Links to National Disability Organizations

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ABLEDATA
ABLEDATA provides information on assistive technology and rehabilitation equipment available from domestic and international sources to consumers, organizations, professionals, and caregivers within the United States. Although ABLEDATA does not sell any products, they can help locate the companies that do. AbleData is sponsored by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).

(The) Academy of Special Needs Planner
The Academy of Special Needs Planners provides practice development tools and information to attorneys working in the fast-growing field of special needs planning. We assist members in their work with clients and families by offering a unique platform to collaborate and share strategies with the leading professionals in their field. Consumers are drawn to the Academy's site by it's combination of comprehensive information on special needs planning and access to the leading special needs planners in the country.

ADA (Disability Rights) Information
U.S. Department of Justice Home Page - Disability Rights Section. The primary goal of the Disability Rights Section is to achieve equal opportunity for people with disabilities in the United States by implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Alliance for Technology Access
The Alliance for Technology Access (ATA) is the national network of community-based Resource Centers, Developers, Vendors, and Associates dedicated to providing information and support services to children and adults with disabilities, and increasing their use of standard, assistive, and information technologies.

Alternative Choices
Alternative Choices is a small independent practice in psychotherapy with experienced, dedicated psychotherapists and licensed psychologists. We provide a setting in which individuals can realize their choices in life, make meaning of their experiences, set goals, and achieve a higher standard of emotional well-being. The practice includes the Special Needs Families Resources Center which is dedicated to the families of those with special needs.

American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)
AAPD is the largest national nonprofit cross-disability member organization in the United States, dedicated to ensuring economic self-sufficiency and political empowerment for the more than 56 million Americans with disabilities. AAPD works in coalition with other disability organizations for the full implementation and enforcement of disability nondiscrimination laws, particularly the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

ARCH National Respite Network
Respite is temporary relief for caregivers and families who are caring for those with disabilities, chronic or terminal illnesses, or the elderly. This web site is devoted to issues regarding the provision of respite to those caregivers through a variety of means including Federal Legislation.

(The) Center for Evidence-Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behavior
The Center for : Young Children with Challenging Behavior is funded by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs to raise the awareness and implementation of positive, evidence-based practices and to build an enhanced and more accessible database to support those practices. The mission of the Center is to promote the use of evidence-based practice to meet the needs of young children who have, or are at risk for, problem behavior.

(The) Center on the Social & Emotional Foundations for Early Learning
The Center on the Social & Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) is a national center focused on strengthening the capacity of child care and Head Start programs to improve the social and emotional outcomes of young children. The Center will develop and disseminate evidenced-based, user-friendly information to help early childhood educators meet the needs of the growing number of children with challenging behaviors and mental health challenges in child care and Head Start programs.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
CDC, as the sentinel for the health of people in the United States and throughout the world, strives to protect people’s health and safety, provide reliable health information, and improve health through strong partnerships. The CDC has data and statistics on many health related issues.

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
The Center for Infants and Children with Special Needs at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center provides a holistic approach to the care of children and young adults with significant chronic illness. Holistic care includes medical, psychological, social, environmental and spiritual support. We also help create a medical home involving the family, patient, physicians, therapists and all persons involved in the care of the patient. In keeping with the American Academy of Pediatrics medical home initiative, our goal is to provide accessible, family-centered, continuous, comprehensive, coordinated, compassionate, culturally effective medical care for children with specialized health care needs for an improved quality of life, while reducing the number of hospital days and total cost of care.

(The) Council for Exceptional Children
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. CEC advocates for appropriate governmental policies, sets professional standards, provides continual professional development, advocates for newly and historically underserved individuals with exceptionalities, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice.

Disability Solutions
This is a publication of Creative Solutions, a group that was formed to create and report on strategies to give people with disabilities the best quality of life possible.

Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking & Technology
Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking & Technology (DO-IT) serves to increase the success of people with disabilities in college and careers. promotes the use of accessible information technology and universal design, distributes publications and videos to freely use and reproduce for presentations and exhibits, and provides resources for K-12 educators, students with disabilities, librarians, employers, and parents and mentors.

