Resource Links

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Accessibility and Civil Rights

ADA.gov
Maintained by the U.S. Department of Justice, this site provides a variety of publications and information related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including: requirements,  design standards, status reports, regulations, technical assistance materials, and ADA settlements and consent agreements.

Archive ADA
This site from Georgetown Law serves as an online archive of documents and history related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008. Here you can find the text of the law, legislative history, congressional hearings, Supreme Court cases, Federal regulations, policy and advocacy documents and additional information related to the passage of the original ADA and the ADAAA.

Disability Law Lowdown Podcast
Set of podcasts that provide up-to-date information on the Americans with Disabilities Act and related disability laws. Transcripts and downloadable mp3’s are available. The podcasts are available in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language (video podcast).

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ADD Partners

Administration on Developmental Disabilities Partners

Association of University Centers on Disabilities
A network of interdisciplinary centers advancing policy and practice for and with individuals with developmental and other disabilities, their families, and communities.

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Aging and Disability

Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC), Technical Assistance Exchange
The ADRC grant program is intended to stimulate the development of State systems that integrate information, referral, and benefits and options counseling services.  The program also facilitates access to publicly and privately financed long-term care services and benefits.  The ADRC Technical Assistance Exchange provides a forum for State-to-State information exchange on policy and program infrastructure development, as well as direct technical assistance to and between the States.

Aging and Disability Resource Centers, Technical Assistance Exchange Grantees By State
There are ADRCs throughout the United States. The below link provides links to the full grantee profile as well as documents provided by those states. The grantee profiles give a brief overview of the ADRC project background, program design, and evaluation design.

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Asset Based Community Development

ABCD Organizing
Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) training provided to organizations so that they can engage their local communities as partners for collective action. The Web site provides information about ABCD and community organizing, including workshop handouts.

Coady International Institute
Works with innovative people and organizations to create effective and practical solutions to reduce global poverty and injustice. Coady accomplishes this through leadership education, action partnerships, and initiatives to help young Canadians become active global citizens. This site includes several resources, including success stories, presentations, and training manuals.

Circle Practice
What transforms a meeting into a circle is the willingness of people to shift from informal socializing or opinionated discussion into a receptive attitude of thoughtful speaking and deep listening and to embody and practice the structures outlined in this description.

Grassroots Grantmakers
A membership organization formed by funders for funders. Its purpose is to connect and support funders who are engaged in grassroots grantmaking - work that is designed to strengthen resident-controlled associations, and help people that come together because of a shared interest in improving their community to be a stronger voice for change.

The World Café
 As a conversational process, the World Café is an innovative yet simple methodology for hosting conversations about questions that matter. These conversations link and build on each other as people move between groups, cross-pollinate ideas, and discover new insights into the questions or issues that are most important in their life, work, or community.

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Assistive Technology

AbleData
Provides objective information on assistive technology and rehabilitation equipment available from domestic and international sources to consumers, organizations, professionals, and caregivers within the United States. AbleData's most significant resource is the AbleData database of assistive technology, which contains information on more than 36,000 assistive products.

Family Center on Technology and Disability (FCTD)
FCTD is a resource designed to support organizations and programs that work with families of children and youth with disabilities. FCTD offers a range of information and services on the subject of assistive technologies, including a monthly newsletter, online conferences, and assistive technology resources in English and Spanish.

National Center on Accessible Information Technology in Education
The AccessIT Web site is a resource for educational entities and their constituents regarding accessible information technology. The website includes accessibility checklists, best practices, frequently asked questions, links to resources, and case studies, tailored to applications of information technology in education. It also features a searchable knowledge base of questions and answers, case studies, and promising practices.

Technology for Independence: Community-Based Resource Center
The purpose of the Center is to facilitate the development of real-world, scientifically rigorous knowledge and research on assistive technology and environmental access for persons with disabilities in partnership with disability researchers, disability advocates, community-based organizations, and other disability community members.

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Caregiving

Family Caregiving 101
The National Family Caregivers Association and the National Alliance for Caregiving have joined together to recognize, support and advise family caregivers via this Web site. The site is designed to provide caregivers with the basic tools, skills and information they need to protect their own physical and mental health while they provide high quality care for their loved one.

National Family Caregivers Association
NFCA educates, supports, empowers and speaks up for individuals who care for loved ones with a chronic illness or disability or those who are aging. NFCA strives to help transform family caregivers' lives by removing barriers to health and well being.

Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving
The Rosalynn Carter Institute (RCI) establishes local, state and national partnerships committed to building quality long-term, home and community- based services. They assert that a broad and coordinated response includes attention to workforce development, community planning, caregiver education and support, development and dissemination of evidence-based programs to support caregivers, financing, regulatory issues and more effective use of technology. Valuable resources provided by the Institute include its Evidence-Based Caregiver Intervention Resource Center.

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Child and Adolescent

Data Resource Center for Child & 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

Early Head Start National Resource Center in Spanish
EHS NRC is a storehouse of early childhood expertise that promotes the building of new knowledge and the sharing of information. EHS NRC has translated their Web site into Spanish, offering a wealth of information and resources to the Spanish-speaking community.

Educational Policy Reform Research Institute
Federally funded program that is increasing knowledge and understanding about how students with disabilities can be fully included in educational accountability measures.

Families and Advocates Partnership for Education
Aims to improve the educational outcomes for children with disabilities by linking families, advocates, and self-advocates to information about the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). 

Loving Your Disabled Child
Community parent and family resource center designed to provide parents and families of children with disabilities emotional, educational, and spiritual support.

National Dissemination Center for Children With Disabilities
Serves 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); and research-based information on effective educational practices.

Centro Nacional de Diseminación de Información para Niños con Discapacidades

Nurturing Parenting Programs
Discusses approaches to the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect through the development of non-violent parenting beliefs and practices through empathy, self-worth, empowerment, self-awareness, and discipline with dignity. Resources include the Nurturing Program for Parents and Their Children with Health Challenges.

PACER Center
PACER Center is a parent training and information center for families of children and youth with all disabilities from birth through 21 years old. Their mission is to expand opportunities and enhance the quality of life of children and young adults with disabilities and their families, based on the concept of parents helping parents. Parents can find publications, workshops, and other resources to help make decisions about education, vocational training, employment, and other services for their children with disabilities.

Special Child
Special Child is an online publication dedicated to parents of children with special needs.

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Cultural Disability Organizations

American Indian Disability Technical Assistance Center (AIDTAC)
AIDTAC strives to support American Indians and Alaska Natives in their efforts to improve employment opportunities and vocational rehabilitation outcomes wherever they live in the United States.

Migrant Head Start Disabilities Services Quality Improvement Center
Committed to providing Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs with current and useful information and resources to persons with disabilities.

Migrant Head Start Disabilities Services Quality Improvement Center Resource Links
Provides a variety of links relevant for FS 360 one-stop centers. Links include:

• Autism/Asperger Syndrome
• ADD/ADHD
• Behavior and Behavior Management
• Cerebral Palsy
• Classroom Resources and Curriculum Planning
• Coping Connections: stress, trauma, violence, abuse
• Cultural/Linguistic Bilingual and Language
• Deafness (incl. Deaf-Blindness)
• Disabilities-Dispute and Conflict Resolution, Mediation
• Disabilities-Parents
• Down Syndrome
• Emotional/Behavior Disturbance/Impairment
• Disabilities Sites in Spanish
• Screening and Assessment Tools
• Toys and Educational Materials

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Disability-Specific Resources

Autism Hangout
Online community designed to bring timely, relevant information to family, care-takers, educators, medical professionals and others dealing daily with autism. Autism Hangout also offers job and training information and social networking opportunities.

Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA)
BIAA provides information, education and support to assist individuals currently living with traumatic brain injury and their families.

Interactive Autism Network (IAN)
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.

Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA)
LDA serves individuals with learning disabilities, their families and the professionals who work with them.

National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD)
NCLD provides information to parents, professionals and individuals with learning disabilities, promotes research and programs to foster effective learning and advocates for policies to protect and strengthen educational rights and opportunities.

National Down Syndrome Congress
Provides information, advocacy, and support concerning all aspects of life for individuals with Down syndrome.

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Education

HEATH Resource Center
The HEATH Resource Center of The George Washington University, Graduate School of Education and Human Development, is an online clearinghouse on postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities. HEATH resource papers, fact sheets, guides, modules and directories focus on topics such as accessibility, career development, classroom adaptations, financial aid, independent living, transition, training and postsecondary education, career-technical education, and rehabilitation.

Individualized Education Program (IEP) Resources
Provided by the U.S. Department of Education, this page contains a variety of resources related to IEPs, including topic briefs, training materials, presentations, and a video.

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Employment

The Campaign for Disability Employment

Collaborative effort between several disability and business organizations that seek to promote positive employment outcomes for people with disabilities by encouraging employers and others to recognize the value and talent they bring to the workplace, as well as the dividend to be realized by fully including people with disabilities at work.

