Special Populations - Web Resources


Professional Organizations

  • Association of Higher Education and Disability
    http://www.ahead.org/
  • Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)
    http://www.chadd.org/
    8181 Professional Place, Suite 201  Landover, MD 20785
    Phone:(301) 306-7070   Fax:(301) 306-7090
    Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) is a national non-profit organization representing children and adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
  • The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)

    www.cec.sped.org
    1920 Association Drive
    Reston, VA 20191-1589
    (888) 232-7733
    The CEC is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. The 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.

  • The Learning Disabilities Association (LDA)
    www.ldanatl.org
    4156Library Road,  Pittsburgh, PA 15234-1349
    (412) 341-1515
    LDA is a national nonprofit, volunteer organization providing information specific to individuals with learning disabilities, their families, and professionals. The organization provides such services as advocacy, education, and research.
  • National Rehabilitation Association
    http://www.nationalrehab.org/website/index.html
    The National Rehabilitation Association provides advocacy, awareness and career advancement for professionals in the fields of rehabilitation and disability. This website provides information about this organizations history, publications, training, membership, and services.

Disability and Special Education Resources

  • Disability Access, Information and Support
    http://www.janejarrow.com/
    AIS is a resource to the higher education and postsecondary education community, providing a menu of services for those concerned with disability and access to postsecondary education. This website contains publications on postsecondary issues, professional development, resource documents, technical assistance, links to other resources, consulting services, and a professional discussion bulletin board.
  • ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education
    www.ericec.org
    ERIC EC
    The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
    1110 N. Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA 22201-5704
    1-800-328-0272 (V/TTY)
    ERIC gathers and disseminates the professional literature, information, and resources on the education and development of individuals of all ages who have disabilities and/or who are gifted.
  • LD Online
    www.ldonline.org
    LD Online is an interactive website and guide to learning disabilities for parents, teachers, and children. The site highlights new information in the field of learning disabilities, basic concepts of LD and ADD, audio clips from learning disability experts like Richard Lavoie, Bob Brooks, and Sally Smith, and a Bulletin Board and LD Chat that gives parents, teachers, and students a chance to share their experiences and ideas.
  • The National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY)
    www.nichcy.org
    P.O. Box 1492, Washington, DC 20013-1492
    (800)695-0285
    NICHCY is the national information and referral center that provides information on disabilities and disability-related issues for families, educators, and other professionals.NICHCY provides technical assistance, resources, materials, and information focused on children and youth with disabilities from age zero through twenty-one.
  • National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)
    www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/NIDRR
    P.O. Box 1492
    Washington, DC 20013-1492
    (800)695-0285
    NIDRR conducts comprehensive and coordinated programs of research and related activities to maximize the full inclusion, social integration, employment, and independent living of disabled individuals of all ages.
  • PARAQUAD, Inc. – Independence for People with Disabilities

    www.paraquad.org
    311 North Lindbergh
    St. Louis, MO 63141
    Phone: (314) 567-1558 Fax: (314) 567-1559 TDD: (314) 567-5552
    PARAQUAD, Inc. is an independent living center committed to empowering people with disabilities to live as full and productive members of society. This site provides access to a number of programs, services, and products available through this organization.
  • Special Education Resources on the Internet (SERI)
    http://seriweb.com
    Hood College
    401 Rosemont Avenue, Frederick, MD 21701-8575
    301) 663-3131
    The Special Education Resources on the Internet project is a collection of Internet-accessible information resources. This collection makes on-line special education resources more readily available in one location.

Government Agencies

  • Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)

    www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS
    OSERS supports programs that assist in educating children with special needs, provides for the rehabilitation of youth and adults with disabilities and supports research to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities.

  • Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth
    http://www.okkids.org/
    The Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth strives to identify and meet the needs of children, youth, and families in the state of Oklahoma. This website contains information about the initiatives of the OCCY, resources available, and links to other web resources, including OASIS which provides information, referrals, and one-on-one assistance in locating available services for people with disabilities, chronic health conditions, or general health-care needs.
  • Oklahoma State Department of Education
    www.sde.state.ok.us
    2500 North Lincoln Boulevard
    Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4599
    The Oklahoma State Department of Education’s website provides information about current issues in education. Information about the Policies and Procedures for Special Education in Oklahoma can be located on this website.
  • U.S. Access Board
    http://www.access-board.gov/
    The U.S. Access Board is a federal agency committed to accessible design of electronic and information technology, communication systems, public rights-of-way, playgrounds, and transportation. This website provides information about achieving accessibility in these areas.
  • U.S. Department of Education
    www.ed.gov
    400 Maryland Avenue, SW
    Washington, DC 20202-0498
    1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327)
    The U.S. Department of Education’s website offer a range and ever-growing collection of information about the Department, including information about initiatives and priorities, grant opportunities, offices of the Department, publications, and research and statistics. It also has many links to organizations supported by the Department.
  • The Department of Labor: Office of the 21st Century Workforce
    http://www.dol.gov/dol/21cw
    This website provides information about the Office of the 21st Century Workforce, its mission, and career resources available to ensure that all American workers have as fulfilling and financially rewarding a career as they aspire to have and to make sure that no worker gets left behind in the limitless potential of the dynamic, global economy of the new millennium.
  • The Department of Labor: Office of Disability Employment Policy
    http://www.dol.gov/dol/odep The mission of ODEP is to bring a heightened and permanent long-term focus to the goal of increasing employment of persons with disabilities. This will be achieved through policy analysis, technical assistance, and development of best practices, as well as outreach, education, constituent services, and promoting ODEP's mission among employers..

Assistive Technology

  • Oklahoma ABLE Tech http://okabletech.okstate.edu/
    Oklahoma State University
    1514 W. Hall of Fame, Stillwater, OK 74077
    Voice/TDD: (800) 257-1705
    Wellness Center Voice: (405) 744-9748
    Fax: (405) 744-7670
    The Oklahoma ABLE Tech project is funded under the Assistive Technology Act of 1998. The project provides information and referral to individuals with disabilities, their family members, guardians, advocates, authorized representatives and others regarding assistive technology devices and services, funding of assistive technology and other disability-related topics.
  • Microsoft www.microsoft.com/enable
    This site has many links to resources, news, statistics, and accessibility aids for computers.
  • National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM)
    http://ncam.wgbh.org/

    WGBH Educational Foundation
    125 Western Avenue, Boston, MA 02134
    Voice: (617) 300-3400 Fax: (617) 300-1035
    The National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) is a research and development facility that works to make media accessible to underserved populations such as people with disabilities, individuals with limited English proficiency, and people with low literacy skills. NCAM strives to make media more accessible in schools, the workplace, the home and the community. NCAM is designing access into emerging telecommunications such as Advanced Television and the World Wide Web.
  • NANOPAC http://www.nanopac.com/index.htm
    NANOPAC provides products and services to individuals with disabilities for assistive technology, environmental controls, voice activation, speech synthesis, text to speech, switches and switch mounts, magnifiers, reading machines, door openers and much, much more. They also provide technical assistance to determine assistive technology needs and offer a demonstration center for testing and trying out specific devices.

Workforce Development

  • National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth
    www.ncwd-youth.info
    The NCWD/Youth is one of two technical assistance centers funded by the U.S. Department of Labor to assist the workforce development community in addressing issues affecting the employment of people with disabilities. This site contains useful information and resources for youth with disabilities and their families, service providers and other front line workers, administrators, policy makers, and employers.
  • Oklahoma Business Leadership Network
    www.okbln.jobfit.com

    This site provides a job match to job openings listed by employers giving preference to skilled and trained applicants who happen to have disabilities. Individuals will be led through simple instructions to compile relevant information about their education, training and experience. A digital resume is automatically created that is designed to make it easy for employers to find an individuals specific job related attributes and create a professional resume for use in the future.
  • The Chamber of Commerce for Individuals with Disabilities
    www.chamber4us.org

