Two sets of Guideposts have been created, centered on the two key customers of the workforce development system – youth and employers. The guideposts build upon evidence based research about what youth and employers need.

Source: National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth

Kids' Quest on Disability and Health
This site is intended to get kids in 4th, 5th and 6th grades to think about people with disabilities and some of the issues related to daily activities, health, and accessibility. Parents and teachers can modify the materials to meet the students' learning styles and levels.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC) eNotes
This electronic newsletter shares news items related to early intervention and early childhood special education from a variety of reliable sources.

Source: National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center

QuickNotes: Inclusion Resources for Early Childhood Professionals
This notebook contains information sheets covering a broad range of topics related to high quality care of young children in a variety of settings. The content is organized in 10 modules and applies to a wide audience of early care and education professionals and families. This resource can be purchased online.

Source: Partnership for Inclusion

The Road to Self-Sufficiency: A Guide to Entrepreneurship for Youth with Disabilities
This guide was developed to serve as a resource for organizations working with youth on career exploration and employment options, as well as policymakers who support youth programs through policy and practice. The guide shows how entrepreneurship education can be implemented in programs and offers suggestions on how to introduce self-employment as an option for all youth, including youth with disabilities.

Source: National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth

State Early Childhood Policy Profiles
State policies that promote health, education, and strong families can help the early development and school readiness of America’s youngest citizens. These profiles highlight states’ policy choices alongside other contextual data related to the well-being of young children.

Source: National Center for Children in Poverty

Screening for Social Emotional Concerns: Considerations in the Selection of Instruments
Provides a brief overview of the use of screening, and is intended to help education administrators and teachers choose appropriate instruments for implementing a screening program.

Source: Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention

Students with Traumatic Brain Injury: Identification, Assessment, and Classroom Accommodations
This 17-page brochure is intended to provide a general overview of how schools can best meet the needs of students with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). It highlights what educators and advocates for children with TBI need to know about maximizing the educational experiences of students who have suffered an injury to the brain.

Source: Mount Sinai's Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Central

Transition Issues and Barriers for Children with Significant Disabilities and from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds
This report from the National Early Childhood Transition Center (NECTC) provides findings from a national study that aimed to identify issues and barriers encountered during transitions for young children with disabilities and their families. Transitions for two specific groups were targeted; (a) children with significant disabilities and their families, and (b) children with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and their families.

Source: NECTC

Youth with Disabilities in the Foster Care System: Barriers to Success and Proposed Policy Solutions
Youth development researchers have determined that some specific youth populations are more vulnerable than others. This report by the National Council on Disability (NCD) examines one exceptionally challenged group in particular: older youth (specifically, preteen through young adult) with disabilities who are in the foster care system.

Source: NCD

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Collaborations

Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) Grantee Information
ADRC Grantee Map
Local ADRC Locator
The Administration on Aging and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services launched the ADRC grant initiative in 2003. The purpose is to promote the integration of long-term care information and referral services, benefits and options counseling services, and access to publicly and privately financed services and benefits for those in need of long-term supports and their families. ADRCs serve older adults and individuals with disabilities of all ages. ADRC grants have been awarded to 43 states and territories, and are a collaborative resource for Family Support 360 grantees.

Source: ADRC Technical Assistance Exchange

Community Economic Development Program Grantee List
The purpose of the Community Economic Development discretionary grant program is to promote and support projects that address economic self-sufficiency for low-income persons and distressed communities by awarding funds to community development corporations to create employment and business development opportunities. This page provides a list of all current grantees, their contact information, and project descriptions. Source: Office of Community Services

Facilitating a Productive Advisory Committee
This issue brief, developed by the Lewin Group for the Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC), explores developing an effective advisory committee, key considerations when forming and facilitating a committee, and tips to promote ongoing involvement in a committee.

Source: ADRC Technical Assistance Exchange

Partnership Development: Aging and Developmental Disability Coalition
(PDF Format) and Microsoft Word Format
The Georgia Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) developed this resource to help organizations build partnerships between Aging and Developmental Disability groups. This resource provides a series of questions and points to consider when partnering organizations and networks.

Rehabilitation Services Administration State Liaisons List
This list of state liaisons and their contact information should be used for questions or concerns regarding the following programs under the Rehabilitation Act:

• the vocational rehabilitation (VR) program, established under Title I;
• the supported employment (SE) program, established under Title VI, part B;
• the independent living (IL) program, authorized under Title VII, part B; and
• the independent living services program for older individuals who are blind (OIB), established under Title VII, Chapter 2.

Single Entry Point Systems: State Survey Results
This document provides results from a Rutgers Center for State Health Policy/NASHP Community Living Exchange Collaborative survey of the 50 States and the District of Columbia to identify states that operate single entry point systems (SEP) and to describe the characteristics of SEPs.

Substance Abuse Treatment Block Grant Single State Authorities
This document is a list of grantees from the Substance Abuse Treatment Block Grant Single State Authorities (SSAs). They are available if the FS360 grantees would like to partner with them.

Strategies for Building Collaboration
This issue brief, developed by the Lewin Group for the Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC), provides basic ideas and strategies for identifying key partners, establishing communication with partners in the context of an internal public relations message, and offers resources for securing and maintaining collaborative working relationships.

Source: Aging and Disability Resource Centers Technical Assistance Exchange

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Community Building and Organizing

Discovering Community Power: A Guide to Mobilizing Local Assets and Your Organization's Capacity
Funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the ABCD Institute developed this guide to help organizations strengthen their own organizations by enhancing connections with community assets, strengthen the community by investing in community assets, and strengthen current and future community based projects, activities, and proposals.

Source: Asset-Based Community Development Institute

Time Exchange North Shore
The Time Exchange North Shore in Massachusetts aims to build community through neighbors helping neighbors, exchanging skills and talents.

Source: Oregon Family Support 360

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Communities of Practice

CoP’s bring organizations, agencies, groups, and individuals together around a topic to communicate, learn together,and to collaborate in solving problems. Working in a community allows individuals to seek out solutions to persistent issues and to gain support from each other in implementing these solutions.

Evaluation of Resources

Beach Center on Disability: Communities of Practice
.Membership is free, and members have access to additional features including meeting space for ongoing discussions and an online library.
Current communities available include Early Childhood Family Support and Family Support Policy.

SharedWork
This site provides access to shared information and resources around the following topics: Autism Spectrum Disorder;Transition;Improving Teacher Quality;NCLB-IDEA Collaboration;School Behavioral Health;Universal Design for Learning;Creating Agreement.

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Consumer/Advocacy Resources

Ability Online
Ability Online has a message board which is broken up into 'conferences' (teens, hospitalizations, tech-talk, kids chat, transportation services, etc...), which you can view or participate in by signing up.

In the Driver's Seat: A Guide to Self-Directed Mental Health Care
Combining prior innovative features with some new approaches, self-directed care is recognized as an important milestone in the growth and development of consumer self-determination. Part I of this guide is a brief description of self-directed care. Part II offers advocacy strategies and tactics, while Part III is a more in-depth look at how self-directed care initiatives work and how they are funded. The appendices include fact sheets with information that would be useful to state policymakers and consumer advocates. The fact sheets may be copied and distributed. The appendices also provide a list of further reading and useful information on self-directed care.

Sources: Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, UPENN Collaborative on Consumer Integration

The Future of Disability in America
This publication, written by the Committee on Disability in America and edited by Marilyn J. Field and Alan Jette, is now available. The Future of Disability in America examines both progress and concerns about continuing barriers that limit the independence, productivity, and participation in community life of people with disabilities. The Future of Disability in America is an assessment of both principles and scientific evidence for disability policies and services. This book's recommendations propose steps to eliminate barriers and strengthen the evidence base for future public and private actions to reduce the impact of disability on individuals, families, and society.

Policy Guide
Developed to provide an orientation to public policy work with and on behalf of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. The Guide provides information and articles about making federal policy, including the federal budget process. It briefly describes key Congressional committees, Executive branch agencies, federal legislation and judicial decisions that are most significant for people with disabilities. It also lists a number of stakeholder and constituent groups that work with and on behalf of individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families.

Source: Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation

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Cultural Competency

Assessment of Organizational Cultural Competence
This instrument’s purpose is to help organizations assess their progress toward cultural competence, at the organizational and individual level.

Source: Association of University Centers on Disabilities

Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Family Supports
Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Family Supports is a policy brief from the National Center for Cultural Competence, Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development (GUCCHD). The brief discusses cultural factors that may impact supports and services for families of children with special health care needs. It is meant to be used by organizations interested in developing policies that promote and sustain cultural and linguistic competence in the provision of family support services.

Cultural Competence in Working With Children and Families
This site provides resources to help professionals, agencies, and systems better understand and enhance their cultural competence. More specifically, it offers resources related to working with children, youth, and families of various cultural and ethnic groups, including State and local examples.

Source: Child Welfare Information Gateway

Getting the Word Out: Effective Outreach to Cultural Communities
"Getting the Word Out is a guide to effective outreach for health organizations. In particular, this guide is intended for patient support organizations that would like to make their information, referral, support and advocacy services more accessible to people from a variety of cultural communities." [posted on CLAStalk-list]

Source: Medtronic Foundation

Individual Assessment of Cultural Competence
This assessment was developed to assist you in reflecting upon and examining your organization's journey toward cultural competence.

Source:AUCD Multicultural Council

Instructions for Assessment of Organizational Cultural Competence
The purpose of this assessment instrument is to assist organizations to assess their progress towards cultural competence, both at the organizational and individual level.

Source: AUCD Multicultural Council

National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care: Executive Summary
This report recommends national standards for culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS) in health care. Based on an analytical review of key laws, regulations, contracts, and standards currently in use by Federal and State agencies and other national organizations, these standards were developed and refined with significant input from a nationwide public comment process and the guidance of two national project advisory committees.

Source: Office of Minority Health

National Standards on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services
The CLAS standards are primarily directed at health care organizations; however, individual providers are also encouraged to use the standards to make their practices more culturally and linguistically accessible. The principles and activities of culturally and linguistically appropriate services should be integrated throughout an organization and undertaken in partnership with the communities being served.

New American and Refugee Families
New American or refugee families are one of the most under-served populations in North Dakota, according to stakeholders and parents serving on the North Dakota Family Support Advisory Committee. This technical assistance manual was designed to help family support agencies learn about diverse populations who have moved to the area and consider new ways to support those families.

Source: North Dakota Family Support One-Stop

Research and Dissemination in Indian Country; Indianonish, Email, and Other Surprises Webcast
This is a three-part presentation that focuses on false assumptions and cultural differences that prevent effective research and dissemination on Indian reservations. The second part of the presentation discusses modifications to typical research designs to effectively work on Indian reservations. The third part of the presentation summarizes the research by Spirit Lake Consulting, a firm that has conducted applied research on reservations in the Great Plains for 20 years, on the means by which individuals with disabilities and their families obtain information.

Source: National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research

Resource Guide for Serving Refugees with Disabilities
Written as a how-to for caseworkers and advocates who serve refugees with disabilities. It was developed in an effort to improve access to services for newly arrived refugees with disabilities. With an increasing number of refugees with disabilities resettled in the U.S., there is a greater need for effective and coordinated care. Funding for this project was provided through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Serving Diverse Families: Strategies for Early Childhood Service Providers Webinar
This archived webinar from May 2008 is designed for early childhood intervention and early childhood special education professionals who want to increase their effectiveness in working with young children with disabilities from diverse cultures. The Webinar will include information on how to avoid offending parents from various cultures, how to help families feel comfortable expressing opinions and proposing solutions, and how best to support a family when you do not agree with their decisions.

Source: PACER Center

Supporting American Indian Families of Children With Special Needs in North Dakota
Developed for family support providers with several purposes in mind. The intent of this manual is to provide a positive and realistic picture of both the strengths and the challenges faced by American Indian families of children with disabilities living in reservation communities; to provide information about potential partners who live or work in reservation communities and are working to develop systems and resources needed to provide support to American Indian families of children with special needs; and to present resources and strategies that members of the reservation community have learned will strengthen relationships and assist them to build new systems of support.

Source: North Dakota Family Support One-Stop

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Emergency Preparedness

Accommodating Individuals With Disabilities in the Provision of Disaster Mass Care, Housing, and Human Services
On August 21, 2007, the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released a new reference guide that outlines existing legal requirements and standards relating to access for people with disabilities. A Reference Guide for Accommodating Individuals with Disabilities in the Provision of Disaster Mass Care, Housing and Human Services (the "Guide") is the first of a series of disability-related guidelines to be produced by FEMA for disaster preparedness and response planners and service providers. The Guide summarizes equal access requirements for people with disabilities within disaster mass care, housing, and human services functions. The Guide explains how applicable federal laws relate to government entities, the private sector, and religious organizations.

Disaster Preparedness for People With Disabilities
This document has been designed to help people who have physical, visual, auditory, or cognitive disabilities to prepare for natural disasters and their consequences.

Source: American Red Cross Disaster Services

Disaster Solutions
This document is compiled from various documents, including reports from DD grantees. It provides ideas for tracking and locating individuals with DD in a disaster situation, advocacy education, screening, linking to services, appropriate shelters and housing, transportation, and emergency preparedness.

Effective Emergency Management: Making Improvements for Communities and People with Disabilities
In this report, the National Council on Disability (NCD) offers information and advice to assist all levels of government in its work to establish evidence-based policies, programs, and practices across the life cycle of disasters. This report provides examples of effective community efforts with respect to people with disabilities, and evaluates many emergency preparedness, disaster relief, and homeland security program efforts deployed by both public and private sectors.