Employer Assistance Referral Network
Free, nationwide service that connects employers with job placement professionals who can identify qualified candidates with disabilities for their job openings in the company's geographic area.

GettingHired.com
Aims to create sustainable employment growth and opportunity for people with disabilities. The site serves job seekers with disabilities, committed employers, advocacy organizations, and service providers. Services include social networking opportunities and employee-employer match technology.

Healthy and Ready to Work
Promotes a comprehensive system of family-centered, culturally competent, community-based care for children with special health care needs who are approaching adulthood and may need assistance in making the transition from pediatric to adult health care and to postsecondary education and/or employment.

Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
A service of the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the U.S. Department of Labor. JAN's mission is to facilitate the employment and retention of workers with disabilities by providing employers, employment providers, people with disabilities, their family members and other interested parties with information on job accommodations, self-employment and small business opportunities and related subjects.

National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth)
Assists state and local workforce development systems to better serve all youth. NCWD/Youth is composed of partners with expertise in education, youth development, disability, employment, workforce development and family issues. NCWD/Youth offers a range of technical assistance services to state and local workforce investment boards, youth councils and other workforce development system youth programs.

Recruiting and Hiring Practices
This page on the Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy Web Site provides links to information on how to find qualified applicants with disabilities and comply with laws protecting people with disabilities in the workplace.

TeleworkTools.org
Introductory gateway into the world of Telework for interested jobseekers, service providers, and employers in the United States. TeleworkTools.org provides informational tools, tips, and resources specifically for individuals with disabilities. TeleworkTools.org was developed by The WorkPlace, Inc., funded by a cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy.

Workforce Recruitment Program
For college students with disabilities, a free, nationwide database of pre-screened, qualified postsecondary students and recent college graduates with disabilities who are available for permanent and temporary positions. Employers can search the database by state or job category and obtain specific information on candidates' qualifications.

Workplace Supports and Job Retention
The purpose of the Virginia Commonwealth University RRTC on Workplace Supports and Job Retention is to study those supports that are most effective for assisting individuals with disabilities maintain employment and advance their careers. The primary stakeholders for this project are persons with disabilities, with an emphasis on those individuals from traditionally underrepresented populations with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. The resources on this Web site are materials and information that facilitate employment and job retention for individuals with disabilities, including new knowledge gained from the Center's research activities.

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Emergency and Disaster Preparedness

ADD Disaster Preparedness Resources
Provides practical information on how people with and without disabilities can prepare for an emergency. It also provides information for family members of, and service providers to, people with disabilities. In addition, this site includes information for emergency planners and first responders to help them to better prepare for serving persons with disabilities.

Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities
Established to ensure that the federal government appropriately supports safety and security for individuals with disabilities in disaster situations.

SAMHSA Disaster Recovery Resources
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse provides a variety of resources, including links to a variety of presentations on a range of disaster behavioral health topics.

Working Conference on Emergency Management and Individuals with Disabilities and the Elderly
During June 2006, state delegates assembled in Washington, D.C. for the Working Conference on Emergency Management and Individuals with Disabilities and the Elderly. This site provides a complete description of that event, including reports, transcripts, presentations, and other relevant materials.

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Family Support

One-Stop Virtual Center, Developed by the Office of Community Services, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Hawaii
This center brings together names and resources of different organizations within the community for families.  Available at this site are two of the most commonly used U.S. Department of Health and Human Services forms: financial benefits and Medicaid/Medicare.

Parent to Parent-USA (P2P-USA)
National nonprofit organization committed to assuring access and quality in parent to parent support across the country. This site highlights statewide organizations that have parent to parent support as a core program and are committed to implementing evidence-based practices. Parent to Parent programs provide support to families of children who have special needs most notably by matching parents seeking support with a trained "Support Parent." The Technical Assistance section of the Web site provides resources on recruiting and training support parents, developing and supporting parent matches, building partnerships, and a variety of other topics.

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Foreign Language

Centro Nacional de Diseminación de Información para Niños con Discapacidades
National Dissemination Center for Children With Disabilities serves 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); and research-based information on effective educational practices.

Guía Informativa Familiar sobre la Tecnología Assistencial
El Centro Familiar produce y distribuye una variedad de recursos informativos en el tema de la tecnología asistencial. La Meta Del Centro es fortalecer la habilidad de organizaciones a través de toda la nación para que provean a las familias de niños con discapacidades información reciente, precisa y materiales útiles.