    This site is an on-line forum for people to share useful resources, comments, and success stories. It provides information for people with disabilities on topics such as job opportunities, starting a home-based business, and performing volunteer work.
  • Job Accommodation Network
    http://janweb.icdi.wvu.edu
    West Virginia University, PO Box 6080    Morgantown, WV 26506-6080
    (800) 526-7234


    The Job Accommodation Network is an international toll-free consulting service that provides information about job accommodations and the employability of people with disabilities. JAN also provides information about the Americans with Disabilities Act. This site provides information about disability resources, employment resources, disability legislation, web tools, related websites, and other resources.
  • Job Links
    www.pcepd.gov/joblinks.htm
    Office of Disability Employment Policy
    1331 F Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington D.C. 20004
    Phone: (202) 376-6200 TDD: (202) 376-6205 Fax: (202) 376-6219

    Sponsored by the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, Job Links was developed to connect job seekers with disabilities to employers who need skilled people and who would like to diversity their work forces.

  • National Business and Disability Council
    http://www.business-disability.com/home.asp

    The National Business and Disability Council is a corporate resource on all issues related to the successful employment and integration of individuals with disabilities into America’s workforce. The NBDC assists businesses to provide full access to their places of employment, as well as to their products and services.

  • Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR)
    www.jan.wvu.edu/soar/

    SOAR is a web-based service of the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities Job Accommodation Network (JAN). The program is designed to allow users to explore various accommodation options for people with disabilities in the work setting. It takes the user through a step-by-step process, beginning with the identification of the disability and the functional limitations of the individual needed an accommodation. Then it points the user to recommended accommodations, as well as examples of accommodations that other employers have made. If equipment is recommended, the program will also provide a list of potential vendors for the equipment.

  • Employment Assistance Referral Network
    www.earnworks.com

    The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy has implemented a free nationwide employer service to increase the representation of people with disabilities in the workforce.  The Employer Assistance Referral Network (EARN) became available to the public March 1, 2001 and is designed to assist employers in locating and recruiting qualified workers with disabilities.

Universal Design

  • Information Technology Accessibility: A Guide for Assuring Equal Access for People with Disabilities
    http://okabletech.okstate.edu/eit/main.htm


    This publication provides recommendations to assist entities with ensuring their information technology is accessible to people with disabilities.
  • Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)    cast@cast.org
    Founded in 1984 as the Center for Applied Special Technology, CAST is an educational, not-for-profit organization that uses technology to expand opportunities for all people, including those with disabilities. CAST’s work focuses on the development of learning models, approaches, and tools that are usable by a wide range of learners.
  • National Center to Improve the Tools of Educators (NCITE) ncite@darkwing.uoregon.edu
    College of Education

    , University of Oregon

    , 805 Lincoln, Eugene, OR 97401

    (541)346-3405


    In the fall of 1995 a team of four faculty members in the School of Architecture and Allied Arts received a grant from a national program, the Universal Design Education Project (UDEP), funding a curriculum development project that promotes the value of universal design .
  • Trace Research and Development Center
    http://www.trace.wisc.edu

    University of Wisconsin-Madison
    5901 Research Park Boulevard, Madison, WI 53719-1252
    (608) 262-6966


    The Trace Research and Development Center is a part of the College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Founded in 1971, Trace has been a pioneer in the field of technology and disability. The Trace Center focuses on ways to prevent the barriers and capitalize on the opportunities presented by current and emerging information and telecommunication technologies, in order to create a world that is as accessible and usable as possible for as many people as possible.
  • Web Accessibility Initiative
    http://www.w3.org/WAI/

    The WAI, in coordination with organizations around the world, pursues accessibility of the web through five primary areas of work: technology, guidelines, tools, education and outreach, and research and development. This website provides information, resources and tools for accomplishing these goals.

Behavior

  • Youth Change
    http://www.youthchg.com/

    275 N. Third St. Woodburn, Oregon 97071-4705 
    1-800-545-5736  Fax: (503)982-7910

    Youth Change has been training youth professionals throughout North America for nearly twelve years. They provide information-packed general session, on-site and taped workshops. They also publish many books and tapes, all designed to deliver the newest and fastest solutions for the "worst" kid problems.