Source: NCD

Emergency Management Research and People with Disabilities: A Resource Guide
This guide is the culmination of cooperative efforts by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, the Department of Education, the Research Subcommittee of the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities, and the New Freedom Initiative Subcommittee of the Interagency Committee on Disability Research. It provides a listing and description of research projects funded by the federal government and nonfederal entities, research recommendations that have come out of conferences on emergency management and disability, and a bibliography of relevant research publications.

Source: U.S. Department of Education

Emergency Preparedness Belongs to Everyone
On October 14, 2008, Dr. Patricia Morrissey, Commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD), presented on emergency and disaster preparedness. The focus of the presentation was on vulnerable populations, including individuals with disabilities and older individuals.
PowerPoint Presentation

Recommended Emergency Preparedness Resources

Emergency Response Preparedness Self-Assessment Instrument
This instrument was developed by the National Association of State Directors in collaboration with the Research and Training Center, Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota. Initiated following the Gulf Coast Hurricane disasters in 2005, the tool is designed to assist state developmental disabilities officials evaluate the extent to which their existing preparedness plans address the unique characteristics and needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities during periods of emergency or disaster.

Source: National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services

FEMA: A Guide to the Disaster Declaration Process and Federal Disaster Assistance
This guide explains the disaster declaration process and provides an overview of the assistance available.

Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency

Guide to Emergency Preparedness
This online guide contains information related to emergencies, including: Planning for Natural Disasters; Civil Defense Agencies; Police and Fire Services; Emergency Medical Services; Emergency Manager, Planners and Responders; Home Preparedness; Work and Office Preparedness; and Emergency Laws and Disability.

Source: Real Choices Hawaii

Instructional Video and Preparedness Tools for Persons with Disabilities
People with disabilities and special needs may need to make specific preparations for emergency situations. This new Ready America video provides helpful information on how to do so in three easy steps: get an Emergency Supply Kit; make a family emergency plan; be informed about different types of emergencies. A new brochure for people with disabilities and special needs is also available.

Source:U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Lessons Learned: People with Disabilities and Emergency Management
This monograph represents the proceedings of the National Council on Disability (NCD) January 2008 quarterly meeting. It is part of a one-year research project on disability issues and disasters that NCD is conducting. The information in this monograph is being released at this time for use by people with disabilities, first responders, policy makers and communities who are actively involved in using lessons learned to improve their emergency preparedness efforts.

Source: National Council on Disability

NCD Public Consultation
The National Council on Disability (NCD) is using a public consultation process to identify local best practices in the areas of homeland security, emergency preparedness, and disaster relief and recovery. The expectation is that local communities can offer workable solutions and advice to help the Federal Government (and its state and private partners) establish policies, disseminate information, and support best practices for those most immediately affected by natural and man-made disasters. This document outlines the background, key issues, relevant research and best-practices themes around the issues of homeland security, emergency preparedness, and disaster relief and recovery.

Source: National Council on Disabilities

Prepare Yourself: Disaster Readiness Tips for People with Developmental or Cognitive Disabilities
This brochure from the National Organization on Disability is designed to help people with developmental and cognitive disabilities begin to plan for emergencies. It includes information on preparedness, response, and sheltering.

Source: National Organization on Disability

Preparing People with Disabilities for Evacuation, Shelter, and Recovery During National Emergencies
Knowing how to evacuate during a disaster is critical for individuals with disabilities. This effective practice from the National Service Inclusion Project will assist organizations and individuals with disabilities to develop and implement accessible emergency preparedness plans.

Source: Corporation for National & Community Service Resource Center

Ready, Willing, and Able Online Course
This disaster preparedness and response course on meeting the needs of persons with disabilities is designed for the public health, hospital, preparedness, emergency response, and disaster relief workforce. Specific training covers disability etiquette, terminology, and communications and assistance techniques during disasters for assisting people with disabilities. Course participants will become familiar with various disaster assistance needs of persons with sight, mobility, hearing, and cognitive disabilities.

Source: TRAIN

Working Together When the Worst Happens: Nonprofit Emergency Preparedness in the National Capital Region
This document was produced for nonprofits in the Washington, D.C. area; however, lessons learned can be applied to nonprofits throughout the United States. It provides information on coordinating case management amongst nonprofits; coordinating volunteers; managing financial donations; and managing in-kind donations.

Source: Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington

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Education

Evaluation of Resources

Frequently Asked Questions About Section 504 and the Education of Children with Disabilities
This is a revised version of a document originally developed by the Office for Civil Rights to clarify the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended in the area of public elementary and secondary education. Its primary purpose is to incorporate information about the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (Amendments Act), which includes a conforming amendment to the Rehabilitation Act that broadens the interpretation of disability. OCR is currently evaluating the impact of the Amendments Act on OCR’s enforcement responsibilities under Section 504 and Title II of the ADA, including whether any changes in regulations, guidance, or other publications are appropriate.

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Employment and Labor

Creating a Roadmap out of Poverty for Americans with Disabilities
A Report on the Relationship of the Employment and Training Administration's Workforce Development System and Local Asset-Building Coalitions
This white paper is an example of the Office on Disability Employment Policy's research into best practices in asset development. It focuses on three cities: Detroit, Jacksonville, and Milwaukee, and the tie-in between the workforce development system and advancing self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities.

Source: ODEP

DisabilityWORK.com
DisabilityWORK.com job placement service helps take the frustration out of the job search process by pairing individuals with disabilities with employers actively seeking qualified employees with disabilities. Services include consultation, action plan agreement, background checks, pre-employment interviews, training modules and interviewing. Employers can post jobs and search resumes.

Source: DisabilityWORK.com

Empowerment for Americans with Disabilities: Breaking Barriers to Careers and Full Employment
The National Council on Disability has put out a report that reviews the issues integral to the employment of people with disabilities. It has two broad aims: 1) to summarize the existing knowledge regarding the employment of people with disabilities in a series of short issue briefs and 2) to present new information on the perspectives of employers, people with disabilities, and disability specialists on the key barriers and facilitators of employment.

Essential Skills to Getting a Job
What Young People with Disabilities Need to Know
This four-page brochure provides an overview of basic skills, issues and information that can help young people with disabilities to succeed in the job search process. Topics include, but are not limited to, work ethic, communication, and problem solving.

Source: Office of Disability Employment Policy

Exploring the Bottom Line: A Study of the Costs and Benefits of Workers with Disabilities
This study conducted by DePaul University and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity focused on people with disabilities in employment, however, these findings can relate to the performance and supervision of service members and volunteers in national service. Research from this study found that people with disabilities performed as well in jobs as those without disabilities.

Source: www.disabilityworks.org

Helping Youth Develop Soft Skills for Job Success: Tips for Parents and Families
This information brief discusses the importance of soft skills and offers strategies parents and families can use to help their children develop skills for employment success.

Source: National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability

Improving Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities: Resources of the Week - February 8, 2008
This weekly resource toolkit provides websites, resources, publications, news and information in order to aid work on systems change activities to help improve employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.

Source: Law, Health Policy & Disability Center at the University of Iowa College of Law and The Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University

Occupational Projections for Direct-Care Workers 2006–2016
This fact sheet summarizes and analyzes direct-care workforce statistics from the U.S. Dept. of Labor's national occupational projections for 2006-16. The analysis shows that demand for workers will sharply exceed supply. Demand will especially surpass the number of women aged 25-54 entering the workforce, which is the primary demographic group from which direct-care workers are drawn. The analysis also shows that twice as many people will be working in home- and community-based settings than in facilities.

Source: PHI National

Paving the Way to Work: A Guide to Career-Focused Mentoring
This guide is intended to address the needs of youth with disabilities during the transition from school to work and adulthood.

Source: National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth

PITCH: Proving Individuals with Talent Can Help
The Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy's (ODEP) recently announced its new PITCH Campaign. The campaign's spokesman, Jim Abbott, is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Along with ODEP, Jim is helping to spread the word about the value that people with disabilities can bring to the workplace. This site provides sections for individuals with disabilities, parents of individuals with disabilities, and employers.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy

Promising and Featured Practices For Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies
The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), as part its monitoring of State employment and independent living programs funded under the Rehabilitation Act, together with state vocational rehabilitation agencies and their stakeholders, have identified promising practices in a number of topic areas including 1) the transition of youth with disabilities from school to employment; 2) independent living programs; and 3) Vocational Rehabilitation Programs. Brief descriptions of these practices are available at the above link.

Real Economic Impact (REI) Tour: Annual Report
The REI Tour is a public-private partnership of federal, state, local, and national organizations designed to improve the economic well-being of working Americans with disabilities through asset building strategies. In 2008, the REI Tour will expand to 62 cities nationwide and will be expected to benefit over 50,000 low income wage earners with disabilities, with financial education classes, and new savings and asset building opportunities.

Source: REI Tour

Social Security Administration (SSA): Linking Candidates with Disabilities to SSA Jobs
The SSA has hired a significant number of employees, including many with disabilities, throughout the country during this fiscal year. It expects to continue hiring during the next fiscal year which begins on October 1, 2009. Additionally, plans have been made to open new facilities in the next few years. This Web page provides detailed information about the Administration's recruitment and job opportunities.

Source: Ticket to Work

Strategies for Promoting and Improving the Direct Service Workforce: Applications to Home and Community-Based Services
This is a compendium of three discussion papers on the topics of direct service workers in long-term care and strategies for improving the quality of their jobs and services. The authors, each with a background that includes consultation and technical assistance on the topics, share the premises that a) these workers are fundamental to the future and quality of long-term care; and b) that current and projected workforce shortages need to be addressed.

Source: Rutgers Center for State Health Policy

Succeeding in College and at Work: Students with Disabilities Tell Their Stories
In the videos, students with disabilities share strategies to successfully stay in school, graduate, and get jobs. Students reveal their struggles with self-reporting their disabilities and negotiating accommodations in school and at work. DVDs are available upon request.

Source: New England ADA Center

Survey of Employer Perspectives on the Employment of People with Disabilities
The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), conducted a 2008 nationally representative survey of employer perspectives on the employment of people with disabilities. The objective of this survey was to inform the development and promotion of policy and practice by comparing employer perspectives across various industries and within companies of varying sizes. ODEP will use the data from this survey to formulate targeted strategies and policies for increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities. This report provides the methods and results of the survey.

Source: ODEP

Universal Design for the Workforce Development System Toolkit
This is a collection of tools, online training modules, and best practice findings from the field, all of which are designed to promote a workforce development system that is both responsive to local needs and realities, and able to meet the needs of its diverse businesses and career-seeker customers. Taken together, these tools form a comprehensive system evaluation and change curriculum, which users can customize to best meet specific state and local needs.

Source: National Center on Workforce and Disability

US and UK Routes to Employment: Strategies to Improve Integrated Service Delivery to People with Disabilities
This report identifies strategies to strengthen integrated service delivery systems and to assist individuals with disabilities in gaining and maintaining productive employment. Implementing these strategies can benefit individuals with disabilities, who have the opportunity to realize their potential more fully, and society at large, which gains the productive skill of talented individuals.

Source: Institute for Community Inclusion

Worksupport.com E-Newsletter
Information, resources and research about work and disability issues. December 2007 Issue.

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Evaluations and Outcomes

Analyzing Quantitative Data From Program Beneficiaries
To satisfy performance measurement requirements, programs typically use quantitative data to gauge the degree to which output, intermediate outcome, and end outcome targets have been met. When logs, surveys, tests, or structured interviews are used to collect responses and other information from program beneficiaries to assess program outcomes, and responses are gathered using “check box” options, these responses should be changed to numerical values. This effective practice submitted by Project STAR in June 2006, helps programs learn to convert and examine this important information.

Source: Corporation for National & Community Service

Conducting Internal Outcome Evaluation for Program Improvement
Conducting internal outcome evaluation can yield important data for programs. This effective practice offers suggestions on how to use internal evaluation results to review program services.

Source: Corporation for National & Community Service

Creating a Meaningful Evaluation Report
The Corporation is placing increased emphasis on the importance of performance measures as both a program management tool and a means by which to communicate program impact. Outcome measurement is also becoming increasingly common among nonprofit organizations in general. This effective practice, excerpted from the User's Guide to Evaluation for National Service Programs developed by Project STAR, addresses how best to write a report after data has been collected. A link to the document is provided.

Source: Corporation for National & Community Service

Effective Practices in Program Evaluation
This collection of effective practices provides a range of topical guidance from choosing and working with an external program evaluator to creating a meaningful evaluation report.

Source: Corporation for National & Community Service Resource Center

Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) Evaluation
HFRP develops and evaluates strategies to promote the well being of children, youth, families, and their communities. It works primarily within three areas that support children’s learning and development—early childhood education, out-of-school time programming, and family and community support in education. This website page on evaluation provides a variety of resources, including publications and a link to the Evaluation Exchange, HFRP's periodical about emerging strategies in evaluation.

The Indicator: NCI’s Bimonthly Newsletter – October 2007
The latest newsletter of the National Core Indicators (NCI) program, this publication is designed to keep you abreast of developments and best practices in performance and outcome measurement as exemplified in initiatives among NCI participants. Volume 2, Issue 2 explores the birth of this national collaboration at the 10th Anniversary. The newsletter highlights the pioneer states and founding members and explains how NCI data is utilized and the future ideas as NCI enters their second decade.

Source: Community Living Exchange Collaborative

Logic Model Development Guide
Developed by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to support organizations in their efforts to evaluate their programs. The program logic model offers a picture of how your organization does its work - the theory and assumptions underlying the program. A program logic model links outcomes with program activities/processes and the theoretical assumptions/principles of the program.

Outcome Measurement in Nonprofit Organizations: Current Practices and Recommendations
This report provides a view of the state of outcome measurement as implemented in a number of private nonprofit service organizations engaged in outcome measurement.

