The Other Film Festival
New cinema by, with and about people with disability
"Australia's only disability film festival continues to bring groundbreaking films from around the world to Melbourne audiences. The Other Film Festival supports and encourages excellence in filmmaking, accessible cinema and the passionate exchange of ideas."
film: The Other Film Festival
Seeing Beyond Sight
photographs by blind teenagers
By Tony Deifell
"What are you thinking, teaching photography to blind people?"
Disability Social History Project
About the Disability Social History Project
"The Disability History Project is a community history project and we welcome your participation. This is an opportunity for disabled people to reclaim our history and determine how we want to define ourselves and our struggles. People with disabilities have an exciting and rich history that should be shared with the world."
LeroyMoore.com
"Leroy Moore is a disabled African American writer, poet, hip-hop lover, community activist and feminist. He has been sharing his perspective on identity, race & disability for the last thirteen years. His work began in London, England where he discovered a Black Disabled Movement which help led to the creation of his lecture series; ’On the Outskirts: Race & Disability. Leroy F. Moore Jr. is a 
consultant on Race & Disability. He has studied, worked and lectured in the field of race and disability concerning blues, hip-hop, and social justice issues in the
Leroy currently lectures for Speak Out, a national speaker’s bureau. For more than ten years Leroy has collected CDs, videos and articles from Blind Blues Artists and has rare CDs from disabled hip-hop artists.
Leroy has interviewed disabled hip-hop\soul\blues artists; DJ Quad of LA, Paraplegic MC of Chicago, Rob DA Noize of New York and the Blind Boys of Alabama to name a few. He has performed with Molotov Mouths, Po Poets, the Welfare Poets, Black Disabled Artists Sharing Stories, and has been a guest artist\lecturer in High schools and Universities across the country and in
The Gimp Parade
"Not only do physically disabled people have experiences which are not available to the able-bodied, they are in a better position to transcend cultural mythologies about the body, because they cannot do things the able-bodied feel they must do in order to be happy, 'normal,' and sane....If disabled people were truly heard, an explosion of knowledge of the human body and psyche would take place. -- Susan Wendell, author of The Rejected Body: Feminist Philosophical Reflections on Disability"
Cash and Counseling Model
“Cash & Counseling helps consumers direct and manage their personal assistance services according to their own specific needs. Our goal is to expand this proven model to more states, allowing thousands more older adults and people with disabilities to have choice and control over the care they receive."
Program Overview
"Cash & Counseling offers Medicaid consumers who have disabilities more choices about how to get help at home. Specifically, it gives frail elders and adults with disabilities the option to manage a flexible budget and decide for themselves what mix of goods and services will best meet their personal care needs. Cash & Counseling participants may use their budgets to hire their own personal care aides as well as purchase items or services, including home modifications that help them live independently. The Cash & Counseling Vision Statement fully describes the essential components of the model."
Big Noise
About the author:
"I abhor racism, sexism, ableism, hetrosexualism, ageism, and classism. I am for the rights of people with disabilities, GLB-and yes, even T and Q, women, workers, the oppressed, and people of color everywhere. I am a pro-liberation, pro-union, pro-peace, pro-empowerment, and anti-war feminist with a disability."
Theater By The Blind
"Theater By The Blind is a critically acclaimed company made up of both visually impaired and sighted theatre professionals. Founded in 1979, the company’s mission is to change the image of the blind from one of dependence to independence, to fight the stereotypes and misperceptions associated with blindness, and to show how vibrant, fluid and exuberant the visually impaired can be. Theater By The Blind is the only theater in the
Under the Artistic Direction of Founder Ike Schambelan and George Ashiotis, the company has developed several principal programs to achieve its mission. Among them: developing visually impaired talent for theater, movies and TV; writing original material revealing the world of the blind; touring to bring this material to as many people as possible; performing traditional material in a style to make it fully accessible to the blind; developing blind audiences; and integrating both the blind and the sighted in a shared aesthetic experience that bridges the gap between them.
The company performs for every kind of audience member imaginable, from general
In its long history, Theater By The Blind has won several awards, including the Califormia Governors Media Access Award, the Very Special Arts/New York City Mayor’s Award and the American Foundation for the Blind’s Helen Keller Achievement Award in Performing Arts."
The College of Direct Support (CDS)
The College of Direct Support (CDS) “Educating a workforce of Direct Support Professionals to support individuals with disabilities is what we do – “Building Careers, Supporting Lives.” Our curriculum, values and mission are based on the premise that all people should live life to its fullest in community-based settings.
The
CDS now reaches learners in 25 states from coast to coast with approximately 40,000 people making use of the training on a daily basis. We are training direct support workers in California, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Minnesota, Mississippi, Kansas, Tennessee, South Dakota, New Hampshire and Missouri, to name a few.
