Resources

International Conference on Diverse Abilities & Innovative Supports 2008
August 11-13, 2008
Dole Ballrooms
Historic Dole Cannery
Honolulu, HI
www.lifelibertyandthepursuitof.com

Advocacy
•Employment Advocacy
• Policy Watch/Policy Education
• Independent Living
•Parent Education
•Selected Research Centers
•Professional Organizations
•Government Agencies

•Best Buddies
www.bestbuddies.org
Best Buddies is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships and integrated employment. Founded in 1989 by Anthony K. Shriver, Best Buddies is a vibrant, international organization that has grown from one original chapter to more than 1,000 middle school, high school, and college campuses across the country and internationally. We serve over 250,000 people worldwide.

•CCD
www.c-c-d.org
The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities is a 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.

•The Arc
www.thearc.org
The Arc is the national organization of and for people with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities and their families. It is devoted to promoting and improving supports and services for people with mental retardation and their families. The association also fosters research and education regarding the prevention of mental retardation in infants and young children. (from website)

•NADDC
www.naddc.org
NADDC is a national organization for Developmental Disabilities Councils that advocates and works for change on behalf of people with developmental, as well as other, disabilities, and their families. NADDC was established by Developmental Disabilities (DD) Councils in 1974 to support them in carrying out their mandated responsibilities under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance & Bill of Rights Act, and to be their national voice. Members are nationwide State & Territorial DD Councils.

NADDC promotes national policy to enhance the quality of life for all people with Developmental Disabilities (DD). NADDC worked with Congress, and other organizations, in the re-authorization of the DD Act, to strengthen Councils’ systems change and the advocacy role. NADDC is one of the few organizations advocating on behalf of people with the most severe disabilities in policy areas of primary importance to DD Councils.

NADDC’s mission is to provide support & assistance to member Councils in order to promote a consumer and family centered system of services and supports for those with developmental disabilities.

•The Autism Society of America
www.autism-society.org
The Autism Society of America was founded in 1965 by a small group of parents working on a volunteer basis out of their homes. Over the last 35 years, the Society has developed into the leading source of information and referral on autism. Today, over 20,000 members are connected through a working network of over 200 chapters in nearly every state. Membership in ASA continues to grow as more and more parents and professionals unite to form a collective voice representing the autism community.

•UCP
www.ucp.org
United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) is the leading source of information on cerebral palsy and is a pivotal advocate for the rights of persons with any disability. As one of the largest health charities in America, UCP’s mission is to advance the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities.

•NAPAS
www.napas.org
NAPAS has a vision of a society where people with disabilities exercise self-determination and choice and have equality of opportunity and full participation. NAPAS believes this vision will be realized through the enactment and vigorous enforcement of laws protecting civil and human rights.

•The Institute for Community Inclusion
www.communityinclusion.org
The Institute for Community Inclusion supports the rights of children and adults with disabilities to participate in all aspects of the community. As practitioners, researchers, and teachers, they form partnerships with individuals, families, and communities. Together we advocate for personal choice, self-determination, and social and economic justice.

•DREDF
www.dredf.org
Founded in 1979 by people with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Inc. (DREDF) is a national law and policy center dedicated to protecting and advancing the civil rights of people with disabilities through legislation, litigation, advocacy, technical assistance, and education and training of attorneys, advocates, persons with disabilities, and parents of children with disabilities.

•The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
www.bazelon.org
The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law is the leading national legal advocate for people with mental disabilities.

•TASH
www.tash.org
TASH is an international organization that focuses on public policy, independent living issues, and advocacy for people with severe disabilities.

•Easter Seals
www.easterseals.com
Easter Seals has been helping individuals with disabilities and special needs, and their families, live better lives for more than 80 years. Whether helping someone improve physical mobility, return to work or simply gain greater independence for everyday living, Easter Seals offers a variety of services to help people with disabilities address life’s challenges and achieve personal goals.

•The Kennedy Institute
www.kennedyinstitute.org/education.htm
The mission of the Kennedy Institute is to increase opportunities for children with special education needs to be educated in their neighborhood schools and adults with disabilities to succeed in adult education programs, Kennedy Institute staff develops ways to provide training and technical assistance to schools.