Source: Independent Sector

Outcome Measurement: Showing Results in the Nonprofit Sector
This document describes current activities in five important areas, offers 30 useful lessons learned, and discusses seven key challenges still to be overcome in outcome measurement.

Source: United Way

The Program Manager's Guide to Evaluation
Good program evaluations assess program performance, measure impacts on families and communities, and document program successes. With this information, programs are able to direct limited resources to where they are most needed and most effective in their communities. To help programs fulfill these goals, the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families has developed this guide, which explains program evaluation-what it is, how to understand it, and how to do it. (For those working with Head Start programs, this guide can be downloaded free of charge from Head Start)

Training Data Collectors
Performance measurement data is used in helping to assess program performance. Systematic data collection involves administering instruments and gathering and organizing responses. This effective practice shares training tips for data collectors.

Source: Corporation for National & Community Service

Using Qualitative Data to Add Value to Performance Measurement
Qualitative data is descriptive information from clients served that is documented through open-ended questions, interviews, or structured focus groups. Details provided in these open-ended responses create a fuller picture of a program, and can add vitality to program reports. When presented together, qualitative data and quantitative data can make compelling statements of program results. This effective practice, submitted by Project STAR in August 2006, describes strategies for gathering and utilizing this type of information.

Source: Corporation for National & Community Service

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Family Support

AFI Family Support 360 IDA Initiative
This document describes the goals, tasks and services for grantees, and the background of the Assets for Independence (AFI) Family Support 360 Individual Development Account (IDA) Initiative. There is a growing awareness among AFI program grantees and their partner organizations that some people with disabilities, and their families, have a difficult time accessing and using IDA services. In response to this need, this initiative provides AFI grantees and their partner organizations with training and technical assistance for providing IDA services to this important population.

Assets for Independence Resource Center
The AFI Resource Center is a one-stop source for information on the Assets for Independence program and Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). Here you can quickly learn about the AFI program and IDAs, how to apply for an AFI grant, and how to administer an AFI project. This center provides tips and best practices for providing and using IDAs and related services.

Navigator Guiding Principles
Compiled by the FS 360 Navigator Role Workgroup. The principles are intended to assist Navigators in their work with families, and to help Administrators with training new Navigators. It is expected that each one-stop will modify the content and format based on its unique needs and design. Some principles adapted from the Oklahoma Individual and Family Support Principles developed by the Oklahoma Family Support Partnership Council.

Navigator Role Description
Created by the FS 360 Navigator Role Workgroup. The description is intended to clarify the role of Navigators in order to support their efforts with families and assist in minimizing the stress that may arise from unclear roles and boundaries. Please add, remove, and/or edit the material as appropriate; it is expected that each one-stop will modify the content based on their unique needs and design of the center.

Navigator Role Family-Friendly Description
Created by the FS 360 Navigator Role Workgroup. The description is intended to clarify the role of Navigators in order to assist families in understanding how Navigators can help them. This document was written at an 8th grade reading level. Please add, remove, and/or edit the material as appropriate; it is expected that each one-stop will modify the content based on their unique needs and design of the center.

Working Toward Sustainable Futures: Establishing a “Next Generation” of Family Support Services
This information brief examines the challenges faced by a “next generation” of individuals with developmental disabilities and supporting family members, as well as challenges facing policymakers to support individual and family needs. The brief includes a description of the Family Support 360 initiative goals, as well as results from the survey conducted by the 360 Sustainability Workgroup. The brief was authored by John Agosta, Kerri Melda and Valerie Bradley at the Human Services Research Institute, the Oregon Family Support 360 grantee.

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Finance

Asset Development Resources
This page contains resource links and documents from a variety of sources.

Building Wealth
Building Wealth: A Beginner's Guide to Securing Your Financial Future, published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, offers introductory guidance to individuals and families seeking help in developing a plan for building personal wealth. This document presents an overview of personal wealth-building strategies, budgeting, saving and investing, taking control of debt, and protecting your wealth. Also available in Spanish.

Earned Income Tax Credit
EITC is a refundable federal income tax credit for low to moderate income working individuals and families. The EITC has no effect on certain welfare benefits. In most cases, EITC payments will not be used to determine eligibility for Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), food stamps, low-income housing or most Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) payments. This site provides eligibility information and tools, frequently asked questions, and instructions on claiming the credit.

Source: Internal Revenue Service

Family Tax Credit Resources
Provides links to several tools designed to help families prepare for tax-filing season. The resources include state-specific information and a toolkit for advocates.

Source: National Women's Law Center

Financial Education Curricula and Programs
This section of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston's Web Site contains links to financial education curricula and programs, many of which are written on a teen/adult and elementary level.

How the Economic Stimulus Plan Affects Individuals with Disabilities
The $789 billion U.S. economic stimulus package, which was signed into law February 17, 2009 by President Obama, contains numerous tax provisions including $282 billion in tax cuts. This fact sheet outlines several of the major tax provisions and other forms of assistance incorporated in the bill.

Source: Real Economic Impact Tour, an initiative of the National Disability Institute

Learning About Money
Published by the Federal Reserve System, is a brief document with tips on goal setting, budgeting and saving money, credit and credit ratings, and borrowing money. Also available in Spanish.

LifeSmarts: The Ultimate Consumer Challenge
Educational opportunity that develops the consumer and marketplace knowledge and skills of teenagers in a fun way and rewards them for this knowledge. The program can be used as an activity for classes, groups, clubs, and community organizations. LifeSmarts, run as a game-show style competition, is open to all teens in the U.S. in the 9th through 12th grades. Teams of four to five teens compete in district and state matches with the state winners going to the national competition to vie for the national LifeSmarts title. LifeSmarts is a program of the National Consumers League. The program is completely accessible to students with disabilities.

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Foreign Language Resources

Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
The CDC's mission is "to promote health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability." The CDC web site is available in Spanish (Espanol) and 9 other languages: English, French (Francais), German (Deutsch), Tagalog, Italian (Italiano), Russian (PYCCKNN), Vietnamese (Tieng Viet), Chinese, and Korean. The link provided will take you to the Spanish language page where you can then link to the pages for the other languages.

Centro de Ensenanza del Embarazo (March of Dimes)
The March of Dimes' mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. The March of Dimes carries out this mission through research, community services, education and advocacy to save babies' lives.

La misión de March of Dimes es mejorar la salud de los bebés al prevenir los defectos de nacimiento, el nacimiento prematuro y la mortalidad infantil.
http://www.nacersano.org/centro/9388_9974.asp

Child Welfare Information Gateway
Formerly the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information and the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse, Child Welfare Information Gateway provides access to information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families.

Recursos en español sobre el abuso y la negligencia de menores, la prevención, los servicios de protección de menores, el cuidado de crianza (foster care), el cuidado de los niños fuera de casa, la permanencia y la adopción. Algunas publicaciones están disponibles en inglés y español.
http://www.childwelfare.gov/espanol/

Family Support: A Check for Quality (in English and Spanish )
4-page checklist developed by family members and professionals to help people determine if their family is receiving quality support. It includes a definition of family support and tips for working with professionals.

Source: The Arc

Fundacion Excepcionales
Non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and facilitating the equal inclusion of individuals with Down Syndrome or learning disabilities. Fundacion Excepcionales is a foundation that unites parents with professionals.

Fundacion Excepcionales es una organización sin fines de lucro, dedicada a promoveer y facilitar la inclusión de porsonas con síndrome de Down o dificultades educativas similares. Es una Fundación que reúne a mamás y papás que trabajan en conjunto con un grupo interdisciplinario de profesionales.

Glossary of Assistive Technology Terms in Spanish/Glosario de Términos de la Tecnología Asistencial
This document, from the Family Center on Technology and Disability contains a list of Assistive Technology Terms in Spanish.

El glosario que sigue a continuación podrá ayudar a los padres a aprender sobre los tipos de tecnología asistencial que hay disponibles y cómo pueden ser utilizadas.

Health and Financial Decisions: Legal Tools for Preserving Your Personal Autonomy/Decisiones de Salud y Monetarias (Financieras): Recursos Legales Para Mantener Sus Propios Deseos e Intereses Personales (in Spanish and English)
This consumer publication encourages seniors to use legal planning tools to ensure that their personal, health care and financial wishes are honored in the event they become sick, disabled or incapacitated.

Source: American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging

Independence, Productivity, Self Determination, Integration and Inclusion Definitions and Evaluation Forms (Spanish)
These are two evaluation forms and Independence, Productivity, Self Determination, Integration & Inclusion (IPSII) definitions in Spanish. The evaluation forms are used by participants in our Hispanic Outreach Program. These forms identify the four IPSII measures and provide a simple definition for each of these measures.

Source: Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities

LD Online
Seeks to help children and adults reach their full potential by providing accurate and up-to-date information and advice about learning disabilities and ADHD. The site features hundreds of helpful articles, monthly columns by noted experts, first person essays, children’s writing and artwork, a comprehensive resource guide, very active forums, and a Yellow Pages referral directory of professionals, schools, and products. Articles are available in English and Spanish (artículos en español e ingles).

Medline Plus
Directs you to information to help answer health questions. MedlinePlus brings together authoritative information from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations. Preformulated MEDLINE searches are included in MedlinePlus and give easy access to medical journal articles. MedlinePlus also has extensive information about drugs, an illustrated medical encyclopedia, interactive patient tutorials, and latest health news.

National Dissemination Center for Children With Disabilities/Centro Nacional de Diseminación de Información para Niños con Discapacidades
NICHCY serves the nation as a central source of information on:

• Disabilities in infants, toddlers, children, and youth
• IDEA, which is the law authorizing special education
• No Child Left Behind (as it relates to children with disabilities)
• Research-based information on effective educational practices

• Las discapacidades que pueden tener los infantes, niños pre-escolares, estudiantes, y jóvenes adultos
• IDEA (el Acta para la Educación de los Individuos con Discapacidades), la ley nacional de educación especial
• No Child Left Behind (Que Ningún Niño se Quede Atrás), por la relación que esta ley tiene con las discapacidades
• Información basada en la investigación sobre las prácticas educativas efectivas

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
This web site offers publications in Spanish (Publicaciones en Español ) from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Source: University of Missouri/Visions With Hope 360° Center
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/spanish/index.htm

PBS Parents
Provides information about children's development from birth through the early school years. PBS Parents also provides fun educational activities for children to help get them ready for school.

Proyecto Vision
Proyecto Visión is a bilingual project to connect Latinos with disabilities to employment opportunities.

Una pagina bilingue de la red para Latinos con discapacidad.

Spanish Language Resource Catalogue
Adobe Acrobat Format and MS Word Format
Evaluation of Resources
Lists disability resources in Spanish and English. Topics include: el autismo (autism), la communicacion (communication), la crianza (raising children), la cultura (culture), las disccapacidades (disabilities), la disciplina (discipline), la escuela (schools), hermanos (siblings), el idioma (language), juegos y actividades (games and activities), la ley (legal matters), perdida de audicion y vista (hearing and sight loss), relaciones familiares (family relationships), la salud (health), la salud mental (mental health), el sindrome de down (down syndrome), lo social-emocional: edades y etapas (social-emotional: ages and stages).

Source: Juntos Podemos

Understanding the Special Education Process
Contains information on the IDEA bill passed by Congress, and provides information specifically for parents so that they may better understand the special education process. Handouts are available in English, Spanish, Hmong, or Somali.

Source: Families and Advocates Partnership for Education

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General Disability Information

Definition of Developmental Disabilities
Provides a definition of "Developmental Disabilities" according to the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (DD Act).

Developmental Disability Act of 2000
This link will take you to the text of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, known as the DD Act, on the Administration on Developmental Disabilities' (ADD) Web Site. ADD is the U.S. Government organization responsible for implementation of the DD Act.

Disability Law Handbook
Disability law is an area of law that overlaps with many other areas of law, including employment, administrative, elder, consumer, construction, insurance, school, health, social security, and civil rights. This handbook is meant to provide basic information about disability rights, as well as resources for finding out more information.

Source: DBTAC Southwest ADA Center

Disability History Timeline
Adobe Acrobat Format (English) | Microsoft Word Format (English)
Adobe Acrobat Format (Spanish) | Microsoft Word Format (Spanish)
This resource and discussion guide is designed to assist youth with and without disabilities to learn about the history of people with disabilities. Although designed primarily for youth and emerging leaders with disabilities, the guide can be used in multiple ways to educate a broader audience. Starting shortly before the United States was founded, the guide features examples of the diversity, creativity, and leadership that have shaped the disability community and American culture.

Source: National Consortium on Leadership and Disability for Youth

Supplemental Guide for Developmental Disabilities
This document, developed by the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) Georgia Grantee, provides a definition of "developmental disability", prevention and screening information, and descriptions of specific conditions.

Source: Aging and Disability Resource Center

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Grantee Publications and Newsletters

Addressing the Field's Cultural Drought
Suggestions for Attracting and Retaining Bilingual and Bicultural Staff
by David Stadler, Luis Cordova, and Marcella McMurray
This article, authored by staff at the Mattie Rhodes Center (MRC), which houses the Missouri Family Support 360, was published in the March 2009 issue of Behavioral Health Care magazine. Approximately 94% of the MRC's mental health and social service clients identify as Latino, and MRC strives to be a leader on Latino issues and cultural competency. Using their experiences, the authors identify challenges to hiring bilingual and bicultural staff, as well as tips for hiring success.

Source: Behavioral Healthcare

Alaska: F2F Family Advisory Listserv
This list not only serves as a forum for messages between families, but is also a means of communication between the Stone Soup Group and families, professionals, educators, and the public. Those who subscribe to the listserv will also receive the Soup of the Week Newsletter.

Source: Stone Soup Group

Facilitating Consumer Partnerships in State Policy and Program Design
This guide, co-authored by Dr. Judith Holt of the Utah Family Support 360: Disability Support Center for Families, provides states agencies with practical guidelines and strategies to create and sustain partnerships with individuals with disabilities.

