BEACON has establishing itself as a best-practice model for increasing diversity in STEM, and as a result, the learning environments and outcomes are enriched and enhanced. Many individuals with disabilities state they underreport their status due to a feeling of vulnerability and/or that it will bias people against them. The goal of this project is to provide safe, inclusive, and adaptive environments for individuals with disabilities. We have developed a repository of adaptive knowledge, a community of support, and culture of inclusion & safety.
RESOURCES:
National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD)–Please visit the new National Center for College Students with Disabilities’ Clearinghouse of information and resources, designed for future and current College students and their families. www.nccsdonline.orgFor assistance, contact NCCSD at nccsd@ahead.org Phone (toll-free): 844-730-8048 VideoPhone for Deaf Callers: 651-583-7499
College for Students with Disabilities: A Guide for Students, Families, and Educators –– https://online.maryville.edu/disabilities-guide/
DREAM (Disability Rights, Education Activism & Mentoring)–DREAM (Disability Rights, Education Activism, and Mentoring) is a national organization for and by college students with disabilities, supported in our work by sponsoring organization of the National Center for College Students with Disabilities, based at AHEAD (the Association on Higher Education And Disability). DREAM is open to higher education students of all types, including graduate students, part-time students, and those who are auditing higher education courses. It is open to students of all ages with any kind of disability, culturally Deaf students, and nondisabled students who are our allies and peers. We explicitly include people who have traditionally been marginalized or under-represented in the disability or higher education communities.
Mobility International USA–Works on international disability rights and supports travel and study abroad for people with disabilities. http://www.miusa.org/
Moving Ahead — Transition Resources for Everyone–The successful transition of students with disabilities to, through and beyond college is a team effort. AHEAD offers the following to students, parents, professionals and employers so that all are aware of the wide range of resources that are available. FAQ’s – Students FAQ’s – Parents Transition Resources A – Z
Financial Aid and Scholarship Guide for Disabled Students–For a list of available scholarships, eligibility criteria, award amounts and information on how to apply, please visit http://www.onlineschools.org/financial-aid/disabilities/.
Education After Injury–What is it like to attend college or university after spinal cord injury? The biggest hurdle is often your perception or confidence in yourself. Believe you can do it and you can! Once you make the decision that you are ready to attend college, campus disability service personnel are available to help with the details. Academic accessibility, such as note and test taking, and e-books, as well as environmental accessibility for classrooms, dorms, and on-campus transportation will all be coordinated through them. Students who have attended school after injury enjoy the many social aspects of college life – participate in sports, clubs, theater, Greek life, and make many friends. Shepherd Center has released “University Accessibility”, a short video that promotes the idea that anything is possible after injury, including education. The captioned video can be located at the YouTube link here: https://youtu.be/qF59-wfnl2A
Post-Graduation–Graduating students often need to leverage their experience as alumni for networking and employment opportunities. The following link provides suggestions on how to work with your institution’s alumni association and the associated benefits: http://www.onlinecolleges.net/working-with-your-alumni-association/
Making College Affordable: A Guide for Students with Disabilities–A complete guide to college financing for students with disabilities. Find expert advice on loans, grants and scholarships specifically for students with disabilities, as well as resources to help with the job search after graduation. For more information, please visit: http://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/spotlight/affordable-colleges-for-students-with-disabilities/. You can also find information about affordable online colleges by visiting: http://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/online-colleges/. Affordable Colleges Online has also produced a guide to show how today’s colleges and universities are improving their technology and resources to help students with visual disabilities earn degrees. The new guide also provides a list of online technology and literary resources students with impairments can use on their own to get ahead. To review the guide, please visit: http://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/colleges-helping-visually-impaired-students/
Online Education and Online Education Financial Aid Resources–AffordableDegreesOnline.org is a resource designed to help individuals interested in higher education make informed decisions about financial aid options, subject areas, taking advantage of MOOCs and more. AffordableDegreesOnline.org offers information about everything from reducing the cost of a college degree to earning course credit through Prior Learning Assessments. http://www.collegeaffordabilityguide.org/. You can also locate online college’s based on a variety of search criteria by visiting Online Colleges Database: http://www.onlinecollegesdatabase.org/.
Disability and Higher Education Professional Resource–A tool for reflective practice, Refocus provides examples of current practices in higher education / disability services, offers a critical analysis of their impact on the campus narrative around disability, and suggests alternative approaches that foster true equity. http://www.projectshift-refocus.org/index.htm
Think College LEARN–provides self-paced modules using multimedia tools such as videos, publications, interactive learning activities and podcasts to share information on topics related to postsecondary education for students with intellectual disabilities. http://www.thinkcollege.net/think-college-learn
Disability History And Social Movement
Justice For All E-Mail Network Archives–http://www.jfanow.org/jfanow/ Justice For All was formed to defend and advance disability rights and programs in the 104th Congress. The JFA E-mail Network works with national and state organizations of people with disabilities to disseminate information at the grassroots level.
Society & Culture Disabilities–http://www.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Disabilities/ A directory of wide-ranging related to disability.