•The Personal Site of Jamal Marzui
www.empowermentzone.com
Personal site of Jamal Mazrui. It focuses on accessibile housing, accessible travel, civil rights, and assistive technology. All plain text resources

•American Association on Intellectual Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD, formerly AAMR)
www.aamr.org
AAMR promotes progressive policies, sound research, effective practices, and universal human rights for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

•National Organization on Disability
www.nod.org
The mission of the National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.) is to expand the participation and contribution of America’s 54 million men, women and children with disabilities in all aspects of life.

Employment Advocacy

•AAPD
www.aapd.com
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.

•DBTACs
www.adata.org
Since 1991, your local Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs) have been providing information, materials, technical assistance and training on the ADA. In 2001, their responsibilities expanded to include providing those same services in the area of accessible information technology.

Policy Watch/Policy Education

•IDEA
www.ideapractices.org
The IDEA Partnerships are four national projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to deliver a common message about the landmark 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

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

•National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
www.nichcy.org
The new center, called the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, will be serving as a central source of information on: IDEA , the nation’s special education law, No Child Left Behind (as it relates to children with disabilities), and research-based information on effective educational practices.

Parent Education

•PACER
www.pacer.org
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.

•Family Village
www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/tindex.htm
Welcome to the Family Village! We are 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.

•Exceptional Parent
www.eparent.com
On-line site for Exceptional Parent magazine. EP’s on-line resource. Continuing 32 award-winning years of providing information, support, ideas, encouragement and outreach for parents and families of children with disabilities, and the professionals who work with them.

•Family to Family
www.familytofamilynetwork.org
Family to Family Network has a vision for ALL children where education and families working together are making dreams become realities. We know that our children must have a good educational foundation and experiences within their home communities to prepare them for independent living and accomplishment of their goals

•New Horizons
www.newhorizons.org/
The New Horizons for Learning web site provides resources for inclusion of students with disabilities. Collaboration of the school with its surrounding community systems is a factor to help create positive educational change. Partnerships within and outside the school setting are essential to support education reform.

Selected Research Centers

•Beach Center
www.beachcenter.org
Supports individuals with disabilities, their families, service providers, researchers, and policy makers through research, information distribution and training.

•CSADP
www.disabilitypolicycenter.org
The Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy (CSADP) provides public education, leadership development and training, technical assistance and information dissemination, and conducts action-research and analysis of public policy issues affecting individuals with disabilities and their families.

•University of North Carolina at Charlotte
www.uncc.edu/sdsp
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, with a grant from the Office of Special Education Projects/US Department of Education, is conducting a review and synthesis of the knowledge base and best practices related to self-determination (SD) and self-advocacy (SA) interventions in order to improve, expand, and accelerate the use of this knowledge by the professionals who serve children and youth with disabilities and the parents who rear, educate, and support their children with disabilities.

•Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at UNC-CH
www.fpg.unc.edu/
For the past 40 years, FPG Child Development Institute research and outreach has shaped how the nation cares for and educates young children. FPG has a proud history of serving as an objective, knowledgeable force for social change to enhance the lives of children and families. Researchers focus on parent and family support; early care and education; child health and development; early identification and intervention; equity, access and inclusion; and early childhood policy.

FPG is one of the oldest multidisciplinary centers devoted to the study of children and families. Most of the institute's work addresses young children ages birth through eight years. FPG has a special focus on children who experience biological or environmental factors that challenge early development and learning.

•The Association of University Centers on Disabilities
www.aucd.org
The Association of University Centers on Disabilities is a network of interdisciplinary Centers advancing policy and practice for and with individuals with developmental and other disabilities, their families, and communities.

Professional Organizations

•CEC
www.cec.sped.org
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.

•LDA
www.ldanatl.org
The Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) is a non-profit grassroots organization whose members are individuals with learning disabilities, their families, and the professionals who work with them.

•SAMHSA
www.mentalhealth.org
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 Association of University Centers on Disabilities
www.aucd.org
The Association of University Centers on Disabilities is a network of interdisciplinary Centers advancing policy and practice for and with individuals with developmental and other disabilities, their families, and communities.

•Division TEACCH
www.teacch.com
Division TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic Children and related Communication handicapped Children). Their goal is to enable individuals with autism to function as meaningfully and as independently as possible in the community. Based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Government Agencies

•The Access Board
www.access-board.gov
The Access Board is an independent Federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities.

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