Source: Utah Family Support 360 Grantee

Make a Difference for Children with Disabilities
A Guide to Serving on a County Family Support Advisory Committee
This publication from the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin—Madison was co-authored by Liz Hecht, Project Coordinator for the Wisconsin One-Stop Family Support Project. This booklet is designed to help families better understand the important role they play in shaping their local Family Support Programs and how they can become more effective participants and have their voice heard in Family Support Programs both locally and statewide.

Source: Wisconsin Family Support 360 Grantee

Report to the Vermont Legislature: Serving People with Disabilities
The intent of this report is to identify current practice in Family Services as related to working with children and parents with developmental disabilities and to identify preliminary recommendations for increasing disability awareness and responsivity in child welfare professionals and their community partners. In preparation of the report the Vermont Department of Children and Families was required to consult with the Family Support 360 Project at the University of Vermont.

Source: Vermont Family Support 360 Grantee

Rhode Island: Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities Mailing List
The Sherlock Center offers a variety of training opportunities, including topical workshops, conferences, and courses. The Center also disseminates topical newsletters to family members, educators, and other professionals on a variety of topics. The online subscription page provides an option to select email or US Mail as the preferred method of receiving information.

Source: Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities at Rhode Island College

Seeing With New Eyes: Metaphors of Family Experience
Susan Yuan, our Vermont grantee's co-director, published this article in Mental Retardation, Volume 41, Number 3: 207-211 (June 2003). The article reframes disability and looks at the power of metaphor when discussing or training individuals on disability. The article includes a visual metaphor exercise which can be incorporated into trainings.

Source: Vermont Family Support 360 Grantee

We've got principles. Now what?
Published in the TASH Connections Newsletter, Volume 32, Issue 7-8, 2006, this article was written by Louis Worley, Jan Moss, and Vyonda Martin, the Oklahoma grantee's director. The article addresses the "next step in the evolution of how we promote supportive practices that are centered on individuals with disabilities and their families." Supporting documents referenced in this piece are available in the Best Practices and Lessons Learned section of the Resource Library.

Source: Oklahoma Family Support 360 Grantee

Working Toward Sustainable Futures: Establishing a “Next Generation” of Family Support Services
This information brief examines the challenges faced by a “next generation” of individuals with developmental disabilities and supporting family members, as well as challenges facing policymakers to support individual and family needs. The brief includes a description of the Family Support 360 initiative goals, as well as results from the survey conducted by the 360 Sustainability Workgroup. The brief was authored by John Agosta, Kerri Melda and Valerie Bradley at the Human Services Research Institute, the Oregon Family Support 360 grantee.

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Grief/Loss

Evaluation of Resources

Grief Among Individuals with Developmental Disabilities
A document discussing the stages of grief, tasks of mourning, and issues specific to individuals with developmental disabilities, including ways of providing support.

Source: University of New Mexico, School of Medicine

Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

People with Disabilities Face Unique Grief, Loss Issues
Discusses the grief which may accompany or compound disability, and discusses ways of coping and providing support.

Source: Access Press

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Guardianship

The Guardian Vol. 1 Issue 2
Produced by The Guardianship Project at the Missouri Planning Council for Developmental Disabilities, this newsletter is focused on providing guardianship information for increased self-determination.

Source: Missouri Protection & Advocacy Services

The Riot! Guardianship Issue
The Riot! is a national e-newsletter for self-advocates from the Self-Advocate Leadership Network at the Human Services Research Institute. This issue is dedicated to issues around guardianship and self-advocacy.

Source: Riot!

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Healthy Relationships

Healthy Friendships and Relationships
This article provides guidelines on how to assist individuals with disabilities in identifying and developing a variety of healthy relationships.

Source: California Department of Developmental Services

Promoting Friendships for Preschool Children with Special Needs
This article addresses the importance of early intervention and utilizing an integrated approach that promotes social-emotional development in children with special needs at the preschool level.

Source: NYU Child Study Center

Relationship Information for Individuals with Illnesses and Disabilities
Aimed at girls with disabilities between the ages of 10 and 16, this Web page offers tips and strategies related to relationships with friends and family, dating, teasing, and talking to others about one’s disability.

Source: Office on Women's Health

National Conversation on Healthy Relationships: Audio CD
Topics covered during the calls included the rights of individuals with developmental disabilities to have intimate relationships; the dynamics of a healthy, intimate relationship; issues of sexuality, personal safety and safe sex/birth control; and peer advice from self advocates. The CD is $10.00, which includes shipping and handling.

Source: The Riot!

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Housing

2006 HOME Investment Partnership Funds - Information Bulletin #246
This May bulletin provides information and statistics about HOME, a federally funded housing program that impacts people with disabilities.

Source: Steve Gold

2008 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress
This report, released by the Department for Housing and Urban Development in July 2009, provides the latest counts of homelessness nationwide, including individuals, persons in families, and special population groups such as veterans and chronically homeless people. The report also documents disabilities among people who are homeless.

Accessing Affordable and Appropriate Housing
Adobe Acrobat Format and MS Word Format
This document, from the Beach Center on Disability, explains how to find affordable, appropriate housing and is a wonderful "starting place" for those looking for or assisting someone in looking for housing.

ADA Information Line
The U.S. Department of Justice provides information about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) through a toll-free ADA Information Line. This service permits businesses, State and local governments, or others to call and ask questions about general or specific ADA requirements including questions about the ADA Standards for Accessible Design. ADA specialists are available Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM until 5:30 PM (Eastern Time) except on Thursday when the hours are 12:30 PM until 5:30 PM. Spanish language service is also available. For general ADA information, answers to specific technical questions, free ADA materials, or information about filing a complaint, call: (800)514-0301 voice) or (800)514-0383 (TTY).

Government Funding to Support Homeless Programs
Local homeless programs across America will receive an unprecedented $1.5 billion in Continuum of Care grants announced today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This historic-level funding will offer transitional and permanent supportive housing to more than 168,000 homeless individuals and families.

Source: DisabilityInfo.gov

HUD Information Sheet
Provides information on several U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs that may be available to assist people with disabilities. Three major HUD programs are outlined: Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities, the Housing Choice Voucher Program, and the Public Housing Program.

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

In Search Of Home Sweet Home
In this article, Mike Mayer and Derrick Dufresne, senior partners with the consulting firm Community Resource Alliance, address questions around residential options for people of all ages and abilities, and provide tools to assist with the creation of an individualized situation that best accommodates personal circumstances. Source: disabilityscoop

Local Home Repair Programs
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides this list of local repair and rehabilitation programs by state. There are a variety of resources sponsored by states, local governments, and other organizations that can help with repairs and improvements for accessibility. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

USDA's Rental Assistance Program - Information Bulletin # 233
This January 2008 bulletin provides information and statistics about the USDA Rental Assistance Program, as well as links to search for multifamily USDA developments.

Source: Steve Gold

USDA Rural Development Housing and Community Facilities Programs
HCFP helps rural communities and individuals by providing loans and grants for housing and community facilities. HCFP provides funding for single family homes, apartments for low-income persons or the elderly, housing for farm laborers, childcare centers, fire and police stations, hospitals, libraries, nursing homes, schools, and much more. In partnership with non-profits, Indian tribes, state and federal government agencies, and local communities, HCFP creates packages of technical assistance and loan and grant funds to assist rural communities and individuals.

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Immigration-Related Issues

Community Education Materials on Immigration Issues
This page contains links to community education materials developed by the National Immigration Law Center and other agencies addressing issues of concern to low-income immigrants.

Federal Guidance on Public Charge: When Is It Safe to Use Public Benefits?
The U.S. government has published guidance on the “public charge” rules — when receiving public benefits may affect your immigration status or your ability to travel outside of the U.S. The guidance explains when it is and is not safe to use public benefits.

Source: National Immigration Law Center

Immigrants’ Rights Update Newsletter
This quarterly newsletter from the National Immigration Law Center provides analyses and updates on current developments that impact low-income immigrants, including important court decisions, legislative proposals, new laws, and administrative policy.

State-Funded Benefits: Immigrant Eligibility
These resources, developed by the National Immigration Law Center, include information on medical assistance programs, TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) and SSI (Supplemental Security Income) replacement programs, SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program) programs, and food assistance programs.

Source: National Immigration Law Center

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Independent Living Skills

Everyday Budgeting & Money Savings Tips
This tip sheet offers suggestions on how to save money in the areas where people typically spend the most, including food, health care, transportation, and clothing.

Source: American Consumer Credit Counseling

Goal Setting: Powerful Written Goals in 7 Easy Steps
This article by Gene Donohue suggests seven steps for writing complete and focused goals to be used as a roadmap to achievement.

Source: Top Achievement

How-To Guide to Goal Setting
This guide to setting financial goals describes three types of goals that should be considered. Source: American Consumer Credit Counseling

Life Skills Inventory: Independent Living Skills Assessment Tool
This sample assessment from the Washington State Department of Social & Health Services provides a checklist of life categories and skills within each category that can be used to make a determination as to the status of an individual's independent living skills.

Microsoft Word Budget Templates
Monthly Income/Expense Record
Monthly Budgeting Chart
These templates are examples of the variety of budgeting templates offered by Microsoft Word that can be modified to meet the specific needs of individuals and families.

Monthly Budget Worksheet (Basic)
This monthly line item budget worksheet includes instructions on how create a budget based on estimated income and expenses.

Source: American Student Assistance

Monthly Budget Worksheet (Complex)
Line item worksheet that can be used to track budgeted and actual amounts spent in a variety of areas, including housing, medical, and entertainment expenses.

Source: Freddie Mac

Problem-Solving
Describes the problem-solving process by outlining six steps that families can follow while focusing on strengths and creating a successful, healthy family.

Source: Virginia Cooperative Extension

SMART Goal Setting
This guide recommends using the acronym SMART (Smart Measurable Attainable Realistic Timely) as a tool to assist with the goal setting process.

Source: Goal Setting Guide

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The United Nations general assembly proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948. It adopted this declaration as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Source: United Nations

Where Does My Money Go? Worksheet
On a weekly or monthly basis, this worksheet can be used as a line-by-line tracking tool to determine where an individual or family is spending its money. (This chart was adapted from Making It On Your Own, Region III Resource Center for Children, Youth, and Families, School of Social Work, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, 1983.)

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Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security Information

2011 Social Security Red Book
The Red Book serves as a general reference source about the employment-related provisions of Social Security Disability Insurance and the Supplemental Security Income Programs for educators, advocates, rehabilitation professionals, and counselors who serve people with disabilities.

Source: Social Security Online

A Case for Inclusion
The ongoing national debate about Medicaid must involve more than budget appropriations. To this end, United Cerebral Palsy has issued A Case for Inclusion to spotlight how State Medicaid programs are serving people with DD and mental retardation. The analysis includes rankings for all 50 States and the District of Columbia, as well as letter grades in key Medicaid service areas.

Source: United Cerebral Palsy

Citizenship Guidelines for Medicaid Eligibility
This document, published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, gives an overview of the new requirements on citizenship documentation for Medicaid benefits.

Disability Evaluation Under Social Security
This edition of Disability Evaluation Under Social Security, (also known as the Blue Book), has been specially prepared to provide physicians and other health professionals with an understanding of the disability programs administered by the Social Security Administration. It explains how each program works, and the kinds of information a health professional can furnish to help ensure sound and prompt decisions on disability claims.

Source: Social Security Online

Expediting Medicaid Financial Eligibility
This issue brief, developed by the Lewin Group for the Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC), provides information on presumptive and fast track Medicaid eligibility programs. (Aging and Disability Resource Centers Technical Assistance Exchange)

Frequently Asked Questions and Examples of Documentation of Citizenship for Medicaid Recipients
This document, developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, gives answers to some frequently asked questions and examples of acceptable documentary evidence of citizenship for Medicaid recipients.

How To Apply for Social Security Disability Benefits
This answer to a frequently asked question provides helpful contact information and resources related to the disability benefits application process, including a Disability Starter Kit. This kit prepares an applicant for a disability interview or online application. Kits are available in English and Spanish for adults and for children.

Source: Social Security Online

Medicaid Overview
This page is an overview of the Medicaid Program, which provides medical benefits to low-income individuals who have no or inadequate medical insurance.

Source: Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services

Social Security Benefits for Children with Disabilities Booklet
This booklet is for the parents, caregivers or representatives of children under age 18 who have disabilities that might make them eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. It is also for adults who became disabled in childhood and who might be entitled to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits.

Source: Social Security Online

Social Security Compassionate Allowances
Social Security has an obligation to provide benefits quickly to applicants whose medical conditions are so serious that their conditions obviously meet disability standards. Compassionate allowances are a way of quickly identifying diseases and other medical conditions that invariably qualify under a listing of impairments based on minimal objective medical information. This site provides an initial list of Compassionate Allowances conditions, as well as information on how Compassionate Allowances are processed. Source: Social Security Online)

Social Security Disability Online: How to Appeal a Decision on a Claim
This is the starting point to request a review of a medical decision about eligibility for disability benefits. There are two parts to this Internet Appeal process: (1) an Appeal Request Internet form and, (2) an Appeal Disability Report that provides more information about the disability. Both forms can be completed online.

Source: Social Security Online

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Booklet
This booklet explains what SSI is, who can get it and how to apply. It provides basic information and is not intended to answer all questions. The SSI program makes payments to people with low income who are age 65 or older or with a disability.

Source: Social Security Online

Medicare & You 2008 Government Handbook
From the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, this document is the official government handbook with important information about 2008 costs, what is covered, preventive services, health plans, prescription drug plans, and rights and appeals.