Our training curriculum is infused with a set of values and skill standards to train Direct Support Professionals and their supervisors and managers as they support people in community-based settings. Values such as inclusion, honored rights, leading self-determined lives and ethical, values-based treatment, among others, are at the core of CDS training and our mission.
We invite you to spend time with us here at the
Two Spirits Gallery
About the gallery:
"Two Spirits Gallery is dedicated to artists who’s lives have been affected by mental illness, substance abuse, or homelessness. Located in downtown Anchorage the Gallery opened in May of 2005 as part of the continuum of care offered through the Recovery Services unit at Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. Two spirits works with a diverse group of artists from across the state, some whose talents may already be known to the public and others whose talents have yet to be discovered."
"Paralyzed since I was 18 years old, I have spent much of the last 30 years thinking about the reasons why the social life of crippled people is so different from those who ambulate on two feet. After reading about the so called Ashley Treatment earlier this year I decided it was time to write a book about my life as a crippled man. My book, Bad Cripple: A Protest from an Invisible Man, will be published by Counter Punch in 2008."
Why I Burned My Book and Other Essays on Disability
By Paul Longmore
Below is an excerpt from a review by John Vickrey Van Cleve
"Over the course of an academic career, it's fairly common to publish a book or two, write an occasional article for specialized journals, and teach classes in a narrowly circumscribed field. These milestones are not generally difficult to achieve, but their significance is elusive. Few of us publish work that creates new paradigms or that leads to changes in public or private behavior. Perhaps our students reconsidered long-held beliefs or discovered new ways of interpreting their world, but in most cases we do not know. Looking back on three pleasurable decades in academia, therefore, I wonder whether my career has had an impact, whether it has meaning beyond personal gratification. Paul Longmore need not confront this painful question: in fewer than twenty years as a university historian, he has altered the practices of his chosen profession, and he has affected attitudes and institutional behavior nationwide."
Click here to read the full review
Disability²
"The intersection of parenting with a disability and parenting kids with disabilities"
About the author:
"I am an attorney in
I have several disabilities. I have a neuromuscular disease and am a power wheelchair user, and I am also deafblind. I am a single mom and have had three kids placed with me for adoption. My commitment to advocacy within the community of parents who have disabilities stems in large part from my own experiences becoming a parent."
The Sprout Film Festival
making the invisible visable
"We invite you to experience film and video related to the field of developmental disabilities. People with developmental disabilities as subjects and performers remain marginalized in the media. The Sprout Film Festival aims to raise their profile by showcasing works of all genres featuring this population.
By presenting films of artistry and intellect, the festival hopes to reinforce accurate portrayals of people with developmental disabilities and expose the general public to important issues facing this population. The goal is an enjoyable and enlightening experience that will help breakdown stereotypes, promoting a greater acceptance of differences and awareness of similarities. "
What is the objective of DisabilityStatistics.org?
"The DisabilityStatistics.org web site condenses several data sources into a single, user-friendly, accessible, Internet resource. It also provides essential background information on key issues related to disability statistics."
What is the history of DisabilityStatistics.org?
"For several years, researchers at Cornell University, with funding from the National Institute on Disability Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), have generated and distributed a large volume of national statistics on the prevalence of disability and the employment, income, and poverty status of people with disabilities. These statistics were often calculated over many years, across states, by type of disability and/or across demographic characteristics. Numerous scientific research papers, policy briefs, academic journal articles, book chapters, and research summaries have drawn on these disability statistics. Recently, the demand for additional demographic and statistical information has grown as a wider audience becomes interested in disability statistics.
To meet these needs, researchers at
neurotypical the movie
What is normal?
“Who is the ultimate authority on the subject of autism and how does public perception and policy derive from that supposed authority?” coming fall 2008
The Advocacy & Empowerment for Minorities Program (A&E)
"The Advocacy & Empowerment for Minorities Program (A&E) is an applied research center in the Department of Disability and Human Development at the
OUCH! Podcast
"The show features funny, intelligent hosts and interesting guests...
A truly great experience, thought provoking, creative and often hilarious... take the time to download and listen to the full archive of shows."
Fountain Gallery
The Mission:
"Fountain Gallery provides an environment for artists living and working with mental illness to pursue their personal visions and to challenge the stigma that surrounds mental illness."
Disability Studies at Syracuse
"The Center on Human Policy, Law, and Disability Studies (CHPLDS) is an expansion of the Center on Human Policy, which was founded by Dr. Burton Blatt in 1971. The Center is a network of academic programs, centers, student organizations, and affiliated faculty whose research, teaching, and advocacy seeks to promote the rights of people with disabilities locally, nationally, and globally, and to facilitate a critical examination of disability as an aspect of diversity in society."