National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center
Centro Nacional de Asistencia Técnica para la Niñez Tempranab>
El Centro Nacional de Asistencia Técnica para la Niñez Temprana (in inglés, National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center) apoya la implementación de las provisiones de la niñez temprana del Acta para la Educación de Individuos con Discapacidades (IDEA, "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act"). Nuestra misión es de fortalecer los sistemas de servicio para asegurar que los niños con discapacidades (desde el nacimiento hasta los cinco años de edad) y sus familias reciban y se beneficien de apoyos y servicios que son de alta calidad, apropiados culturalmente y centrados en la familia.

Social Security Administration/Seguro Social en Español
This link will take you to the Spanish-language version of the Social Security Administration's Web Site. Information on benefits eligibility and programs is available in Spanish.

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General Disability

American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)
The largest national nonprofit cross-disability member organization in the United States, dedicated to ensuring economic self-sufficiency and political empowerment for Americans with disabilities. AAPD works in coalition with other disability organizations for the full implementation and enforcement of disability nondiscrimination laws. The American Indian Disability Technical Assistance Center (AIDTAC) strives to support American Indians and Alaska Natives in their efforts to improve employment opportunities and vocational rehabilitation outcomes.

Beach Center on Disability
Together with families and individuals affected by disability, the Beach Center on Disability strives to make a significant and sustainable difference in the quality of life of families and individuals.

Center for Personal Assistance Services
Provides research, training, dissemination and technical assistance on issues of personal assistance services (PAS) in the United States. This site offers a variety of resources, including information around home and community-based PAS, workers and caregivers, economics and workplace PAS, and emergency preparedness.

Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities
Coalition of approximately 100 national disability organizations working together to advocate for national public policy that ensures the self determination, independence, empowerment, integration, and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society.

Council on Quality and Leadership
Works with public and private organizations with a commitment to improving the quality of services and supports to people with disabilities and people with mental illness. It develops and implements person-directed quality measures, performance indicators, and evaluation methods; provides training, consultation and education to build individual and organizational capacity; conducts research and disseminates information to enhance policy making; and provides access to information and emerging ideas in quality of life.

DIRLINE (Directory of Information Resources Online)
The National Library of Medicine's online database containing location and descriptive information about a wide variety of information resources including organizations, research resources, projects, and databases concerned with health and biomedicine. These information resources fall into many categories including federal, state, and local government agencies; information and referral centers; and academic and research institutions and their programs. Topics include a variety of diseases and conditions including genetic and other rare diseases, health services research, and technology assessment.

DisabilityVoiceSpace
Dedicated to educating the public about people with disabilities and encouraging advocacy. The site provides a variety of free resources and articles on various topics, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, technology, and independent living.

Family Village
A global community that integrates information, resources, and communication opportunities on the Internet for persons with cognitive and other disabilities, for their families, and for those that provide them services and support.

Inclusion Research Institute (IRI)
The primary mission of IRI is to research, develop, and disseminate innovations that enable persons of all ages, including individuals with disabilities or other disadvantages, to be independent, productive and included in schools, communities, and places of employment.

Medline Plus Developmental Disabilities Section, National Institutes of Health and the National Library of Medicine
Contains a variety of resources and publications on developmental disabilities—from clinical trials and screenings to law and policy.

National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD)
NACDD places high value on meaningful participation and contribution by Council members and staff of all Member Councils, and we advocate and continually work towards positive system change on behalf of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services
Their goal is to promote and assist state agencies in developing effective, efficient service delivery systems that furnish high-quality supports to people with developmental disabilities.

National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Promotes the health of babies, children, and adults, and enhances the potential for full, productive living.

National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information
Developed by HHS to provide information and resources to help families plan for future long-term care needs. The clearinghouse is primarily intended as an information and planning resource for individuals who don't yet require long-term care. It includes information on services and financing options that can be helpful to all individuals.

National Disability Rights Network (NDRN)
Nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities. Collectively, the P&A/CAP network is the largest provider of legally based advocacy services to people with disabilities in the United States.

National Organization on Disability
The mission of NOD is to expand the participation and contribution of America's 54 million men, women and children with disabilities in all aspects of life.

Partners in Policymaking
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.

Quality Mall
Offers free information on person-centered supports for people with developmental disabilities. Each of the Quality Mall "stores" has departments you can look through to learn about positive practices that help people with developmental disabilities live, work, and participate in their communities and improve the quality of their supports.