Source: Medicare.gov

Rebalancing Long-Term Care: The Role of the Medicaid HCBS Waiver Program
This paper reviews the history and background of the Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver program. It describes the eligibility, benefits, and financing structure, as well as the trends in program expenditures over time. The paper considers the contribution of the HCBS waiver program toward improving access to community-based care for Medicaid beneficiaries who are elderly and disabled and discusses the barriers that remain. This paper also summarizes the provisions included in the recently enacted Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 that may further expand Medicaid HCBS and considers how it may continue the process of redefining the concept of long-term care.

Report from Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured Explores Medicaid's Current and Future Challenges in Providing Long-Term Care
The Kaiser Foundation's Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured has released a report that presents an overview of Medicaid as a provider of long-term care (LTC) and highlights policy challenges facing the Medicaid program today. The report is based on a roundtable discussion of policymakers and experts and draws from a body of health services research. By gathering evidence and presenting data to address key Medicaid policy issues, the report can serve as a foundation for the current and ongoing policy debate regarding Medicaid's future role as a provider of LTC services and supports for low-income elderly and disabled Americans.

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation

The Medicare Modernization Act and ADRCs
This issue brief, developed by the Lewin Group for the Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC), provides an overview of the Medicare Modernization Act, information on the enrollment process and the low income subsidy, issues related to the implementation of the drug benefit, and a timeline of key transition events.

Source: Aging and Disability Resource Centers Technical Assistance Exchange

Understanding Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Informs beneficiaries, potential beneficiaries, advocates and others in interested agencies and organizations about SSI eligibility requirements and processes. Understanding SSI is useful as a training manual and reference tool, but is not a complete review of all SSI related rules and policies. Individual case information should be discussed with the experts at Social Security.

Source: Social Security Online

What is the difference between Medicare and Medicaid?
This U.S. Department of Health & Human Services resource provides brief descriptions of both programs, as well as links to more extensive information on each.

Source: DisabilityInfo.gov

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Military

DOD Dictionary of Military Terms
From this page you can browse the Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, as well as Joint Acronyms and Abbreviations. The database is managed by the Joint Doctrine Division, J-7, Joint Staff.

Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) Information by Branch
The following MilitaryHOMEFRONT Web pages detail the personnel and family support functions of the EFMP under each branch of service. They also provide the regulations under which services are provided.

• Army
• Marine Corps
• Navy
• Air Force
• Coast Guard

Practical Lessons for Health Care Reform from the Military Health System
This issue brief presents findings from a study of the military health system that have timely implications for health care reform. The findings suggest that universal coverage alone is unlikely to solve many of the problems in our current system without other changes. While universal coverage represents a critical step to improving health care in the United States, the research suggests that other actions, such as strengthening primary care and public health initiatives, will also be necessary to solve these problems.

Source: Mathematica Policy Research

SAMHSA Resources for Veterans and Their Families
This collection of resources includes Webcasts and conferences, information on identifying mental health and substance abuse services, information for families coping with trauma, and statistics related to veterans and mental health.

Source: Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration

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Parent and Caregiver Resources

Basics for Parents: Your Child’s Evaluation
First in a series of "Basics for Parents" publications from the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities, and is written in easy-to-understand terms. Your Child's Evaluation describes the steps a school system will take to evaluate a child to determine if he or she has a disability and is eligible for special education.

Source: National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities

Care Notebook
Helps parents/caregivers maintain an ongoing record of a child's care, services, providers, and notes. This web site is designed to assist families to build personalized care notebooks for their children with special needs. The web site allows parents to select sections from different versions of care notebooks to create a customized care notebook.

Source: National Center of Medical Home Initiatives for Children with Special Needs

Caregiver's Handbook
This guide will help caregivers navigate the complexities of eldercare information and services, find national and local organizations, and choose the appropriate services and resources. The Handbook is also appropriate for those considering their own needs as they age.

Source: PBS

Caregiving Across the States: A State-by-State Resource
This interactive database provides information on publicly-funded caregiver support programs in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. It includes information on programs funded through the National Family Caregiver Support Program, Aged/Disabled Medicaid waivers, and state-funded programs that either have a caregiver-specific focus or include a family caregiving component in their service package.

Source: Family Caregiver Alliance

Caring for Someone With Developmental Disabilities
Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word
This fact sheet, developed by the Administration on Aging, is for aging parents and other caregivers of those with developmental disabilities.

Source: Administration on Aging

Caring for Your Parents
The reality of an aging population unfolds in this 90-minute documentary. Five families are spotlighted as they cope with tension among siblings, shifting caregiver roles, and the difficulties of keeping aging parents at home. Following the film, Art Ulene, a former medical correspondent for NBC News, hosts a 30-minute panel discussion that offers advice on caregiving. This program can be viewed and purchased online.

Source: PBS

The Comfort of Home: Caregiver Resources
These books and training series is a trademark of CareTrust Publications, an independent multi-language publisher committed to providing high quality, user-friendly information to those who face their own aging or the responsibilities of caring for family, friends, or clients. CareTrust provides assistance to caregivers and organizations through caregiver training guides, caregiver journal, caregiver videos, caregiver newsletters, and caregiver instructor training materials.

Source: CareTrust Publications, LLC

Dental Care Every Day: A Caregiver's Guide
This guide provides steps to maintaining good oral health for family members or clients with special needs.

Source: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health

Developmental Milestones: Interactive Tool
English | Spanish
This interactive tool allows you to view how a developmental milestone category (social and emotional, cognitive, or language) changes as a child grows.

Source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities

Family-Centered Care Tools
These newly-published Family-Centered Care Self-Assessment Tools are designed as an opportunity for health care practices and families to assess current areas of strength and identify areas for growth, plan future efforts, and track progress toward family-centered care. There are separate tools for families and providers, along with a user guide.

Source: Family Voices

Family Care Navigator
This state-by-state resource is intended to help caregivers locate government, nonprofit, and private programs. It includes services for family caregivers, as well as resources for older adults and adults with disabilities who are living at home or in a residential facility. It also includes information on government health and disability programs, legal resources, and condition-specific organizations.

Source: Family Caregiver Alliance

Family History - An Early Warning for Your Child (Podcast)
Collecting family history information could save a child's life. Listen to this podcast to learn more about how knowing family history information can benefit the entire family.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Family Support: A Check for Quality (in English and Spanish )
This document is a 4-page checklist developed by family members and professionals to help people determine if their family is receiving quality support. It includes a definition of family support and tips for working with professionals.

Source: The Arc

First Steps: A Guide for Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities
This guide for parents of children with developmental disabilities covers such topics as acceptance, services, and the rights of people with disabilities. The guide has recently been revised and can be downloaded or ordered in a printed format in English and Spanish. Source: Florida Developmental Disabilities Council

Grandparent Resources
Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word
This fact sheet provides a wide variety of resources and links to organizations providing assistance to grandparents and other caregivers.

Source: Administration on Aging

Grief Resources
Created by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), this document provides basic information on grief and grieving, as well as several Web sites and organizations that provide information and support around grief issues.

Source: SAMHSA's National Mental Health Information Center

Guide for Parents of Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities
This booklet is designed to help families understand what happens when an individual with an intellectual disability turns 18. It includes sections on rights and responsibilities, guardianship and other alternatives, terminology, and resources.

Source: North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities

The Invisible Care Gap: Caregivers without Health Coverage
This report, based on the most recent data available from the U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics, provides a snapshot of the health insurance status of our nation’s caregivers. The picture that emerges illustrates the economic and health insecurity of this workforce, a workforce that Americans are increasingly dependent upon for services and support.

Source: PHI

Managing Supports in Your Home
This is a guide for families using family subsidy dollars to purchase in-home services. This manual was designed to empower families to successfully employ in-home support workers with an understanding of the risks and benefits of acting as an employer.

Source:North Dakota Family Support One-Stop

National Respite Locator Service
Helps parents, caregivers, and professionals find respite services in their local areas that match their specific needs. Use the "Search for Respite" feature to find the programs in your city that provide specific services or use the "State Listings" feature for a listing of all the respite providers in your state.

Source: Chapel Hill Training - Outreach Project, Inc.

Parent Center List
This Web page provides detailed contact information for Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) by State.

Source: Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers

Powerful Tools for Caregivers
Six-week education program for family and friends caring for older adults who have stroke, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease or similar long-term conditions. The class provides family caregivers with the skills and confidence to better care for themselves while caring for others. Many caregivers have found the class beneficial, including those caring for a spouse or partner and adult children caring for parents. You can also order the Caregiver Helpbook, designed to provide caregivers the tools to increase their self-care and confidence in handling difficult situations, emotions, and decisions.

Source: Legacy Health System

The Sarah Jane Brain Foundation
The Sarah Jane Brain Foundation has launched the first phase of The Sarah Jane Brain Project through the web portal. The site uses the principles of Open Source with a person's medical records for the first time in history and aims to bring parents and professionals dealing with children suffering from Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury (PTBI) together in an open and free forum.

Selected Caregiver Assessment Measures: A Resource Inventory for Practitioners
Represents a select group of caregiver assessment measures specifically chosen for practical application by practitioners who work with family and informal caregivers of older persons and adults with disabilities. The purpose of this inventory is to provide a compendium of caregiver assessment measures that is practice-oriented, practical and applicable, and which conceptually addresses the multidimensional aspects of the caregiving experience.

Source: Family Caregiver Alliance

Since You Care: Hiring An Independent Caregiver
This consumer guide from MetLife is one in a series done in cooperation with the National Alliance for Caregiving. It provides information to family caregivers about locating potential home care aides, screening applications, conducting interviews, running background checks and administering payroll, including social security and other taxes. It also provides helpful resources, including books, publications, websites, and a sample contract.

Source: MetLife

Taking Care of YOU: Self-Care for Family Caregivers
This sheet is designed to assist caregivers in taking care of themselves, which is essential to best care for another person.

Source: Family Caregiver Alliance

Understanding the Special Education Process: An Overview for Parents (inEnglish , Hmong , Somali , and Spanish )
Evaluation of Resources
Provides a basic overview of the steps in the special education process in English, Spanish, Hmong, or Somali. It shows what happens from the time a child is referred for evaluation and is identified as having a disability through the development of an Individualized Education Program (IEP). While this easy-to-understand brief is written for parents, it is an ideal overview for regular education teachers, aides, and paraprofessionals who are new to the special education process. Principals and special education teachers may want to keep copies on hand to give to parents and others.

Source: National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities

Working Caregivers: Finding a Balance
Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word
This fact sheet offers caregivers who work outside the home information on how to cope with the stress and emotions related to caregiving and suggestions on how to better balance caregiving and work responsibilities.

Source: Administration on Aging

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Parents With Disabilities

Building Foundations: A Curriculum Guide for Supported Parenting
This guide is a resource for supporting parents with cognitive disabilities. It focuses on specific teaching strategies known to be successful with persons with cognitive disabilities, and presents these strategies in the context of parenting skills. Ten areas pertinent to parenting and independent living skills are included. In addition to strategies, the guide contains a conceptual framework, best practices and both specific and generic resources. This resource can be purchased online.

Source: Kennedy Krieger Institute

Building Statewide Capacity in Vermont for Parents with Intellectual and Cognitive Challenges
This presentation was created by Susan Yuan, Ph.D., of the Vermont Family Support 360, and Sheila Duranleau of Vermont Family Services. It outlines lessons learned from working with parents with disabilities in Vermont, including successful methods in peer navigation, systems and legislative advocacy, and parent training.

Curricula for Supporting Parents with Cognitive Limitations
This list of training curricula was developed by Cathy Haarstad of the North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities.

“Healthy Start.” A National Strategy for Parents With Intellectual Disabilities and Their Children
The Australian government has funded a capacity-building model known as Healthy Start: A National Strategy for Children of Parents with Intellectual Disabilities as part of its Stronger Families and Communities strategy. This paper presents this model for building systems capacity that addresses on the one hand, practitioner commitment, knowledge, and skills, and on the other, the parent education and community development resources needed to support parents with intellectual disability and promote a healthy start to life for their young children.

Source: Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities

Legal Issues for Parents With Disabilities in Child Protection Proceedings
This document contains information and resources addressing legal issues facing parents with disabilities whose children are taken into state's custody.

Source: Vermont Legal Aid

Local Support for Parents in Rhode Island With Cognitive Challenges
This PowerPoint presentation provides an overview of the challenges parents with cognitive disabilities face as well as how to support those parents. This is based on Rhode Island's model, and the presentation is by Dr. John Susa.

Source: Rhode Island Family Support 360

Outgrowing Your Parents at 8
This is a profile of a family whose parents both have developmental disabilities. This was written by Rene Denfeld and published in the New York Times Magazine on March 22, 1998.

Parents With Developmental Disabilities in New Mexico: Needs and Supports Findings From Focus Groups
This report covers the second phase of a two-part study conducted by the New Mexico Developmental Disability Planning Council and the Center for Development and Disability. The first part reports on survey findings, and the second part reports on focus group findings.

Source: Project Pueblo Connections

Parents With Developmental Disabilities in New Mexico: Needs and Supports Survey Findings
The New Mexico Developmental Disability Planning Council, working with the Center for Development and Disability, initiated a survey of agencies/organizations providing services that potentially reach parents with developmental disabilities. This document provides the survey findings. This is the first of a two-part study; the follow up study includes findings from focus groups.

Source: Project Pueblo Connections

Proceedings of the Strengthening Every Family Forum on Supporting Parents Who Have Learning Difficulties
Key individuals and agencies from the Department of Human Services and the community services sector working in parent support, intellectual disability, child protection and advocacy came together at this forum. The aim of the forum was to facilitate the development of an action plan for statewide and regional groups to more effectively address the needs of parents who have learning difficulties. Discussions focused on addressing the multiple disadvantages these parents face in keeping their families together.