Founding SU Academic Programs and Centers
AskAnAspie.com
A site put together by a group of college students who are on the spectrum, the site offers advice to others based on their own personal experiences. Though the site hasn't been updated in a while it's still a great resource.
“When it comes to information about autism, there are a lot of resources written by professionals for parents. There are a lot of support groups by parents for parents. But how much information out there aimed at parents was written by autistics? It can be hard for a neurotypical parent to understand how an autistic child sees the world, especially when that child has trouble communicating. We are a group of students at the University of Chicago who have Asperger's Syndrome and High Functioning Autism, and we're here to provide a window into the autistic worldview. We can provide information from our own personal experience, point you towards information in the thriving online autistic community, or give you a history of Middle English Pronouns. We're aspies. Between us, we know a lot of random stuff.”
ADAPT
"REAL HOMES NOT NURSING HOMES
Nationally ADAPT focuses on promoting services in the community instead of warehousing people with disabilities in institutions and nursing homes. Attendant services (help with things like eating, dressing, toileting, moving from wheelchair to bed, etc.) are the cornerstone to community based services for people with severe disabilities. ADAPT is working to get 25% of the Medicaid long term care funds redirected to pay for a national, mandated attendant services program.
WE WILL RIDE! ADAPT has a long history of organizing in the disability community and using civil disobedience and similar non- violent direct action tactics to achieve its goals. In 1983, as a project of the Atlantis Community in Denver, ADAPT began its national campaign for lifts on buses and access to public transit for people with disabilities. ADAPT started as American Disabled for Accessible Public Transit. For seven years ADAPT blocked buses in cities across the US to demonstrate the need for access to public transit. Many went to jail for the right to ride.
ADAPT played a major role in gaining passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA, particularly in ADA's stringent requirements relating to accessible transit, and its being seen as a civil rights law. Passage of this bill has meant victory for ADAPT in our struggle for lifts on buses.
FREE OUR PEOPLE
Once the transit issue was won and access was begun to be guaranteed, ADAPT felt it was clear attendant services must be our next issue. In a national planning meeting July 1990 ADAPT targeted the reallocation of one quarter of the federal and state Medicaid dollars from institutional programs to consumer controlled community based programs. ADAPT now also stands for American Disabled For Attendant Programs Today.
Many of ADAPT's members have been locked away in nursing homes and institutions because of their need for attendant services. Many had to fight to get out, and were among the lucky few who were able to get enough support services to live in the community.
Because of outdated attitudes toward people with disabilities which label us as "sick", our needs are seen as "medical" and a huge system of institutional facilities has developed to provide for these needs. This institutionalized industry which has developed continues to use up massive amounts of funds to maintain the status quo. ADAPT wants to reverse the bias so that community based attendant services are the common option, and nursing homes are reserved as a last resort.
The collages from Chicago and Atlanta done by Carolyn Long, tell their stories of these actions in their own way. The plaque included here was placed by the County and City of Denver and Denver RTD at the intersection on Colfax where the Atlantis Community held the first inaccessible bus and was one of the first historic markers in the struggle for disability rights. Wade Blank, a founder of Atlantis and ADAPT, used to take all visitors to see it, and always brought a bottle of Fantastic to clean it up. The plaque was stolen several years ago, but in the summer of 1995 a transit transfer station was built near the site. Dedicated to Wade, the station has another larger mural on an inside wall."
Audacity
"Audacity Magazine is a news and entertainment magazine geared toward the disability community in the United States and the world.
As such Audacity covers issues pertaining to life with a disability through the prism of disability to expose the public at large to the attitudes of those with physical challenges.
In addition to covering issues related to disability,Audacity writes stories pertaining to topical issues not directly related to disability per se, those stories give writers and the disability community a
chance to express their opinions.
Mouth
From the authors:
“Mouth brings the conversation down to street level, where well-intentioned "special" programs wreak havoc in the lives of ordinary people. People talk about calling a spade a spade. We call Jack Kevorkian a serial killer. And when maggots outnumber nurses' aides at what others call a "care facility," we call it a hellhole. We say it out loud: if special education is so darned special, every kid in every school ought to have the benefit of it.
Some folks call the Mouth radical. We think simpleminded is a better ephithet. Remember the other George Bush, when he campaigned in a supermarket and discovered that remarkable new checkout scanning technology? The man hadn't been to the grocery store since he was knee-high to a political consultant. Do-gooders are exactly that much out of touch with the helping system that they themselves operate.
Ask the next do-gooder you meet: Have you checked yourself into a nursing home lately? Tried to board an "accessible" bus in a wheelchair? Filed an
The answer will be no. It's not in their job description to use the godforsaken things.