Screen Door
Vermont's Agency of Human Services' Screening Tool. It was designed to help Vermonters find out about the services that might be available to help them.

The Arc
Works to include all children and adults with cognitive, intellectual, and developmental disabilities in every community.  The Arc provides a State-by-State guide to benefits, supports, and services for families raising children with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities.

Through the Looking Glass
Nationally recognized center that has pioneered research, training, and services for families in which a child, parent, or grandparent has a disability or medical issue. TLG's mission is to create, demonstrate and encourage nonpathological and empowering resources and model early intervention services for families with disability issues in a parent or child.

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Government Agency

Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD)
ADD is the U.S. Government organization responsible for implementation of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, known as the DD Act.

Disability.gov
Formerly disabilityinfo.gov, this site is the federal government's one-stop Web site for people with disabilities, their families, employers, and many others. Disability.gov connects the disability community to information and opportunities. The site includes new social media tools that enable users to easily share, organize and receive important disability-related information, as well as suggest new resources to add to Disability.gov.

Medline Plus Developmental Disabilities Section, National Institutes of Health and the National Library of Medicine
Contains a variety of resources and publications on developmental disabilities—from clinical trials and screenings to law and policy.

National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Promotes the health of babies, children, and adults, and enhances the potential for full, productive living.

National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information
Developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide information and resources to help families plan for future long-term care needs. The clearinghouse is primarily intended as an information and planning resource for individuals who don't yet require long-term care. It includes information on services and financing options that can be helpful to all individuals.

Office of Family Assistance
Located in the HHS, Administration for Children and Families and oversees the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program. TANF provides assistance and work opportunities to needy families by granting states the federal funds and wide flexibility to develop and implement their own welfare programs.

Office on Disability
The HHS Office on Disability oversees the implementation and coordination of programs and policies that enhance the health and well-being of people with disabilities across all ages, races, and ethnicities. The Director of the Office advises the Secretary on disability policy issues.

State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
SCHIP is jointly financed by the Federal and State governments and administered by the States. Within broad Federal guidelines, each State determines the design of its program, eligibility groups, benefit packages, payment levels for coverage, and administrative and operating procedures. SCHIP provides a capped amount of funds to States on a matching basis.

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Health and Physical Activity

Center on Health Promotion Research for Persons with Disabilities
Established in 1997 with the primary aim to identify people with disabilities who are at risk for developing numerous health complications and provide them with the knowledge and skills necessary for promoting their own independence, equal opportunity, quality of life, and longevity. The center believes that investing resources in empowering people with disabilities to improve and manage their own health through appropriate exercise, nutrition and health behavior (i.e., effective stress management) can have an enormous impact in improving quality of life and reducing health care costs.

HealthCare.gov
Designed to help individuals and families take control of their health care by putting the power of information at their fingertips. It is the first site to collect both public and private health insurance options across the nation in a single place. Other highlights of the site include extensive information about consumer rights, navigating the health insurance marketplace, and the Affordable Care Act.

National Center for Boundless Playgrounds
The first national nonprofit dedicated to helping communities create extraordinary barrier-free playgrounds where children, with and without disabilities, can develop essential skills for life as they learn together through play. These playgrounds allow every child to reach the highest play deck, have universally accessible pathways and surfacing, and include equipment like bouncers with back support and elevated sand tables.

National Center on Physical Activity and Disability
Operated by the University of Illinois at Chicago, and its main purpose is to promote physical activity in all people, mostly people with disabilities. Physical activity can be sports, working out, exercising, or any combination thereof.

National Health Law Center
Provides general information, resource recommendations and publications related to health care for at risk populations, including working and unemployed low-income individuals, minorities, people who are aging, and people with disabilities.

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Housing

National Housing Law Project
Provides information on public policy advocacy, legal and technical assistance, training, and publications related to housing rights for low-income individuals and families. Resources are intended for use by housing attorneys and nonprofit organizations.

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Immigration

National Immigration Law Center
Dedicated to defending and advancing the rights of low-income immigrants and their family members. This site provides resources such as a community education page, helpful charts, and details about what States are doing for immigrants.

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Independent Living Skills

American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC)
Non-profit organization, offering confidential credit counseling and financial education to consumers nationwide.

Casey Life Skills
This site provides free and easy to use tools to help young people prepare for adulthood. The life skills assessments provide instant feedback. Customized learning plans provide a clear outline of next steps, and the accompanying teaching resources are available for free or at a minimal cost.