Government Agencies and Services
Access Board–http://www.access-board.gov An independent Federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities that develops and maintains accessibility requirements for the built environment, provides technical assistance and training, and enforces standards. Home of the ADA Accessibility Guidelines and Standards.
DisabilityInfo.gov–http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentF… A comprehensive online resource designed to provide access to disability-related information and programs available across the U.S. government on subjects such as civil rights, community life, education, employment, housing, health, income support, technology and transportation.
Office for Civil Rights–http://www.ed.gov/ocr OCR ensures equal access to education and promotes educational excellence throughout the nation through vigorous enforcement of civil rights.
United States Department of Justice–http://www.usdoj.gov/ A Federal government website that provides information on disability rights.
Higher Education
Consortium on Institutional Cooperation–http://www.cic.uiuc.edu The CIC is the academic consortium of the Big Ten universities and the University of Chicago whose programs encompass nearly all aspects of university activity.
DO-IT Center–http://www.washington.edu/doit/ A project of the University of Washington which promotes success in academics and careers for individuals with disabilities, sponsors programs on assitive technology and provides professional development for educators and administrators.
National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA)–http://www.naspa.org
Yahoo Directory to Universities Around the World–http://dir.yahoo.com/Education/Higher_Education/Colleges_and_Universities/By_Region/Countries/
Yahoo Higher Education Directory–http://dir.yahoo.com/Education/Higher_Education/
Housing
Housing Rights of Disabled Tenants—http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/article-30121.html
National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification—http://www.homemods.org/
TAP – Making Homes Accessibles–http://www.resnaprojects.org/nattap/goals/community/HMRG.htm A resource guide produced by the RESNA Technical Assistance Project that provides information about assistive technology and home modifications.
US Department of Housing and Urban Development–http://www.hud.gov/groups/disabilities.cfm A one-stop compilation of information on housing and people with disabilities.
Independent Living
Berkeley Center for Independent Living–http://www.cilberkeley.org One of the founding organizations and national leaders in helping people with disabilities live independently and become full members of society.
ILUSA–http://www.ilusa.com/ Posts news of interest to people with disabilities, links to various government and other resources, and hosts an online directory of Independent Living Centers in the United States.
Independent Living Research Utilization–http://www.ilru.org A program of the Institute for Rehabilitation and Research at Baylor College, the ILRU is a national center for information, training, research, and technical assistance in independent living.
Institute on Independent Living–http://www.independentliving.org/ An international organization whose purpose is to promote the personal and political power, self-determination, full participation and equality of persons with disabilities.
Lift, Inc.–http://www.lift-inc.org A national organization that works with major corporations to recruit, train, and place people who have physical disabilities in information management positions.
National Council on Independent Living–http://www.ncil.org A membership organization promoting the independent living philosophy and advocating for the human rights of, and services for, people with disabilities.
Legal
ADA & IT Technical Assistance Centers–http://www.adata.org Information on accessible information technology is particularly relevant for K-12 schools and higher education. Provides technical assistance on ADA, including links to 10 federally-funded regional centers.
Internet Legal Resource Guide–http://www.ilrg.com/ A comprehensive general-interest resource of the information available on the Internet concerning law and the legal profession.
Americans with Disabilities Act Document Center–http://www.jan.wvu.edu/links/adalinks.htm
Listservs/Discussion Groups
Disability Listserv Lists–http://ideapolicy.org/disability_listserv_list.htm A gateway to 60+ listservs on a variety of disability-related topics hosted by the National Association of State Directors of Special Education.
Disability Listserv Resources–http://thinkquest.phillynews.com/tq1997/11799/data/resourses2.html A listing of 50+ listservs on disability conditions.
Disabled Student Services in Higher Education (DSSHEL)–http://listserv.buffalo.edu/archives/dsshe-l.html Archives and subscription information for this active discussion group.
Disabled-Faculty Discussion Group–http://aomlists.pace.edu/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=disabled-faculty&A=1 The DISABLED-FACULTY discussion is an email group that allows hundreds of higher education faculty members in more than 20 nations to share information on the experience and social and legal context of being a disabled university level instructor and/or researcher.
Medical And Rehabilitation Aspects Of Disability
National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.–http://www.rarediseases.orgA source for information on rare impairments and disorders.
Organizations: Consumer
American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today (ADAPT)–http://www.adapt.org ADAPT works via activism to enable people with disabilities to live in the community with supports rather than being in nursing homes and other institutions.
American Association of People with Disabilities–http://www.aapd-dc.org
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Inc. (DREDF)–http://www.dredf.org A national law and policy center dedicated to protecting and advancing the civil rights of people with disabilities.
Disaboom–http://www.disaboom.com A social networking site offering features on health and living, world news, job announcements and classifieds. Includes chat and video features.
National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE)– http://www.miusa.org/ncdeAHEAD is an active member of the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange’s (NCDE) Roundtable Consortium. Established in 1995, NCDE is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State and managed by Mobility International USA.
National Organization on Disability–http://www.nod.org
Self Help for Hard of Hearing–http://www.shhh.org The nation’s foremost association representing 26 million consumers who are hard of hearing.