And so it is that do-gooders go on doing their good about us --- without us.
And along comes the Mouth, roaring up from street level to take their system by the throat. This rude little magazine demands answers from the people in charge, laughs at the lying answers, and occasionally bites down, hard, somewhere near the throbbing jugular.”
media:
"If you're involved in developing and delivering communications activities and products, this web site will help you to redress the imbalance. This is more than just about accurately promoting the diversity of our society and doing what's right – it's a creative opportunity.
Images of Disability (IOD) is a cross-government initiative lead by the DWP to 'mainstream' images of disabled people into Government advertising and publicity. And we want to influence the private sector too.
An image of disability is a fair, creative and stimulating portrayal of disability. It can be anything from a photo, graphic or character in a storyline, to a visual or aural cue. The possibilities are endless."
Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program (BORP)
"Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program (BORP) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization working to improve the health, independence and social integration of people with physical disabilities through sports, fitness and recreation programs. At BORP, we believe that sports and recreation provide a path to greater achievement to which all people should have access, and we continually strive to make this a reality.
BORP is headquartered in Berkeley, California and is the leading provider and promoter of accessible sports and recreation opportunities for children and adults with physical disabilities in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. In addition to our high quality innovative sports and recreation programs, our expert staff provides advocacy, trainings, referrals and consultation services and have helped initiate adaptive sports programs in several other cities across the state. BORP also conducts disability awareness trainings and adaptive sports exhibitions for a variety of community agencies and serves as a valuable resource to physical therapists, rehabilitation hospitals, parks and recreation departments and related organizations.
Three Decades of Success
BORP was founded in 1976, by people with disabilities to create access to the outdoors, to fitness, to sports and to recreation for a population that had been left out. In the 1970's, there simply were no recreation programs in the state specifically for people with disabilities. Initially started as a small student program at UC Berkeley, BORP has since grown to serve children, adults and families from all over the greater Bay Area. Over the past 30 years, thousands of people have benefited from our innovative programs, trainings, referrals and consultations."
Partners In Policymaking
"Partners in Living" is a seven-hour self-directed e-learning course created to help people with developmental disabilities, their parents, family members and friends, educators and service providers understand the important concepts of self-determination, family support, community living and assistive technology. Go to www.partnersinpolicymaking.com/living to review the course. We would appreciate any comments and feedback. Please take a few minutes to fill out the feedback form within the course.
"Partners in Time" is an eight-hour self-directed e-learning course created to help people with developmental disabilities, their parents, family members and friends, educators and service providers understand the history of society's treatment of people with disabilities from ancient times through the present. Go to www.partnersinpolicymaking.com/history to review the course. We would appreciate any comments and feedback.
"Partners in Education" is a six-hour self-directed e-learning course to help parents with children with developmental disabilities better understand and maximize the benefits of special education services and inclusion for their children. Go to www.partnersinpolicymaking.com/education to review the course and give us your comments and feedback. The course has been updated to reflect IDEA 2004.
"Making Your Case" is a three-hour self-directed course on how to communicate with public officials by effectively telling your personal story, writing a letter, providing testimony, and communicating in positive ways. Go to www.partnersinpolicymaking.com/makingyourcase to review the course. Please take a moment to complete the evaluation. We welcome your comments and feedback. Click here to download a course outline for Making Your Case.
"Partners in Employment" is a six-hour self-directed course on how to find a job, write a resume, participate in an interview, and plan for your career. Go to www.partnersinpolicymaking.com/employment to take the course and give us your comments and feedback. Click here to download a course outline for Partners in Employment.
These e-learning courses are available to everyone!
PLEASE NOTE: There are NO registration fees for the "Partners in Living," "Partners in Time," "Partners in Education," "Making Your Case" or "Partners in Employment" e-learning courses.
The National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN)
The National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN) is dedicated to advancing the next generation of disability leaders.
The NYLN:
- Promotes leadership development, education, employment, independent living, and health and wellness among young leaders representing the diversity of race, ethnicity and disability in the
- Fosters the inclusion of young leaders with disabilities into all aspects of society at national, state and local levels.
- Communicates about issues important to youth with disabilities and the policies and practices that affect
Disability Rights and Independent Living Movement
"The DRILM collection consists of more than 100 oral histories with leaders and shapers of the disability rights and independent living movement from the 1960s onward and an extensive archive of personal papers of activists and records of key organizations."
Access these collections by:
Alphabetical listing of individuals and organizations
Geographical location of individuals and organizations
Organization name
Research and study topics
"UC Berkeley’s Bancroft Library, through its Regional Oral History Office, has recorded and continues to record the stories of individuals who have made significant contributions to the origins and achievements of these movements. The Bancroft Library also collects, preserves, and provides access to the papers of organizations and individuals of importance to the struggles for disability rights and independent living. The collection highlights the broad range of strategies and tactics employed, the diverse experience of the activists involved, and the intersection of disability in
Wow!