Disability Is Natural
The Disability is Natural web site is brought to you by Brave Heart Press, the family-owned business of Kathie Snow. The mission of this site is to encourage new ways of thinking about disability and to help create a society in which all people are valued and included.

Enabling Devices
Enabling Devices is a company dedicated to developing affordable learning and assistive devices to help people of all ages with disabling conditions. Founded by Steven E. Kanor, Ph.D. and originally known as Toys for Special Children, the company has been creating innovative toys and switches for the physically challenged for more than 30 years.

(The) Families and Advocates Partnership for Education
The Families and Advocates Partnership for Education (FAPE) project is a partnership that aims to improve the educational outcomes for children with disabilities. It links families, advocates, and self-advocates to information about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The project is designed to address the information needs of the 6 million families throughout the Country whose children with disabilities receive special education services.

(The) Family Center on Technology and Disability
The Family Center is a resource designed to support organizations and programs that work with families of children and youth with disabilities. We offer a range of information and services on the subject of assistive technologies. Whether you're an organization, a parent, an educator, or an interested friend, we hope you'll find information that supports you in your efforts to bring the highest quality education to children with disabilities.

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

Federal Resource Center for Special Education
The Federal Resource Center for Special Education (FRC) is funded by the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to assist state education agencies in the systemic improvement of education programs, practices, and policies that affect children and youth with disabilities. These centers offer consultation, information services, technical assistance, training, and product development.

Free Meds and Solutions
The mission at Free Meds and Solutions is to help individuals access programs that will save or eliminate prescription medicine costs. These programs are for everyone whether they are employed, unemployed, underinsured, elderly, or disabled. Those who typically obtain their medications free through these programs do not qualify for government assistance such as Medicaid, but cannot afford costly medications. The average household who makes $40,000 a year or less usually qualifies for these programs.

HEATH Resource Center
The HEATH Resource Center is the national clearinghouse on post secondary education for individuals with disabilities. Support from the U.S. Department of Education enables the clearinghouse to serve as an information exchange about educational support services, policies, procedures, adaptations, and opportunities at American campuses, vocational-technical schools, and other post secondary training entities. HEATH participates in national conferences, training sessions, and workshops; develops training modules; publishes resource papers, fact sheets, directories, and web site information; and fosters a network of professionals in the arena of disability issues.

InsureKidsNow
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has created a national campaign to link the nation's 10 million uninsured children (from birth to 18 years) to free and low-cost health insurance. InsureKidsNow puts families in direct contact with their own state's children's health insurance program through the web site, the toll-free hotline 1-877-KIDS-NOW, and other outreach.

Internet Special Education Resources Directory
The Internet Special Education Resources Directory (ISER) is a nationwide directory of professionals, organizations, and schools that serve the learning disabilities and special education communities. It helps parents and caregivers find local special education professionals to help with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder assessment, therapy, advocacy, critical teen issues, and other special needs. It also offer a directory of professional resources and special needs software and assistive technology.

Kids On Wheels
Kids on Wheels is a community of kids who use wheelchairs. It's a place to meet other kids, tell your story, ask questions, give advice and learn about new things (or just better ways to do old things!). The adult section of Kids on Wheels is a community of parents of kids who use wheelchairs. It's a place to meet other parents, ask questions, give advice and find resources. Teachers and rehab professionals are also encouraged to join.

Landmark College
While many colleges offer special programs for students with learning difficulties, Landmark College is one of the only accredited colleges in the United States designed exclusively for students with dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), or other specific learning disabilities.

The Law Enforcement Awareness Network
It is the mission of L.E.A.N. On Us to provide first responders with information and resources that will allow them to better serve individuals within their communities affected by hidden disabilities and mental illness.

Maternal and Child Health Library (MCH)
The Maternal Child Health Library (MCH) has an online web site designed to help service providers and families find available national, state, and local resources that can address child and family needs, including mental health resources.