Customized Employment Information
The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor, is committed to improving employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. To achieve this goal, ODEP established a Customized Employment initiative to build the capacity of workforce systems to serve all customers, including individuals with disabilities.

Developing Your Life Skills
This site provides a variety of resources on life skills, including family problem solving, skilled negotiating, and communicating.

FDIC Money Smart
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Money Smart training program aims to help adults enhance their money skills and create positive banking relationships. The Money Smart curriculum helps individuals build financial knowledge, develop financial confidence, and use banking services effectively. This is an online interactive self-paced learning program.

Independent Living Center Directory
This site, maintained by the MetroWest Center for Independent Living, Inc. in Massachusetts, provides contact information for a variety of Independent Living Centers in each state.

Time Line Generator
This free online time line generator can be used to aid the goal setting process. Some may find it easier to create and work towards goals when they are represented visually.

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Medicaid, Medicare, SCHIP, and SSI

Ask Medicare
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the Ask Medicare initiative to help family caregivers access and use valuable health care information, services and resources. The site provides links to key partner organizations that assist caregivers and beneficiaries, and presents personal stories from caregivers in the community. Support information and tools to help caregivers address common problems are also available. As part of the initiative, CMS created an electronic newsletter for caregivers that will deliver information directly to subscribers.

Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool (BEST)
BEST is a tool that you can use to find out if you could be eligible for benefits from any of the programs Social Security administers. This tool will give you eligibility information based on answers you give to the questions on the following pages; however, BEST is not an application for benefits and:

• will not give you an estimate of benefit amounts.
• does not know, or ask for, your name or Social Security number.
• does not access your personal Social Security records.

Medicaid and SCHIP
This category, from the Kaiser Foundation, provides information about the states health coverage programs for the low-income, including Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Includes topics such as enrollment, eligibility requirements, managed care participation, spending and federal matching amounts, and enrollment practices.

Medicaid Reference Desk
Contains information about Medicaid for people with cognitive disabilities, including a Medicaid overview, eligibility information, and state-specific Medicaid summaries and contact information. The Medicaid Reference Desk Website is funded through a Project of National Significance grant from The Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD) to The Arc of the United States, and is sponsored by TheArcLink Incorporated.

State Children's Health Insurance Program
This Web site gives program details on the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

State Income Eligibility Levels for SCHIP
Income Eligibility Levels for Children's Separate SCHIP Programs by Annual Incomes and as a Percent of Federal Poverty Level, 2006.

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Mental Health

Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
A national legal advocate for people with mental disabilities. Through precedent-setting litigation and in the public policy arena, the Bazelon Center works to advance and preserve the rights of people with mental illnesses and developmental disabilities.

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Military

Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) for Wounded Service Members
CAP works closely with service members across the nation to ensure they receive appropriate assistive technology for their needs. The use of assistive technology is introduced during recovery and rehabilitation at Military Treatment Facilities. Accommodations are available for Service members with injuries that have caused dexterity impairments, vision loss, hearing loss, and cognitive injuries. CAP also offers a Wounded Service Members Newsletter.

Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)
DoDEA is a field activity of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. DoDEA's mission is to plan, direct, coordinate, and manage the education programs for eligible dependents of U.S. military personnel and civilian personnel of the DoD. DoDEA schools provide students with a uniform curriculum and standards that mitigate the stress of frequent moves. DoD also provides resources to non-DoDEA schools to help them deal with the challenges faced by military dependents.

Department of Veterans Affairs
Provides veterans the benefits and services they have earned - and to do so by adhering to the highest standards of compassion, commitment, excellence, professionalism, integrity, accountability, and stewardship. Veterans of the United States armed forces may be eligible for a broad range of programs and services provided by the VA. Eligibility for most VA benefits is based upon discharge from active military service under other than dishonorable conditions, and certain benefits require service during wartime.

MilitaryHOMEFRONT
The Department of Defense website for official Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP) program information, policy and guidance designed to help troops and their families, leaders, and service providers. This site provides a variety of information, including a searchable directory of programs and services on military installations and a a password-protected social networking environment for those who are in the military, in a military family, or who support service members and their families.

Military OneSource
Free service provided by the Department of Defense for active-duty, Guard, and Reserve service members and their families. Supplementing existing installation services, Military OneSource provides help and information by phone with a professionally trained consultant or online on a wide range of issues that affect service members and their families — from budgeting and investing to relationships and deployment. This site also offers a page for Service Providers.