What a fantastic, thought provoking project, thanks to the the blog Diary of a Goldfish and the many, many contributors.
The Independent Living Institute (ILI)
"The Independent Living Institute (ILI) is a policy development center specializing in consumer-driven policies for disabled peoples' freedom of choice, self-determination, self-respect and dignity. Our ultimate goal is to promote disabled people’s personal and political power. Towards this end we provide information, training materials and develop solutions for services for persons with extensive disabilities in
Advocacy Unlimited, Inc.
"Advocacy Unlimited offers education in self, systems, and legislative advocacy skills for persons in recovery from psychiatric disabilities.
Advocacy Unlimited, Inc. is a statewide nonprofit organization in
AU's Advocacy Education Course is open to any
Graduates are placed within the community for six months and become part of a grassroots network of trained advocates that help others in their recovery, especially by advocating for their rights and also teaching them to advocate for themselves. Our core value and belief is that everyone should be treated equally regardless of race, gender, or disability. Knowledge and skills ensure that people play a central role in shaping the services and policies that affect their lives.
Advocacy Unlimited also provides a wealth of information, support, and resources pertaining to mental health and the issues surrounding mental illness, including awareness and stigma. AU has developed a network of mental health advocates across
Just Give Him The Whale
20 Ways to Use Fascinations, Areas of Expertise, and Strengths to Support Students with Autism
By Paula Kluth, Ph.D., & Patrick Schwarz, Ph.D. (In Press)
Advocating Change Together
"Advocating Change Together (ACT) is a disability rights organization that is:
- run by and for people with developmental disabilities and other disabilities.
- committed to this premise: It is not the individual who must change to fit society, but society and systems that must change to accommodate all people.
- responding to the societal problem that individuals with developmental disabilities are too often isolated and excluded from decisions regarding their lives.
Historically, persons with disabilities have been on the receiving end of change, having no control over what services they receive, such as what accommodations are made available for education or employment. Today, thanks to the self-advocacy movement, people with disabilities are creating change - demanding equal rights and equal participation.
ACT's mission is to encourage and support this change. Through our programs and products, ACT works in two ways-- providing information, skill building, and leadership opportunities to individuals with disabilities; and challenging institutional barriers by organizing people with disabilities around issues of common concern."
Nicu’s Spoon
"Founded in early 2001, Nicu’s Spoon is dedicated to producing socially reflective theatre that presents new ideas, challenges stereotypes, and touches the heart in an unexpected way. We celebrate collaboration in developing productions that are pertinent for today’s global, diverse and rapidly changing world.
We are a leader in working with all colors, ages, genders, abilities and ethnicities in NYC. Each play involves the rainbow we see around us on the streets of NYC. We change the world, one play at a time….
Contact Information:
Within our company we speak American Sign Language, Portuguese, Chinese, Urdu, French, German, Spanish, Romanian, Italian and English. Contact us - we want to hear what you want to say.
For Sales or Special Access needs please call (646) 299-5345.
Relay calls are welcome! (711, TTY, VRS, or Internet)
Self-Advocacy Resource Network Memo
"With its weekly e-mail Memo, SARN is the facilitator of a national dialogue among self-advocates and supporters and a clearinghouse for materials and training that support self-advocacy. Individuals and groups interested in self-advocacy are invited to become a part of the network (at no charge) by contacting ACT."
Person-centered planning Education Site
“What is person-centered planning?
We're glad you asked! Person-centered planning is a process-oriented approach to empowering people with disability labels. It focuses on the people and their needs by putting them in charge of defining the direction for their lives, not on the systems that may or may not be available to serve them. This ultimately leads to greater inclusion as valued members of both community and society.
Person-centered planning involves the development of a "toolbox" of methods and resources that enable people with disability labels to choose their own pathways to success; the planners simply help them to figure out where they want to go and how best to get there.
In this site you will find:
- an overview of the person-centered planning process
- a self-study course covering the basic processes involved
- a quiz section to help you focus on areas you may need to cover more thoroughly
- a compendium of readings and activities for you to use on your own
- various links and downloadable resources.
. . . all of which are geared toward facilitating and enhancing your awareness of and appreciation for person-centered planning. We think you will enjoy your visit with us!
Using a screen-reader program? No problem! This site is completely accessible, and all the study materials found here are available in text-only formats that you can download and peruse at your convenience.”
EDGE
"You are on the EDGE!
Mainstream Online
About...