Source: Office of the Public Advocate

Resources for Parents with Disabilities
This document is a collection of Web sites and training curricula recommended by Susan Yuan, Ph.D. of the Vermont Family Support 360. Suggestions include a pictorial guide to child care and a health program for families at risk.

Sample Workshop Outline: Supporting Parents with Disabilities
This outline was created by Susan Yuan, Ph.D., of the Green Mountain Family Support 360 Project in Vermont. Currently used during a workshop for caseworkers and other community partners in Vermont, it provides a sample structure for a one-day training.

Strategies and Adaptations in Working with Parents with Intellectual Disabilities
This guide provides helpful information and concrete ideas for working successfully with parents with intellectual disabilities. This resource can be purchased online.

Source: Through the Looking Glass

Supporting Adults With Physical Disabilities
This issue brief, developed by the Lewin Group for the Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC), provides background information on characteristics of individuals with physical disabilities, describes the major information and service needs of this population, and reviews the existing supports and services system, including philosophical similarities and differences in supporting younger adults with physical disabilities as compared to the older adult population.

Source: Aging and Disability Resource Centers Technical Assistance Exchange

Supporting Families When Parents Have Intellectual Disabilities
The manual offers practical suggestions and resources that should make it easier for providers to step out of traditional roles and reach out to parents with pervasive and lifelong learning challenges. It is also hoped that the use of these strategies will lead to the development of integrated service delivery.

Source: North Dakota Family Support One-Stop

Supporting Parents With Disabilities Presentation
This is a presentation by Susan Yuan for the November 1, 2005 "Responding to the Needs of Parents with Developmental Disabilities" conference call.

Source:Green Mountain Family Support 360 Implementation

Supporting Parents With Disabilities Resources
This document provides a list of resources-Web sites, print resources and assessment tools-for organizations that support parents with developmental disabilities.

Source: Green Mountain Family Support 360 Implementation

Supporting Parents With Disabilities Workshop Overview
This document provides an outline for a workshop designed for organizations to use with child protection agencies and community partners.

Source: Green Mountain Family Support 360 Implementation

Virginia Child Protection Newsletter, Winter 2000, Volume 57
This newsletter was referenced by Dr. Susan Yuan in her presentation on Supporting Parents with Developmental Disabilities and Working with the Child Protection System during the November 1, 2005 conference call, "Responding to the Needs of Parents with Developmental Disabilities." Volume 57 of the newsletter addresses solutions to working with parents with DD.

Source: James Madison University, Department of Psychology and the Virginia Department of Social Services

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People First Language and Inclusion

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The Convention is intended as a human rights instrument with an explicit, social development dimension. It adopts a broad categorization of persons with disabilities and reaffirms that all persons with all types of disabilities must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms. It clarifies and qualifies how all categories of rights apply to persons with disabilities and identifies areas where adaptations have to be made for persons with disabilities to effectively exercise their rights and areas where their rights have been violated, and where protection of rights must be reinforced. This site includes complete text from, guiding principles of, and outcomes from the Convention.

Source: United Nations Enable

Including Samuel
Before his son Samuel was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, photojournalist Dan Habib rarely thought about the inclusion of people with disabilities. Now he thinks about inclusion every day. Shot and produced over four years, Habib's award-winning documentary film, Including Samuel, honestly chronicles the Habib family's efforts to include Samuel in every facet of their lives. The film also features four other families with varied inclusion experiences, plus interviews with dozens of teachers, young people, parents and disability rights experts.

People First Guide
English
This is a one-page informational guide for families and providers to promote awareness of People First language, specifically it assists those providing services to those with disabilities to put the person first.

Source: Oklahoma's Family Support 360

People First Language by Kathie Snow
This article by Kathie Snow of Disability is Natural describes People First language and why it is important by providing explanations of inaccurate descriptors, conventional wisdom, and a new paradigm. It also includes a chart of People First Language examples. To access this article, click the link above and scroll down to the "People First Language" link.

Source: Disability is Natural

People First Language Brochure
English: Adobe PDF Microsoft Word
Spanish: Adobe PDF Microsoft Word
This brochure from the Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities provides an overview of People First Language as well as common examples of how the language is used.

People First Language Legislation: A Review
People First Language legislation is part of a national movement to promote dignity and inclusion for people with disabilities, and is in many ways a continuation and expansion of the disability rights movement initiated by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and other national legislation. This report includes information on the national movement for respectful language, as well as People First Language legislation contacts and resources by state.

Source: Arc of the District of Columbia, Inc.

People First Language: The Basics
This pamphlet, created by the Grassroots Committee of Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE), explains the concept of people first language, why it is important, and examples of hurtful versus respectful language. In addition, it provides information on what different States have accomplished or aim to accomplish with regard to respectful language in legislation.

Source: Self Advocates Becoming Empowered

Report of the Respectful Language Workgroup
As directed in a resolve passed in 2007 by the Maine Legislature, the Maine Developmental Disabilities Council formed a working group to identify words which currently appear in Maine statutes that convey negative and/or derogatory perceptions of people with disabilities, and to make recommendations for replacement terminology to be substituted when new statutory language is crafted to replace and/or add to existing laws. This report includes the findings and recommendations of the workgroup.

Source: Maine Developmental Disabilities Council

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Project Brochures and Forms

Commonwealth of Northern Marianna Islands—Family Hope Center Brochure
Source: CNMI implementation grantee, Family Hope Center

Consent Form/Consentimiento de Informacion para la Investigacion
Adobe Acrobat Format and MS Word Format
This is a Spanish language consent form.

Source: Detroit Family Support 360°

Dane County Resource Map
Wisconsin has developed a resource map of resources in the community they serve. This map is available in English and Spanish.

Source: Wisconsin One-Stop Family Support Project

Detroit 360° Project Checklist
This is a checklist that can be used by projects to ensure that families have received all of the necessary materials and have been asked all of the relevant questions.

Source: Detroit Family Support 360°

Emergency Authorization Form
This is a sample emergency authorization form for one-stop centers.

Source: South Dakota PLANS

Family Resource Center Brochure
The Family Resource Center Brochure provides an overview of Idaho's Family Resource Center. The Family Resource Center is a clearinghouse for information and referral to resources available within the community and throughout the State of Idaho.

Source: University of Idaho

Family Support 360 Brochure
This brochure is a 2006 Program Profile created by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD), the funding agency of the Family Support 360 One-Stop Centers. It includes an overview of the initiative, as well as the mission and a success story from each of the 21 grantees.

Source: ADD

Family Support 360 Center/Centro de Apoyo Familiar 360 (in English and Spanish )
This document was written to inform families and providers of the Basic services that the Oklahoma Family Support 360 Center will be providing.

Source: Oklahoma's Family Support 360

Family Support Network Information Form
This is a sample three-page intake form for Family Support one-stop centers.

Source: Family Support Network of North Carolina

Individualized Family Plan and Inclusion Definitions and Evaluation Forms in Spanish (in Adobe Acrobat Format and MS Word Format
This is an individualized family plan in Spanish.

Source: Detroit Family Support 360°

Intake and Referral Form in Spanish and Inclusion Definitions and Evaluation Forms in Spanish (in Adobe Acrobat Format and MS Word Format )
This is a sample intake and referral form in Spanish.

Source: Detroit Family Support 360°

Intake Form
This is a sample one-page intake form documenting how the one-stop center can assist families and those with developmental disabilities.

Source: Utah Family Support 360: Disability Support Center for Families

Ladder of Success (in Adobe Acrobat Format and MS Word Format)
This is a ladder of steps for successful project participation.

Source: Detroit Family Support 360°

Maryland—Baltimore Families First Brochure
Available in English or Spanish
Source:Maryland's Baltimore Families First

Massachusetts—SC@N 360° Brochure
Source: Massachusetts SC@N 360°

Memorandum of Understanding Template
Source: U.S. Department of State

Michigan—Detroit Family Support 360° Project Brochure
Available in English and Spanish. Source: Michigan Family Support 360 Grantee)

Michigan—Detroit Family Support 360° Project Overview in English
Adobe Acrobat Format and MS Power Point Format
Proyecto de Ayuda a Familias de Detroit 360°
Adobe Acrobat Format and MS Power Point Format
Evaluation of Resources
This is a PowerPoint presentation detailing the Detroit Family Support 360° project, including project goals, eligibility, and benefits to the family.

Source:Detroit Family Support 360°)

Michigan—Detroit Family Support 360° Project Poster
Adobe Acrobat Format and MS Word Format
This is a poster advertising the Detroit Family Support 360° project.

Source: Detroit Family Support 360°)

New Hampshire—Under One Roof Project Overview
This PowerPoint presentation provides an overview of the New Hampshire 'Under One Roof Project.'

Source: New Hampshire Under One Roof Project at The Family Center

New Mexico—Project Pueblo Connections Brochure
Source: New Mexico Project Pueblo Connections

North Carolina—Family Support Network of North Carolina Brochure
Available in English or Spanish
Source: Family Support Network of North Carolina

Oklahoma Individual and Family Support Principles to Practice Indicators in Spanish
Identifies actions and self-check questions for families, individuals with disabilities and service providers. These products were developed by the Oklahoma Family Support Partnership, a Project of National Significance in Family Support funded primarily by the US Administration on Developmental Disabilities with contributions from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, Developmental Disabilities Services Division, and the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

Source: Oklahoma's Family Support 360

Parent and Youth Completed Screening Tool
This is a tool for parents and youth to determine in which areas they are in need of information and services. There is a one-page parent screening tool and a one-page youth screening tool.

Request for Payment Form
This is a sample payment request form for one-stop centers.

Source: South Dakota PLANS

Request for Payment Instructions
This form is the instruction information for the 'Request for Payment Form' above. This form gives information to one-stop center employees in administering the form.

Source: South Dakota PLANS

Rhode Island—Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities Brochure
This is the FS 360 Rhode Island grantee's project brochure entitled, "Transition from School to Adult Life."

Source: Rhode Island Family Support 360

Service Plan
This is a service plan, which tracks services provided, service goals, funding source, etc. It includes a plan review to administer quarterly.

Source: South Dakota PLANS

South Dakota—PLANS Brochure
Source: South Dakota PLANS

Utah—Disability Support Center for Families Billboard
Source: Utah Disability Support Center for Families

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Public Relations/Media

10 Essential Tips to Ensure Your Press Release Makes the News
This site provides a brief list of ten important things to remember while writing a press release. There is also an option to sign up for the Press-Release-Writing.com biweekly electronic newsletter that provides free tips on how to write a press release, sample press releases and press release templates.

Source: Press-Release-Writing.com

Educating Communities and Legislators: Tips for Family Support 360 Grantees
This document was created in response to a request from the FS 360 People First and Inclusion Workgroup. It is intended to provide suggestions regarding educating communities and leaders. It is not meant to encourage legislative lobbying, which is prohibited as a use of FS 360 grant funds. Herein, education is defined as communicating data, reports, program descriptions, effects on population, and other information that does not recommend action on pending legislation, appropriations, regulations, or policy decisions.

Generic Marketing Plan
This is a checklist for developing a marketing plan.

Source: Full Circle Associates

Grantee Billboard Advertisement
The Oregon Family Support 360 grantee, Juntos Podemos (Together We Can), has acquired a billboard to promote its One-Stop Center services and contact information. This billboard was the only bilingual billboard selected to receive the donation of digital billboard promotion. This message currently runs on five digital boards in four locations. It will run approximately 1700 times every 24 hours for 30 days. This is an image of the sign.

Source: Juntos Podemos

Grantee Promotional Materials
The Maryland Family Support 360 grantee uses logo-imprinted materials, such as pens and filing briefcases, to promote its center. The grantee uses 4imprint.com for most promotional items and Richwell Industries Inc. for the briefcases.

Source: Family League of Baltimore City

How to Write a Press Release
A press release, also known as a news release, is a written statement distributed to the media. These releases can announce a range of news items, including available services and scheduled events. They can also be used in generating a feature story. Reporters are more likely to consider a story idea if they first receive a release. This site provides seven steps to creating a press release, as well as tips and warnings.

Source: wikiHow

Media Advocacy Toolkit
This toolkit was developed to aid organizations in generating media around their one-stop center or a particular event or happening in the community.

Strategic Communications Plan Generator
This document will assist grantees in developing a strategic communications plan for their one-stop center. It is a step-by-step plan that walks you through the process. This was adapted from the SPIN Project (www.spinproject.org).

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Research, Evaluation, and Statistics

A Survey of State Disability Policy, 2010
The Council of State Governments released this comprehensive survey of state policy related to disabilities in an effort to help spread awareness of these programs from across the nation. State and federal governments continue to struggle developing policies surrounding housing, employment, and independent living. This document seeks to provide policymakers with information on policies that they can pursue in their own states.

Annual Disability Statistics Compendium: 2009
This compendium is the first of what is intended to be an annual publication of statistics on people with disabilities and government programs that serve the population with disabilities. Data include statistics from federal sources and surveys on disability prevalence and population size, including break-downs by state and type of disability, employment and earnings, education, health and health care, rehabilitation, and participation in benefit programs. This report is a product of the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics and Demographics, which is funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research.

Atlas: Global Resources for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities
The World Health Organization and the Montreal PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health have developed Atlas ID. This report presents information from 147 countries, including terms and classification systems, policy and legislation, health and social care services, human resources and training, and roles of NGOs and international organizations. Also included are a complete glossary of ID terms and the used to collect data.

Source: 2nd International Conference on Intellectual Disabilities/Mental Retardation

Becoming a Person Centered System
This report from the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services is the first in a series on a system change collaboration with state developmental disability agencies. In each location the goal has been consistent, to create person centered systems that support person directed services. This report includes a brief overview of central ideas including: learning what is and is not working, using value-based skills to drive change, improve quality of life with skills, quality management, and organizational development tools.