National Guard Family Program
Supports and educates families along the path of their National Guard life. Its mission is to establish and facilitate ongoing communication, involvement, support and recognition between National Guard families and the National Guard in a partnership that promotes the best in both.

National Resource Directory
Provides wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans, their families, families of the fallen and those who support them with a web-based directory of valuable resources. It delivers information on, and access to, the full range of medical and non-medical services and resources needed to achieve their personal and professional goals across the transitions from recovery to rehabilitation to community reintegration.

Reserve Affairs
Serves as Principal Staff Assistant and advisor to the Secretary of Defense with responsibility for overall supervision of matters which involve the Reserve components, including the Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Naval Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and Coast Guard Reserve.

Specialized Training of Military Parents (STOMP)
STOMP is a federally funded Parent Training and Information Center established to assist military families who have children with special education or health needs. STOMP staff are parents of children who have disabilities and have experience in raising their children in military communities and traveling with their spouses to different locations.

TRICARE Extended Care Health Option (ECHO)
This program delivers financial assistance to active duty family members who have a qualifying condition as defined by law. It offers an integrated set of services and supplies that supplement the basic TRICARE program options—TRICARE Prime (including TRICARE Prime Remote for Active Duty Family Members), TRICARE Standard or TRICARE Extra. This site includes information on eligibility, as well as cost and coverage limits.

United States Air Force
The official Web site of the U.S. Air Force.

United States Army
The official Web site of the U.S. Army.

United States Marines
The official Web site of the U.S. Marines.

United States Navy
The official Web site of the U.S. Navy.

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Parents With Disabilities

National Center for Parents with Disabilities and Their Families
This National Center from Through the Looking Glass is funded by NIDRR, U.S. Department of Education. The Center targets three national populations: (1) parents with diverse disabilities; (2) family members; and, (3) service providers and trainees who have a particularly critical impact on parents. The Center's activities focus on priority issues facing parents with disabilities and their families: custody and parental evaluations; family roles and personal assistance; paratransit; and intervention with parents with cognitive and intellectual disabilities and their children.

Parents with Disabilities Online
Provides information, support and resources to parents with disabilities, including the Parent Empowerment Network, an e-mail community of parents with disabilities, people with disabilities who hope someday to become parents, and (where applicable) nondisabled partners of parents with disabilities. The Parent Empowerment Network is a means of connecting with other parents, through an electronic mail listserver, on a variety of issues.

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Research and Statistics

Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured
Create customized children’s health fact sheets using the latest data from The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured.

The Research and Training Center on Community Living
A major activity of the RTC is to analyze various data sets to learn about the status and characteristics of individuals with disabilities in the United States. Highlights of their work in this area include annual surveys of states to assess residential services, analysis of the National Health Interview Survey findings to learn about people with disabilities living in their own or family homes, and periodic specialized analysis of other data sets. Many common questions about who, how many and where can be found in the published reports posted on the RTC Web site. The RTC also conducts specialized analyses upon request.

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Rural Communities

The Rural Assistance Center
This site provides health and human services information to assist rural Americans. They also operate a call center to provide customized assistance to organizations or individuals seeking to maintain and improve health and human services delivery in rural areas.

USDA Rural Development
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development is committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. USDA Rural Development financial programs support such essential public facilities and services as water and sewer systems, housing, health clinics, emergency service facilities, and electric and telephone service.

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Self-Advocacy

Kids As Self Advocates (KASA)
KASA is a national, grassroots project created by youth with disabilities for youth. KASA believes young people with disabilities will have control over their own lives and futures. KASA helps this happen by teaching youth about their rights, giving peer support and training, and changing the systems that affect the lives of youth with disabilities. KASA is a Family Voices project.

Partners in Policymaking
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.

The Riot!
The Riot! is a national e-newsletter for self-advocates from the Self-Advocate Leadership Network at Human Services Research Institute.

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Sibling

Sibling Support Project
National effort dedicated to the life-long concerns of brothers and sisters of people who have special health, developmental, or mental health concerns. It trains local service providers on how to create community-based peer support programs for young siblings; hosts workshops, listservs, and Web sites for young and adult siblings; and increases parents' and providers' awareness of siblings' unique concerns through workshops, Web sites, and written materials.

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Sustainability

The Finance Project
Specialized non-profit research, consulting, technical assistance, and training firm for public and private sector leaders nationwide. The Finance Project aims to help leaders finance and sustain initiatives to build better futures for children, families, and communities.