"For over 25 years, MAINSTREAM has been advocating for disability rights. Produced by, for and about people with disabilities, MAINSTREAM covers news & current affairs, new products & technology, profiles of movers & shakers, education, employment, sexuality & relationships, housing, transportation, travel & recreation."
"The Dancing Tree is an alliance of visual and performing artists that is devoted to making the hidden visible. We seek to facilitate, develop, perform, document and publish the stories of people who have been underrepresented because of disability, incarceration, illness, lifestyle, age or circumstance. Combining movement , rhythm, music, writing, video, animation, photography, drawing and painting, we help to create works that develop body and spatial awareness, encourage self-acceptance, self-expression, and self-advocacy among artists from these unseen communities, and at the same time challenge the public's usual notions of "art."
Amanda Coslor is dedicated to the creative process and honest expressions of individual's personal life experiences and values. She believes that art is a tool that brings value to voices, images and stories that may not be seen by the mainstream media. She seeks to understand the hidden in our society because she believes that is where truth exists. Bringing hidden voices, movement, and images out into the world deepens our understanding of ourselves. She hopes to earn the trust and share her love with the people she collaborates with.
site:
Wrong Planet Net
“WrongPlanet.net is a web community designed for individuals (and parents of those) with Asperger's Syndrome, Autism, ADHD, and other PDDs. We provide a forum, where members can communicate with each other, an article section, where members may read and submit essays or how-to guides about various subjects, and a chatroom for real-time communication with other Aspies.”
Self-Advocacy Leadership Network
"The Self-Advocate Leadership Network, established in 1998, is a collaboration between self-advocate from across the country and the Human Services Research Institute (HSRI). We offer training directly to self-advocates and others - including family members, direct support staff and board members.
The curriculum, "My Voice, My Choice - A Manual for Self-Advocates," provides the basis for much of the training. "My Voice, My Choice" emphasizes basic skills and information related to self-advocacy, how service systems work, and self-determination. The curriculum is designed in a way that makes the information easy to learn and fun. It uses ordinary language, group activities, puzzles, overheads, and more to help people learn and remember the information.
In addition, training on other topics is available using toolkits. These topics include planning and giving a presentation, establishing an AmeriCorps*
Creativity Explored
"Creativity Explored enables adults with developmental disabilities to express themselves artistically in a way that is personally rewarding and appreciated by others. We work to enrich the community by increasing awareness of the value and diversity of artistic expression.
Creativity Explored is an uncommon place, filled with color, vibrance, and joy. A visit to our two centers reveals over 125 artists working both collaboratively and individually in large, light-filled studios. The floors are splattered with paint, ficus trees arch gracefully toward the high ceilings, and the walls are covered with art of every medium.
Creativity Explored studio artists come from diverse backgrounds and bring with them a wide variety and range of experience, ability, and sensibilities. Some of our artists just turned twenty years old, while others are in their eighties. Some have lived lives of previous isolation or institutionalization, while others have lived their entire lives with their families in a supportive and accepting environment. Many of our studio artists speak different languages, or do not speak, and are unable to communicate with each other using spoken language. At Creativity Explored, visual art is language everyone can use to share culture, 
experience, and feelings.
At Creativity Explored, uncensored self-expression is both encouraged and celebrated. The result is art that is fresh, exciting, and innovative. We invite you to share our collective experience, to participate in our community, and to benefit from the significant contributions made by artists with disabilities to the cultural life of the broader community. Our common thread is the basic need to express self, and the tapestry we weave using art is a strong, durable community rich in color, form, and context. We invite you to become a part of our community."
ParentAdvocates.org
"Through our website, you can learn your rights as a taxpayer and parent as well as to which programs, monies and more your child may be entitled...and why you may not be able to exercise these rights.
ParentAdvocates.org is an online newsmagazine which seeks to inform and empower parents or guardians of children, taxpayers, and people of all nationalities. We believe that we, as a group, must hold our leaders and elected officials accountable for the actions they take vis-Ã -vis our children and our lives, and we will tell you what those actions are as well as give you resources so that you may pursue what needs to be done to change the system and make it user friendly. When we see corruption in the workplace, in our government, or in our private lives, we must speak up, and we have the right to do this without retaliation. When our children do not receive a free and appropriate education and are ignored by politicians we need to take action immediately and not depend on others to resolve the issues at hand."
DisAbled Women's Network Canada (DAWN)
DAWN Canada's mission is to end the poverty, isolation, discrimination and violence experienced by women with disabilities. We are working to ensure we get the services and supports we need, have access to opportunities that non-disabled people take for granted, and have freedom of choice in all aspects of our lives.
To achieve our mission on behalf of women with disabilities, we have set the following goals:
- to do outreach with all women with disabilities, including aboriginal women, black women, Asian women, South Asian women, women of color, immigrant women, lesbians, older women, women in institutions and single mothers.