Source: Clearinghouse for Home and Community Based Services

Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health
Provides access to survey data from the National Survey of Children’s Health and the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) and allows users to:

• Search and compare national, state or regional prevalence estimates
• Look for national, state or regional results on key indicators and MCHB outcomes
• Compare findings for CSHCN from different age, race, income, or health status groups
• Compare results for your state, the nation, or subgroups of children
• View state and regional profiles on key measures
• Explore survey content relevant to Healthy People 2010

Family Support in Children’s Mental Health: A Review and Synthesis
Comprehensive review of structured family support programs in children’s mental health that was conducted in collaboration with leadership from key national family organizations. The goals were to identify typologies of family support services for which evaluation data existed and identify research gaps. Programs were categorized by whether they were delivered by peer family members, clinicians, or teams. Five salient components of family support were identified: (a) informational, (b) instructional, (c) emotional, (d) instrumental, and (e) advocacy.

Source: SpringerLink

Highlights in Developmental Disability Spending from the State of the States Study
Provides highlights by researcher David L. Braddock, taken from his latest State of the States in Developmental Disabilities study, a book that tracks developmental disability spending in the United States.

Source: American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

National Healthcare Quality & Disparities Reports: 2009
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has produced the 2009 National Healthcare Quality Report and the 2009 National Healthcare Disparities Report. These reports measure trends in effectiveness of care, patient safety, timeliness of care, patient centeredness, and efficiency of care. The reports present, in chart form, the latest available findings on quality of and access to health care.

Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

The State of Disability in America
Evaluation of the disability experience in America by the Life Without Limits Project, formerly known as the Big Sky Project. The primer, an examination and consolidation of current and existing research on the overall state of affairs for individuals with disabilities, includes chapters on disability rights, healthcare, education, employment, housing, and organizing for change. It also includes personal stories and quotes from disability rights advocates and trail blazers.

Source: United Cerebral Palsy

U.S. Census Bureau Disability Reports and Statistics
This section of the U.S. Census Bureau Web site provides reports, briefs, research papers, microdata, and a disability data mailing list. The latest reports include:

• Americans with Disabilities: 2005
• Disability Status and the Characteristics of People in Group Quarters
• 2006 Data for 6 Broad Disability Categories (from the American Community Survey)

Disability and Health State Chartbook
First in a series to present information about the health of people with disabilities by state and territory. It has three purposes: 1) to show that a large percentage of adults have a disability, 2) to show that the health of people with disabilities is not as good as that of the people without disabilities, and 3) to highlight areas in which public health systems can include more people with disabilities in their programs.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Facts for Features: Americans with Disabilities Act
The U.S. Census Bureau released the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Facts for Features, which contains facts to be used for publications for the anniversary of the ADA. The categories include population distribution, specific disabilities, on the job, income and poverty, and education. These facts were drawn from the Americans with Disabilities: 2002 Census Bureau report.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Interactive Autism Network
The Interactive Autism Network (IAN) is an innovative online project designed to accelerate the pace of autism research by linking researchers and families. This dynamic exchange could lead to new discoveries about causes, diagnosis, treatments, and a possible cure for this puzzling group of disorders.

Keeping Track: National Disability Status and Program Performance Indicators
This report proposes a set of statistical indicators to annually measure the status of working-age people with disabilities and compare them to working-age people without disabilities in the U.S. The topical indicator set, which can be produced relatively quickly, can provide a foundation for the social indicator systems being developed, and stimulate public awareness about the status of people with disabilities and the need for improvement.

Source: National Council on Disability

Left Out in the Cold: Health Care Experiences of Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Massachusetts
The purpose of this study conducted by The Arc of Massachusetts’ Health Care Project was to assess the quality of health care services received by adults with intellectual disabilities and/or developmental disabilities in Massachusetts. This report includes project methods, findings, and researcher recommendations from the study conducted in 2008. Source: Arc of Massachusetts

Massachusetts C-PASS M&O Subcommittee Consumer Forum Series Report
Report
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Evaluation of Resources
The Massachusetts Community-Integrated Personal Assistance Services and Supports (C-PASS) Marketing & Outreach Subcommittee (M&O) created a Consumer Forum Series to gather information on barriers to self-direction and community integration from a community perspective. Aside from targeting elders, individuals with disabilities and their families, emphasis was placed on targeting traditionally underserved and un-served racial, ethnic, and linguistic minority groups and rural areas. This report is the narrative account and outcomes from nine consumer forums.

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Rural Communities

Assessing the Barriers to Community Living: Accessible Housing in a Rural State
This statewide community-based participatory action research study was conducted to identify opportunities and barriers for persons with disabilities in obtaining accessible, affordable housing in West Virginia. Using surveys and a facilitated group technique, persons with disabilities identified existing barriers and developed a set of questions for housing industry professionals. This article was published in "Housing and Society" the journal of the Housing Education and Research Association.

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Staff and Project Management

CMS Direct Service Workforce Demonstration Promising Practices in Marketing, Recruitment and Selection Interventions
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) initiated a demonstration project to improve the Direct Service Community Workforce to test the effectiveness of different workforce interventions on the retention and recruitment of Direct Service Workers (DSWs). This report identifies promising practices in direct service worker marketing, recruitment, and selection across the CMS grantees.

Source: HCBS Clearinghouse for Community Living Exchange Collaborative

National Training Institute For Frontline Supervisors and Technical Assistance Project
NTIFFS is a three year grant program designed to improve recruitment and retention across the country of Direct Support Professionals, who are competent and confident in the skills needed to provide quality supports and services to individuals with developmental and other disabilities. This site includes the Final Report from the project.

Online Learning Center
Provides online courses on a wide variety of topics designed specifically to help strengthen national service programs. The courses are available free of charge. Course topics range from financial management to disaster services, from tutor training to disability inclusion.

Source: Resource Center

Opportunity Partnership & Empowerment Network: A Case Study of an Effective Employee Retention Project
This case study report aims to bring attention to an innovative approach to improving retention of entry-level workers in health care and, more specifically, direct-care workers in the long-term care industry. The study explains how the Health Field Collaborative in Michigan created the Opportunity Partnership & Empowerment Network (OPEN) to successfully address a critical local need. It also outlines the basic components of the OPEN program, reviews the outcomes for the program’s pilot phase, and identifies critical factors for sustaining the program in the future.

Source: HCBS Clearinghouse for the Community Living Exchange Collaborative

Staff Retention and Training Tools
Problem and Assessment Guide for Workforce Challenges
Challenge and Strategy Matrix
Recognition Inventory Worksheet
Site Plan Worksheet

Workforce and Status Outcomes
This assessment, developed by the University of Minnesota's Research and Training Center on Community Living, can help agencies and programs generate and understand employee metrics related to retention, pay, services rendered, and marketing expenditures. The formulas provided can help identify strengths and challenges of the workforce structures. Source: Research and Training Center on Community Living

Stress and Time Management

MindTools.com: Stress Management Modules
MindTools.com's mission is "to help people around the world learn the simple, practical skills needed to excel in their careers." To deliver this, they strive to offer authoritative, well-researched, easily-understood information presented in a format that is highly accessible for all their visitors. They work hard to ensure that their materials are simply expressed and presented, so that they can easily be understood by people for whom English is a second language. Modules provide self-help and support to overcome stress in a range of situations.

Modules:

• Work Overload
• Problem Jobs
• Problem People
• Your Work Environment
• Building Your Defenses
• Manage Performance Stress
• Think Stress Away
• Avoiding Burnout
• Relaxation Techniques

Ten Keys to Time Management
This document, from CoachVille, describes ten ways to manage your time, starting with recognizing that you are not effectively managing your time.

Trainings and Manuals

ADA Basic Building Blocks Online Course
This is a free introductory Webcourse on the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) that explores the legal requirements and spirit of the ADA.

Source: DBTAC National Network of ADA Centers

Army Family Team Building E-Learning
Volunteer-led organization whose mission is to provide training and knowledge to military family members. Level I training is intended for families new to the military, but may also be helpful to FS 360 Navigators. Level I topics include acronyms and terms; the military chain of command; military customs and courtesies, basic benefits and entitlements, and an introduction to military and civilian community resources. Source: Army OneSource

Family Support, Self-Determination, and Disability Curriculum
This family-developed, participatory curriculum offers six modules, including a philosophy of family support; cultural competence awareness; needs assessment and supports plans; resources identification and coordination; skills for working collaboratively with families; and an evaluation of the effectiveness of family support services. The curriculum was developed as a Training Initiative Project from ADD; it has been offered extensively in Vermont, and in 20 other States and territories.

Source: Vermont Green Mountain Family Support 360

Individualized Interagency Intervention Plan (IIIP) Guidebook
Developed to provide assistance, guidance, and direction for the development of an IIIP to address the needs and concerns of children, youth, and young adults with disabilities and their families. The Guidebook includes: an IIIP framework, guidelines for the use of IIIP, samples of IIIP forms, and other valuable information.

Source: Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities

Microboard Manual
Manual that describes how to establish a Microboard in the state of Colorado. A Microboard is an agency created by family members or guardians, incorporated to do business in the State of Colorado, whose scope is solely to provide comprehensive services to one person with a developmental disability. Also available is a document that contains sample Microboard Bylaws and a document that describes sample Microboard Policies and Procedures.

Source: Colorado Family Support 360

PACER Center Webinars
Free, archived Webinars examine helpful topics such as using digital books to help struggling readers, early childhood intervention, and serving culturally diverse families. Source: PACER Center

Parent Training Modules
Six-module parent training helps families promote children’s social and emotional skills, understand problem behaviors, and use positive approaches to help children learn appropriate behaviors. There is also an accompanying family workbook, as well as a facilitator's guide for professionals providing the training.

Source: Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning

Partners in Education Self-Study Course
Designed to help parents of children with developmental disabilities navigate the special education system and help their children make the most of their potential.

Source: Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities

Partners in Living Self-Study Course
Designed to help people with developmental disabilities, their families and friends explore four important elements that, together, can help them create a meaningful life: self-determination, family support, community living and assistive technology. Source: Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities

Special Needs Planning Considerations for Service and Support Providers
The purpose of this online course is to provide representatives of the special needs service and support system with the basic information and tools to develop their own emergency plans. This course is designed for people who work with individuals with disabilities and people who are aging, and will teach how to partner with local Emergency Management and better prepare for all phases of an emergency. This course is free of charge and takes approximately 4.5 hours to complete.

Source: Emergency Management Institute

Traumatic Brain Injury Web-Based Training Site
Michigan's Department of Community Health, with funding from HRSA's Federal Traumatic Brain Injury Program (TBI) has produced and developed this new TBI Web-based training site entitled, "Traumatic Brain Injury & Public Services in Michigan." People from States other than Michigan can access the information provided. The goal of the site is to educate community agency staff about the needs and issues specific to individuals with TBI.

Working with Volunteers

Resources Coming Soon!

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Sustainability

ADRC Profiles in Sustainability
This report, based on sustainability case studies in six Aging and Disability Resource Centers across the United States, aims to better understand sustainability approaches and results. The six states in the study were chosen because they exhibited different model types and represented a range of service delivery strategies and initiatives, as well as organizational and programmatic settings.

Source: Aging and Disability Resource Center Technical Assistance Exchange

Endowment for Health 2008 Sustainability News
This newsletter from the largest health foundation in New Hampshire focuses on sustainability, including sections on strategies, models, resources, and reports. The information included is valuable for grantees nationwide.

Source: Endowment for Health

Family Support 360 Sustainability Presentation at AUCD Conference
Five Family Support 360 grantees presented at the AUCD conference in Washington, DC on November 12, 2007. This is the PowerPoint from that presentation, which focuses on three potential strategies for sustainability: assimilation, natural/informal support, and new funding.

Impact and Value: Telling Your Program's Story
The purpose of this workbook is to help public health program administrators understand what a “success story” is, why it is important to tell success stories, and how to develop success stories. This document is intended to be used by program managers/coordinators in order to provide steps they can use to systematically collect and create success stories that highlight their program achievements. Developing success stories can assist with sustainability efforts.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Is Sustainability Possible? A Review and Commentary on Empirical Studies of Program Sustainability
This review and synthesis of 19 empirical studies of the sustainability of American and Canadian health-related programs examines the extent of sustainability achieved and summarizes factors contributing to greater sustainability.

Source: Aging and Disability Resource Center Technical Assistance Exchange

Sharing Your Story: A Checklist for Families
This document, developed for the FS 360 Strategic Storytelling Workgroup and intended for use by all 360 grantees, provides a plain language checklist of things for families to think about when sharing their personal stories. (Adapted from 'Words of Advice: A Guidebook for Families Serving As Advisors' from the Institute for Family-Centered Care)

Strategic Storytelling Before & After Story Samples
This document contains three original stories written by members of the FS 360 Strategic Storytelling Workgroup. The stories were reviewed during workgroup meetings, and later rewritten to incorporate suggested revisions. This document contains the original stories, tracked changes that show what suggestions and comments were given during review, and the final versions of the stories.

Strategic Storytelling Tips
This document, created for the FS 360 Strategic Storytelling Workgroup and intended for use by all 360 grantees, provides a list of basic tips for storytelling, as well as the five major storytelling steps and specific tips for each.

Sustainability Self-Assessment Tool
Promoted as a first step in successful sustainability, this assessment from The Finance Project allows initiative leaders to benchmark sustainability progress and identify the strengths and weaknesses of initiatives.