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Technology

Closing the Gap
Focuses on computer technology for people with special needs.

NH ParTech
Represents 100 human service nonprofit organizations in New Hampshire committed to developing technology to open access, eliminate duplication, and coordinate services for families and individuals.  Its main goal is to streamline the process of delivering services to people in need.

One-Stop Virtual Center, Developed by the Office of Community Services, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Hawaii
Brings together names and resources of different organizations within the community for families.  Available at this site are two of the most commonly used U.S. Department of Health and Human Services forms: financial benefits and Medicaid/Medicare.

TechSoup
Offers nonprofits a one-stop resource for technology needs by providing free information, resources, and support. In addition to online information and resources, it offers a product philanthropy service called TechSoup Stock. Here, nonprofits can access donated and discounted technology products provided by corporate and nonprofit technology partners.

WebAIM
Non-profit organization within the Center for Persons with Disabilities at Utah State University. WebAIM's mission is to expand the potential of the Web for people with disabilities by providing the knowledge, technical skills, tools, organizational leadership strategies, and vision that empower organizations to make their own content accessible to people with disabilities. This site provides a number of free resources and tools around Web accessibility.

Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
WAI works to develop strategies, guidelines, and resources to help make the Web accessible to people with disabilities. WAI pursues accessibility through five primary activities: ensuring that core technologies of the Web support accessibility; developing guidelines for Web content, user agents, and authoring tools; facilitating development of evaluation and repair tools for accessibility; conducting education and outreach; coordinating with research and development that can affect future accessibility of the Web. Their work includes web site evaluation, site design, training, and web accessibility consulting.

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Time Bank/Service Exchange Programs

Time Exchange North Shore (formerly Lynn Time Bank)
Members are reaching out to the community of Lynn, Massachusetts, connecting people with each other, and setting up service exchanges so people can help others AND receive help.

Time Dollar USA
Builds local economies and communities that reward decency, caring, and a passion for justice. Time Dollars USA seeks to build local economies and communities that reward decency, caring, and a passion for justice by developing, testing, and assisting experiments with a new medium of exchange called Time Dollars™ (also known as service credits or time banking.) One hour helping others equals one Time Dollar.

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Transportation

Easter Seals Project ACTION
Funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transportation Administration, Easter Seals Project ACTION promotes cooperation between the transportation industry and the disability community to increase mobility for people with disabilities under the ADA and beyond. Easter Seals Project ACTION offers various resources, as well as training and technical assistance, in an effort to make the ADA work for everyone, everyday. More than a dozen years after its creation, its goal - and its name - remains unchanged: Accessible Community Transportation In Our Nation (ACTION).

Federal Transit Administration Office of Civil Rights
The Federal Transit Administration works to ensure nondiscriminatory transportation in support of its mission to enhance the social and economic quality of life for all Americans. The FTA Office of Civil Rights is responsible for civil rights compliance and monitoring to ensure non-discriminatory provision of transit services, including portions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity and access for persons with disabilities.

Federal Transit Administration's ADA Website
The Federal Transit Administration's Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) Website offers information on ADA technical assistance; FTA ADA compliance; FTA ADA programs; ADA regulations, guidance, and procedures; and past ADA events.

United We Ride
An interagency Federal national initiative that supports States and their localities in developing coordinated human service delivery systems. In addition to State coordination grants, United We Ride provides State and local agencies a transportation-coordination and planning self-assessment tool, help along the way, technical assistance, and other resources to help their communities succeed.

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Youth

National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth)
NCWD/Youth assists state and local workforce development systems to better serve all youth, including youth with disabilities and other vulnerable youth. NCWD/Youth is composed of partners with expertise in education, youth development, disability, employment, workforce development and family issues. NCWD/Youth offers a range of technical assistance services to state and local workforce investment boards, youth councils and other workforce development system youth programs. Valuable resources on this site include a section dedicated to

National Consortium on Leadership and Disability for Youth (NCLD/Y)
NCLD/Y serves as a national youth-led information, training, and resource center. NCLD/Y has a four-pronged focus on working on developing leaders, developing the capacity of centers for independent living to serve those leaders, the capacity of the staff working directly with the leaders, and supporting the cadre of youth with disabilities-related organizations.

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About Resource Links

*Links from the Family Support Website are provided for informational purposes only. A link does not constitute an endorsement of content, viewpoint, policies, products, or services of that Web site by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities. Once you follow a link to a Web site, you are subject to the terms and conditions of that Web site. Click here to return to the Categorical Listing.