(The) National Association of Parents with Children in Special Education
The National Association of Parents with Children in Special Education (NAPCSE) is a national association that is dedicated to ensuring that all children and adolescents with special needs receive the best education possible. NAPCSE serves the interest of parents with children in special education by giving them numerous resources within the field of special education. By having an association that they can truly call their own, parents with children in special education now have an association that is completely devoted to their needs. NAPCSE advances and strengthens its community through networking, research, publications, and membership benefits.

National Center for Learning Disabilities
The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) works to ensure that the nation's 15 million children, adolescents and adults with learning disabilities have every opportunity to succeed in school, work and life. NCLD provides essential 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 Center for Learning Disabilities Transition Resources
The National Center for Learning Disabilities has a section of their web site dedicated to transition issues. The page includes presentations, articles, checklists, research and other resources to help students with learning disabilities transition from high school to college or employment.

National Center on Secondary Education & Transition
The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET) coordinates national resources, offers technical assistance, and disseminates information related to secondary education and transition for youth with disabilities in order to create opportunities for youth to achieve successful futures.

(The) National Consortium on Leadership and Disability for Youth
The National Consortium on Leadership and Disability for Youth (NCLD-Youth) is a youth-led resource, information, and training center for youth and emerging leaders with developmental disabilities, housed at the Institute for Educational Leadership and funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities. We are a project led by the next generation of young leaders with disabilities for the next generation of young leaders with disabilities-- taking a positive development approach to working with the next generation of disability community leaders, and developing materials to better prepare them for the transition to adulthood, and leadership.

National Easter Seal Society
Easter Seals has been helping individuals with disabilities and special needs, and their families, live better lives for more than 80 years. From child development centers to physical rehabilitation and job training for people with disabilities, Easter Seals offers a variety of services to help people with disabilities address life's challenges and achieve personal goals.

National Information Center for Children & Youth with Disabilities/National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) provides information to the nation on: disabilities in children and youth; programs and services for infants, children, and youth with disabilities; IDEA, the nation's special education law; No Child Left Behind, the nation's general education law; and research-based information on effective practices for children with disabilities. Anyone can use our services—families, educators, administrators, journalists, students. There special focus is children and youth (birth to age 22).

National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) provides leadership and support for a comprehensive program of research related to the rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities. All of our programmatic efforts are aimed at improving the lives of individuals with disabilities from birth through adulthood.

National Mental Health Information Center (Center for Mental Health Services aka CMHS)
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) National Mental Health Information Center provides information about mental health via a toll-free telephone number (800-789-2647), this web site, and more than 600 publications. The National Mental Health Information Center was developed for users of mental health services and their families, the general public, policy makers, providers, and the media.

(The) National Organization for Rare Disorders
The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), is a unique federation of voluntary health organizations dedicated to helping people with rare "orphan" diseases and assisting the organizations that serve them. NORD is committed to the identification, treatment, and cure of rare disorders through programs of education, advocacy, research, and service.

National Secondary Transition-Technical Assistance Center
NSTTAC is a national Technical Assistance and Dissemination center working assisting states to build capacity to support and improve transition planning, services, and outcomes for youth with disabilities.

Office of Disability Employment Policy (U.S. Department of Labor)
ODEP is an agency within the U. S. Department of Labor. ODEP provides national leadership to increase employment opportunities for adults and youth with disabilities while striving to eliminate barriers to employment. With the ultimate goal of increasing the number of people with disabilities who work, either as employees or entrepreneurs, ODEP provides policy analysis, technical assistance, development of innovative practices and strategies, and education and outreach to employers, employees and the disability community. Related to these efforts, ODEP also conducts a variety of employment-related programs and initiatives.

Office of Special Education Programs
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is dedicated to improving results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities ages birth through 21 by providing leadership and financial support to assist states and local districts. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) authorizes formula grants to states, and discretionary grants to institutions of higher education and other non-profit organizations to support research, demonstrations, technical assistance and dissemination, technology and personnel development and parent-training and information centers.

Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights
The mission of PACER Center 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. Through its ALLIANCE and other national projects, PACER, a national center, responds to thousands of parents and professionals each year. From California to Minnesota to New York, PACER resources make a difference in the lives of 6.5 million children with disabilities nationwide. With assistance to individual families, workshops, materials for parents and professionals, and leadership in securing a free and appropriate public education for all children, PACER's work affects and encourages families in Minnesota and across the nation.