- to address issues such as poverty, employment equity, violence, mothering, sexuality, health, isolation, access to services and New Reproductive Technologies (NRTs).
- to be a resource for and about women with disabilities and our concerns.
- to provide role models for girls with disabilities.
- to be a bridge between women with disabilities and the women's movement.
- to work together with the women's movement on issues which effect all women and to help the movement become more accessible to women with disabilities.
- to work in coalition with those who share our concerns for social justice; and
- to be the voice of women with disabilities in
Whirlwind Wheelchair International
"Whirlwind Wheelchair International works to make it possible for every person in the developing world who needs a wheelchair to obtain one that will lead to maximum personal independence and integration into society. In order to fulfill this mission, WWI seeks to give wheelchair riders a central role in all of its projects and activities.
Program Description
Whirlwind Wheelchair International is a program of the Center for Civic and Community Engagment at San Francisco State University (SFSU). Founded in 1989 as the
Whirlwind technology has been taken to 45 countries. Hotchkiss's pioneering work has led to many innovations that are integral to wheelchair models produced by many workshops and NGOs around the world. All of WWI’s designs are placed in the public domain in order not to add to the cost of village wheelchair shops using these designs.
From its inception, Whirlwind mostly concentrated its efforts on establishing small shop production in Africa, Asia, and
The World Institute on Disability (WID)
"The World Institute on Disability is an internationally recognized public policy center organized by and for people with disabilities. It works to strengthen the disability movement through research, training, advocacy and public education to help people with disabilities throughout the world enjoy increased opportunities to live independently.
Founded in 1983 by leaders of the Independent Living Movement, WID's work focuses on issues and problems that directly affect people’s ability to live full and independent lives. WID’s programs address employment, economic development and financial stability issues; conduct research and policy analysis on personal assistance services, accessible health care, technology and other topics; and provide assistance to non governmental organizations (NGOs) and disabled leaders in developing countries.
A majority of the Board and staff are persons with disabilities."
ASSIST! to Independence
"The mission of ASSIST! to
ASSIST! to
ASSIST! currently serves as the umbrella organization for five major programs:
The Regional Resource Center for Assistive Technology
The Center for Independent Living
The Special Needs Toy Lending Library
The Functional Assessment Clinic
The Sensory Integration Program
We are located on the western edge of the Navajo Reservation in
The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD)
"NCPAD is an information center concerned with physical activity and disability. Being physically active is good for every body. That's a message you will find many times on this site. Being active is an important part of getting and staying healthy. One 'must read' item on this website is our monograph on Can Disability, Chronic Conditions, Health and Wellness Coexist? in which author June Kailles discusses the common confusion people have about the relationship between having a disability and being healthy. Once you realize that EVERY BODY needs some activity to get and remain healthy, you will find we have a great many resources to help you find how YOU can participate. We have information and resources for EVERYONE, from guidelines to consider before starting any kind of exercise program to factsheets on many popular activites, games, recreational pursuits, and sports that have been adapted to allow people with disabilities to participate as fully as they wish, become as active as they wish."
Ouch... It's a disability thing
What is Ouch?
"Ouch is a website from the BBC that reflects the lives and experiences of disabled people. It has regular columns, features, quizzes, a monthly near-cult podcast, a blog or two and a community messageboard amongst other stuff. All contributors, well, 99% of them, are disabled - and Ouch's editorial team is rather wonky and deserve big fat special diversity badges too.
But disability is really dull... I'm off.
Um, ssshhhh, secretly we agree with you. Disability can be a bit dull on mainstream TV and in mainstream publications cos they often seize on the wrong things as being important or interesting. For instance, here at Ouch if we hear about yet another blind person about to break the so-called "blind land speed record" we'll vom chunks. Why is that inspirational, again? We don't get it.
Often media doesn't report how rich and varied the lives of us disableds are, and so, here we are, putting our necks on the line for BBC bosses telling them that you lot are more fascinating than just a DSS form, a ramp or a massive drugs prescription list. Don't let us down readers - or we'll look like utter spazmos.
Some of this stuff is quite funny - can I laugh?
You complete sicko. Why should you want to laugh at the plight of the disabled? I've just asked round the office and everyone is now Googling you, and will probably send you some dog poo in the mail. There is NOTHING funny about being disabled we can assure you. Actually, we have just taken a vote and are going to use your name as a swear word from now on.
Disabled people are uniquely placed to see some of the stupidest things around, though. Maybe we'll go that far.
Why is the site called Ouch?