Sustaining Grassroots Community-Based Programs: A Toolkit for Community- and Faith-Based Service Providers
ToolKit designed to help grassroot community- and faith-based organizations develop program services. It contains six separate books: Introduction, Organizational Assessment and Readiness, Effective Marketing Strategies, Financial Management, Sustainability Strategies, and Results-Oriented Evaluation

Source: SAMHSA's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information

Using a Fundraising Consultant
These frequently asked questions about using a fundraising consultant were written and answered by Ruthellen Rubin, a Certified Fund Raising Executive for the nonprofit sector. This document includes a different ways to utilize a fundraising consultant as well as consultant "dos and don'ts."

Source: DevelopNP.com

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Technology

Assistive Technology Fact Sheets
This series of fact sheets from the Family Center on Technology and Disability provide basic information on a variety of topics related to assistive technology. Current fact sheets include: Assistive Technology Glossary; Assistive Technology 101; Assistive Technology and the IEP; Assistive Technology Laws.

Source: Family Center on Technology and Disability

Assistive Technology for Infants and Toddlers
4-page brief answers some common questions parents may have about Assistive Technology. It defines Assistive Technology under the Department of Education’s Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and addresses how parents can get an AT evaluation and who pays for it.

Source: National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities

Assistive Technology Technical Assistance State Contact List
Programs are funded in 56 states and territories under the Assistive Technology Act of 1998, as amended. These programs work to improve the provision of assistive technology to individuals with disabilities of all ages through comprehensive statewide programs of technology-related assistance. Additionally, the programs support activities designed to maximize the ability to access and obtain assistive technology devices and services.

Source: Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America

Augmenting Workplace PAS Through the Use of Assistive Technology Vol. 4 - Fact Sheet
Many employees with significant disabilities know the importance of balancing Assistive Technology (AT) and Workplace Personal Assistance Services (WPAS) as employment accommodations. This fact sheet provides guidance on understanding and using AT and WPAS in the workplace, including scenarios on how to request both as employment accommodations.

Source: Virginia Commonwealth University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Workplace Supports and Job Retention

Compendium of Home Modification and Assistive Technology Policy and Practice Across the States
The purpose of this compendium is to establish baseline knowledge of the scope of assistive technology and home modification services that states make available to Medicaid-eligible adults. This study provides federal and state policymakers with basic information to inform planning and policy development. It also provides other stakeholders, including consumers, with valuable information about Medicaid State Plan and HCBS waiver. State Profiles are available as a supplement to the report.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Developing Web Sites for Users Who Are Older and/or Have a Disability
This issue brief, developed by the Lewin Group for the Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC), shares specific ideas and strategies for making Web sites informative and useful for people with disabilities and/or those who are older.

Source: Aging and Disability Resource Centers Technical Assistance Exchange

Family Friendly Information and Web Sites Online Resource List
Provides a list of online resources for those wishing to develop family friendly Web sites.

Source: Ohio Legal Rights Service

How to Evaluate and Select Assistive Technology Devices
Fact sheet and checklist developed to help individuals and their families make informed decisions on evaluating assistive technology devices.

Source: Arc

The Library of Congress National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
Through a national network of cooperating libraries, the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) administers a free library program of braille and audio materials circulated to eligible persons who are unable to use standard printed material because of visual or physical disabilities in the United States by postage-free mail.

Oklahoma's Eligibility Wizard
Collaborative effort of several agencies in Oklahoma including the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, Oklahoma Healthcare Authority, and several others.

Source: Oklahoma Family Support 360 Center

Online Meeting Technology and Vendors
This document explains the various online meeting technologies such as Webcasts, Webinars, and conference calls with associated Web support. This document also contains tips on how to choose a vendor for these activities.

Online Screening and Applications
This issue brief, developed by the Lewin Group for the Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC), highlights some of the key considerations in states moving toward online applications.

Source: Aging and Disability Resource Centers Technical Assistance Exchange

Overview of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0
This document contains 14 guidelines for those developing family friendly Web sites. Each guideline contains between one and ten checkpoints in order to conform to the guideline. Cross-references are provided in order to provide further clarity to the meaning of each checkpoint and to offer techniques to achieve each checkpoint.

Source: Ohio Legal Rights Service

Microsoft Accessibility
This Microsoft website provides information about accessibility settings and assistive technology for products, guides to accessibility by type of impairment, tutorials for accessibility in Microsoft products, case studies and articles, and many other related resources.

Microsoft - DAISY Consortium Collaboration
Microsoft and Daisy will make Word speak
Microsoft has teamed up with Daisy, creator of digital talking books, to create a talking version of Word 2003 and 2007. These programs are designed to assist people with disabilities better use the popular word processing applications. Both articles explain the collaboration.

Source: Daisy Consortium and ZDNet

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act — Summary of Web Site Requirements
This document helps to clarify Section 1194.22 of subpart B of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which addresses Web-based Intranet and Internet information and applications, focusing on the scope and coverage of the standards.

Source: Ohio Legal Rights Service

Universal Application System Pamphlet
Provides an overview of the Universal Application System Web-based application process designed for Utah families who have young children with special needs. This system allows families to complete applications online for a variety of Utah programs and community resources.

Source: Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State University

Wisconsin's Functional Screen
Web-based application used to collect information about an individual's functional status, health, and need for assistance for various programs that serve people with developmental or physical disabilities. The screen is used to determine functional eligibility for certain mental health services, adult long-term care programs, and children's long-term support programs.

Source: Wisconsin Family Support 360 Project

Working Together: People with Disabilities and Computer Technology
People with disabilities face a variety of barriers to computer use. These barriers can be grouped into three functional categories: barriers to providing computer input, interpreting output, and reading supporting documentation. Hardware and software tools (known as adaptive or assistive technologies) have been developed to provide functional alternatives to these standard operations. This article describes specific technology products and approaches to using them.

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Transition

Family Information Guide to Assistive Technology and Transition
This guide includes an introduction to transition planning and assistive technology (AT), tips for making a successful transition with AT, a description of laws governing accommodations and transition, a glossary of AT and transition terms, and additional AT and transition resources.

Source: Family Center on Disability and Technology

Life After High School Transition Tool Kit
This tool kit is designed to help families and youth learn about the transition planning process for youth who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). It provides an overview of the laws relating to transition as well as best practices. The information in this tool kit will help families and youth better collaborate with schools to create purposeful and meaningful transition plans and IEPs.

Source: Parent Information Center on Special Education

Transition Planning: Setting Lifelong Goals
This is an article for parents of high school students provides information on transition and links to related resources. It also offers a 2004 IDEA checklist and transition planning checklist to help children make successful transitions from school to employment or further education.

Source: Wrightslaw

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Transportation

Accessible Transportation in Rural Areas
This fact sheet examines accessible transportation strategies for rural areas including: coordinated systems, volunteer networks, vouchers, and flex routes. The resources includes contact information for organizations currently working on rural transportation issues.

Source: Easter Seals Project ACTION

ADA Information Line
The U.S. Department of Justice provides information about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) through a toll-free ADA Information Line. This service permits businesses, State and local governments, or others to call and ask questions about general or specific ADA requirements including questions about the ADA Standards for Accessible Design. ADA specialists are available Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM until 5:30 PM (Eastern Time) except on Thursday when the hours are 12:30 PM until 5:30 PM. Spanish language service is also available. For general ADA information, answers to specific technical questions, free ADA materials, or information about filing a complaint, call: (800)514-0301 (voice) or (800)514-0383 (TTY).

ADA Paratransit Eligibility: How to Make Your Case
The purpose of this handout is to assist people with disabilities to obtain an accurate and fair Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) paratransit eligibility determination. Many people with disabilities who should be eligible for paratransit services according to the ADA are denied eligibility because transit agencies are not accurately assessing their capacities. People with disabilities can affect this process, in many cases, by carefully documenting their disabling conditions, ensuring all their disability-related impairments are assessed, and taking other steps described in this document.

Source: Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund

Americans with Disabilities Act and Transportation
This document, drafted by the ADA & IT Technical Assistance Centers, is part of a series devoted to increasing the understanding and awareness of the transportation provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It includes definitions, transportation systems covered and not covered by the ADA, ADA requirements, and contact information.

Building an Individual Transportation Plan
This document describes the role of transportation in education, employment, health and human services; policies that impact local transportation in a community; and individual and family concerns. Also included are two templates, the first contains a series of discussion questions for people to consider when developing an individual transportation plan, and the second is an Individual Transportation Plan Template.

Source: United We Ride

Extra (Easter Seals Project ACTION's Monthly Electronic Newsletter)
Easter Seals Project ACTION is constantly offering something new -- products, services, training opportunities, facts and reports -- to help all who are working toward the mission of creating and improving accessible transportation for people with disabilities. As a subscriber, you will learn about new publications from Project ACTION, learn about grants and funding opportunities, and hear about upcoming trainings, conferences and other technical assistance offerings.

Source: Easter Seals Project ACTION

Coordinated Transportation Fact Sheet
This document, from United We Ride Puget Sound, gives a basic overview of coordinated transportation.

Source: United We Ride

FTA Toll-Free Assistance Line If you have any questions or concerns regarding public transportation for persons with disabilities, please contact the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Office of Civil Rights on their toll-free Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Assistance Line at 1-888-446-4511 or by e-mail at FTA.ADAAssistance@dot.gov. Please leave a message, and your questions or concerns will be addressed by a member of the FTA ADA Team. If you require specific technical assistance, your call will be directed to the appropriate FTA program office.

Mobility Management
This document, from United We Ride Puget Sound, offers several approaches that community leaders can implement to help communities provide more mobility, more efficiently. It also describes several transportation programs that have been implemented in the Puget Sound area, including estimated costs and contact information.

Source: United We Ride

New Freedom Program Update
Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released detailed briefing slides from a presentation on the New Freedom Program. The GAO examined the extent to which the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has implemented the program and how FTA monitors program performance. The New Freedom Program is designed to support new public transportation services and alternatives beyond those required by the ADA. This document reviews the progress, developing policies and procedures of the New Freedom Project.

One Vision. One Call.
This page provides information on the United We Ride One Vision. One Call. Program. The goal of the program is to make life easier for riders by helping those who schedule rides to build a more streamlined, unified transportation system.

Source: United We Ride

Safe Accountable Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users
The Safe Accountable Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) includes three human service transportation programs administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) - Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities; Job Access and Reverse Commute; and New Freedom. These three federal programs provide formula funding for States and communities and are targeted to enhance transportation services for specific populations that depend on alternative transportation options for their day-to-day mobility. FTA has also published a Federal Register Notice outlining the responses to comments submitted regarding an earlier proposed notice.

State-by-State Guide to Transportation Assistance
MS Word Adobe PDF
Evaluation of Resources
Access to transportation impacts individuals' quality of life, and without it, the ability to live independently is jeopardized. More than 6,000 transit systems nationwide provide some form of service to older riders, from reduced fares to expanded use of low-floor vehicles to personalized training sessions to help older riders navigate their communities. Transportation assistance is not always well advertised or organized into comprehensive directories. AARP Bulletin has compiled a state-by-state list of local transportation options to help individuals quickly access transportation in their communities.

Source: AARP Bulletin today

Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations: Some Coordination Efforts Among Programs Providing Transportation Services, but Obstacles Persist
Various federal programs are authorized to provide transportation services to transportation-disadvantages populations. This report identifies the federal programs that fund such transportation services and the amount spent on them, assesses the extent of coordination among the various programs, and identifies any obstacles to coordination and potential ways to overcome such obstacles.

Source: U.S. General Accounting Office

Transportation: Distance Learning
Easter Seals Project ACTION offers free transportation-related technical assistance through a series of distance learning events. These events are accessed from home or office, and they feature guest speakers who are experts in the topics to be discussed. Participants are asked to register and send any questions for the speakers in advance. Following registration, you will receive a confirmation email with a toll-free telephone number and other information needed to join the event.

Source: Easter Seals Project ACTION

Transportation Information Station
The Information Station connects you with important community transportation news, resources and ideas. It is intended to help transit professionals seeking specialized information, human services agencies searching for transportation options, or anyone just beginning to explore mobility issues in the community. The Information Station provides categorical guides, a glossary of terms, online publications, links to related websites and a powerful search engine.

Source: Community Transportation Association of America

United We Ride Fact Sheets and Guides
Four Resources: United We Ride Fact Sheet; Mobility Management Fact Sheet; Family of Transportation Services Information Sheet; Transportation Services Coordination Plan Guide

Source: United We Ride

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Victimization and Maltreatment

A Call to Action: Ending Crimes of Violence Against Children and Adults with Disabilities
A Report to the Nation
Adobe PDF | HTML Text
Evaluation of Resources
This report introduces the reader to the topic of violence and disability, its definitions, and the reasons for the increased interest in the problem. Additionally, it reviews the major questions about the problem of violence and disability, and addresses the question: Who is responsible for ending crimes of violence against children and adults with disabilities?

Source: Upstate Medical Center's Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Maltreatment of Vulnerable Adults and Children: College of Direct Support Course
This course helps the learner understand what abuse, neglect, and exploitation are; how to identify suspected cases of abuse, neglect or exploitation; how to protect the person who may have been harmed from further exploitation; and how to effectively document these situations. This course teaches learners about specific reasons people with disabilities may be more vulnerable to abuse, neglect, or exploitation and what strategies they can use to reduce peoples' vulnerabilities. The College of Direct Support is priced according to the number of individuals served by the purchasing entity plus an annual administrative charge.

Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect
All States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands have statutes identifying persons who are required to report child maltreatment under specific circumstances. Use the State Statutes Search to learn more about the requirements in a specific State or Territory. Note that statutes are amended frequently.

Source: Child Welfare Information Gateway

Victimization of Persons with Traumatic Brain Injury or Other Disabilities: A Fact Sheet for Professionals
This fact sheet was developed for professionals and provides an overview of the topic of victimization of persons with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or other disabilities.

Source: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control