Pacer Center’s Kids Against Bullying
This site was developed to help children in second through sixth grade recognize bullying and respond to it in appropriate, effective ways. It is for all children who are bullied or who witness bullying. Through engaging activities and helpful information, this Web site helps to: - promote bullying awareness in elementary schools; - teach effective ways to respond to bullying; and - prevent bullying of all children, especially those with disabilities.

Parents Helping Parents
Parents Helping Parents is a parent-directed family resource center serving children with special needs, their families, and the professionals who serve them. Children with special needs are simply children that have a need for special services due to illness, accident, conditions of birth, learning differences or family stress. PHP's mission is to help children with special needs receive the resources, love, hope, respect, health care, education, and other services they need to reach their full potential by providing them with strong families, dedicated professionals, and responsive systems to serve them.

Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers
Each state is home to at least one parent center. Parent centers serve families of children and young adults from birth to age 22 with all disabilities: physical, cognitive, emotional, and learning. They help families obtain appropriate education and services for their children with disabilities; work to improve education results for all children; train and inform parents and professionals on a variety of topics; resolve problems between families and schools or other agencies; and connect children with disabilities to community resources that address their needs.

Special Child
An online publication dedicated to parents of children with special needs whose mission statement is as follows: To provide educational resources and emotional support to parents and care-givers of children, adolescents, and young adults with disabilities.

Special Education News Web site and Newsletter
The Special Education News web site and newsletter are journalistic publications centered on the news of the special education field. The site is designed to offer resources to special education professionals in one convenient site. The web site also has a link targeted for families.

Specialized Training of Military Parents (STOMP). Offers contact information for volunteers in each state who are parents of children with special needs and have experience in raising their children in military communities and traveling with their spouses to different locations. Telephone: (800) 5-PARENT or (800) 572-7368 (Voice or TDD).

Special Olympics
Special Olympics is an international organization dedicated to empowering individuals with mental retardation to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition. Special Olympics offers children and adults with mental retardation year-round training and competition in 26 Olympic-type summer and winter sports.

Technical Assistance on Transition and the Rehabilitation Act
The Technical Assistance on Transition and the Rehabilitation Act (TATRA) project provides training, information and materials to parent center staff across the country who are helping the families of youth with disabilities learn about transition, independent living and vocational rehabilitation services.

Three for Me
The mission of Three for Me is to improve the well-being of children by inspiring and equipping parents/families to be effectively involved in their children’s education. In response to a lack of parent involvement in schools nationwide, Three for Me was founded in 2003 by Dee Keywood and Kris Thompson to challenge parents to volunteer in schools, be active in school-decision making and provide resources to motivate parents to be actively involved in their child’s education.

ThinkCollege.net
Youth with intellectual disabilities have not had many chances to go to college. This is changing as individuals across the country begin to create opportunities for these youth to reap the benefits of post secondary education. This web site will provide information and links to anyone interested in finding out more about the possibilities.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services - Systems of Care
Systems of Care is devoted to providing information about the mental health of children, youth and families. A system of care is a coordinated network of community-based services and supports that are organized to meet the challenges of children and youth with serious mental health needs and their families. Families and youth work in partnership with public and private organizations to design mental health services and supports that are effective, that build on the strengths of individuals, and that address each person's cultural and linguistic needs. A system of care helps children, youth and families function better at home, in school, in the community and throughout life. Systems of care is not a program — it is a philosophy of how care should be delivered. Systems of Care is an approach to services that recognizes the importance of family, school and community, and seeks to promote the full potential of every child and youth by addressing their physical, emotional, intellectual, cultural and social needs.

Washington Learning Systems
We are a small company working to create big changes in the lives of young children. Our evidence based programs promote early literacy, language, cognitive, and social development.

Wrightslaw
Parents, advocates, educators, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for accurate, up-to-date information about special education law and advocacy for children with disabilities.