ORGANIZATIONS:INTERNTIONAL
Action Without Borders–http://www.idealist.org A gateway to an international network of individuals and organizations with the goal of improving health, education and other opportunities for all people. Hosts the Idealist directory of 22,000 nonprofit and community organizations in 150 countries.
The European Disability Forum (EDF)–http://www.edf-feph.org/ A European umbrella organization representing the interests of 37 million disabled citizens in the EU and the EEA.
The European Union Disability Strategy–http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/soc-prot/disable/strategy_en.htm The European Commission’s strategy for a renewed approach focusing upon the identification and removal of the various barriers preventing disabled people from achieving equality of opportunity and full participation in all aspects of social life.
Disability Net–http://www.disabilitynet.co.uk/ Internet portal to resources for Disabled people in the United Kingdom.
The Disabled People’s Association Singapore–http://www.dpa.org.sg/ The DPA carries out the first and third objectives of the 2nd Asia-Pacific Regional assembly, namely: “To influence decision makers to implement policies and programs aiming at promoting social integration of persons with disability,” and “To share experiences concerning disability in order to co-operate in search of better solutions.”
Mobility International USA–http://www.miusa.org/
National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE)–http://www.miusa.org/ncde/ The NCDE works to educate people with disabilities and disability-related organizations about international educational exchange opportunities, promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in all types of exchange, community and volunteer service programs.
Organizations: Professional
American College Professionals Association–http://www.acpa.nche.edu Association for Higher Education Access and Disability (A.H.E.A.D.)–http://www.ahead.ie A.H.E.A.D. is an independent voluntary organization working to promote improved access for persons with disabilities to Third Level Education in Ireland, North and South.
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)–http://www.cec.sped.org CEC works to improve 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.
National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA)–http://www.naspa.org
National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD)–http://www.ldonline.org/about/partners/njcld The NJCLD is a national committee of representatives of organizations committed to the education and welfare of individuals with learning disabilities. Reports and information about learning disabilities are developed and disseminated to target audiences.
Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID)–http://www.rid.org
Organizations: Student
National Disabled Student Union–http://www.disabledstudents.org Established in response to the Garrett v. University of Alabama decision, NDSU is a national, cross-disability, activist student organization.
Reference: Library Services
American Library Association, Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies, Libraries Serving Special Populations Section–http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/ascla/asclaourassoc/asclasections/lssp… LSSPS is charged to improve the quality of library service for people with special needs including those with disabilities.
ALA – Library Services for People with Disabilities Policy–http://www.ala.org/ascla/access_policy.html
Reference: Statistical Information/Research
Disability Research Institute–http://www.als.uiuc.edu/dri This research partnership between the US Social Security Administration and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign plans and conducts research to promote disability policy information.
National Center for Education Statistics–http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/index.asp Federally funded entity for collecting, analyzing and reporting data related to education in the US and other countries.
National Center for the Study of Postsecondary Educational Supports–http://www.rrtc.hawaii.edu A Rehabilitation and Research Training Center at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa; recently published the National Survey of Educational Support Provision to Students with Disabilities in Postsecondary Education Settings.
National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC)–http://www.naric.com NARIC is a library and information center that provides information and referral, document delivery, and customized database searches for a wide range of disability and rehabilitation issues.
Technology: Accessible Computing and Communicating
The Caption Center WGBH–http://main.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/captioncenter/ The Caption Center is the world’s first captioning agency and a non-profit service of the WGBH Educational Foundation which captions nearly 250 hours per week of programming from all segments of the television industry.
The Captioned Media Program, National Association of the Deaf–http://www.cfv.org Provides captioned films (educational and popular) free of charge to individuals and institutions. Materials are available in English and Spanish.
Dolphin–http://www.dolphinuk.co.uk Provides accessibility solutions for computer access. Producer of EasePublisher (Word doc, 1MB).
Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D)–http://www.rfbd.org A national non-profit organization with a comprehensive volunteer-recorded library of textbooks on CD and cassette for people who can’t effectively read standard print.
Technology: Assistive Technology
Axistive Assistive Technology–http://www.axistive.com The AAT News Portal offers free news, articles, product reviews and all product and vendor information of assistive technology devices.
Closing the Gap–http://www.closingthegap.com An organization that promotes computer technology in special education and rehabilitation, and sponsors a popular annual conference in Minnesota.
Freedom Scientific online training–http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/training.asp The Training Department at Freedom Scientific offers free online training for JAWS and other assistive software.
Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America–http://www.resna.org An interdisciplinary association of people with a common purpose to improve the potential of people with disabilities to achieve their goals via technology.
Technology: Web Accessibility
The Federal Information Technology Accessibility Initiative–http://www.section508.gov Information on the Federal government interagency effort to offer information and technical assistance to assist in the successful implementation of Section 508.
Web Accessibility In Mind (WebAIM)–http://www.webaim.org This FIPSE-supported program is designed to improve accessibility to online learning opportunities for all people.
World Wide Web Consortium – Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0–http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/
Transportation
Department of Transportation–http://www.dot.gov/accessibility