Oooh, good question. We spent literally months trying to come up with a name that wasn't too patronising (bbc.co.uk/smile_through_the_tears) or too suggestive of hideous '90s positivity (bbc.co.uk/Able2Jump2TheSky).
The site's editor Damon Rose came up with the name Ouch! one morning in the shower. He says: "There's an Ouch moment when you become disabled or give birth to a disabled child. There's an Ouch moment when someone gets into the lift, catches the eye of a disabled person then quickly looks away. There are many Ouch moments when people just see disability as a problem and push it to one side because they're too scared or embarrassed to embrace it or tackle it. Without appearing too negative, we're all aware that disability can be the big elephant in the room that no one talks about - Ouch!"
If the World had Wheels
"I'm a clinical psychology doctoral student who blogs about the ups and downs of life as seen through my O.I. eyes."
Disability Culture Watch
by Simi Linton
A disability-focused commentary on the arts
"I am on the watch:
* reporting on what disabled artists of all stripes are doing;
* calling attention to the all-too-common misrepresentations of disability;
* lauding the smart depictions and revealing characterizations that are beginning to pop up - even in mainstream media.
Disabled artists are at work in every medium - in film, theater, TV, dance, music, multimedia and the fine arts. When those artists have the desire and artistic freedom to explore disability in creative and far-reaching ways, Disability Culture Watch will chronicle their work.
There is an emerging cadre of dancers, actors, writers, performance artists, and painters who are actively engaging with both the fact and idea of disability. The most exciting work explores what disability provides the artist, rather than what feats someone can perform despite disability. When disabled artists use their unique bodies and voices, something innovative happens. My job is to follow these turns and twists on the cultural map, selectively reporting and critiquing this vital phenomena."
film: Focus Film Festival
FOCUS Film Festival
MISSION
“FOCUS Film Festival (hereafter the Festival) explores documentary and feature films which “focus” on and examine the complexity of the human experience: relationships, aging, disability, culture, lifestyle, and more. Our objective is to enlighten and inspire our community by featuring quality films which offer insight into the lives of people from all walks of life. By showing a broad range of human experience, we believe we are closing the gap in perception, proving we are more alike than we are different.”
The Icarus Project
Their mission:
"The Icarus Project envisions a new culture and language that resonates with our actual experiences of 'mental illness' rather than trying to fit our lives into a conventional framework. We are a network of people living with experiences that are commonly labeled as bipolar or other psychiatric conditions. We believe we have mad gifts to be cultivated and taken care of, rather than diseases or disorders to be suppressed or eliminated. By joining together as individuals and as a community, the intertwined threads of madness and creativity can inspire hope and transformation in an oppressive and damaged world. Our participation in The Icarus Project helps us overcome alienation and tap into the true potential that lies between brilliance and madness."
blog: neurodiversity.com
neurodiversity.com
“My goal is to increase goodwill and compassion in the world, and to help reduce suffering. I seek to help reduce the suffering of autistic children and adults, who often face extraordinary challenges in many domains of life, challenges made more difficult by others' unrealistic expectations and demands, negative judgments, harassment and economic marginalization. I seek to help reduce the suffering of family and community members who are bewildered and distressed by actions of and interactions with autistic people, and who are concerned for their own and others' safety and well-being. I seek to help increase the capability of educators and service providers to provide effective, respectful support for those on the autistic spectrum.”
blog: Parents with Disabilites
Parents with Disabilities
"musings about media, law, culture and other issues affecting parents with disabilities"
this way of life
This Way of Life
"Welcome to my site about autism and advocacy - or, as I like to say,
Through this site, you can explore the real difficulties we experience. You can also celebrate with me the beauty of autistic existence. There are even resources for other autistics – resources that can hopefully help us to overcome the difficulties we face.
The Sibling Support Project
"The Sibling Support Project is a national effort dedicated to the life-long concerns of brothers and sisters of people who have special health, developmental, or mental health concerns.
We believe that disabilities, illness, and mental health issues affect the lives of all family members. Consequently, we want to increase the peer support and information opportunities for brothers and sisters of people with special needs and to increase parents' and providers' understanding of sibling issues.
Our mission is accomplished by training local service providers on how to create community-based peer support programs for young siblings; hosting workshops, listservs, and websites for young and adult siblings; and increasing parents' and providers' awareness of siblings' unique, lifelong, and ever-changing concerns through workshops, websites, and written materials."
Independent Living Resource Center San Francisco (ILRCSF)
Our newest logo now contains three circles symbolizing the three overall services our agency provides to the disability community namely -Information, support, and advocacy. Specifically ILRCSF programs and services include Information & Referrals services, Assistive Technology education and support, Peer Counseling, System Change Advocacy, Housing Counseling, Benefits & Employment Planning, Individual Advocacy, Benefits Eligibility, Transitioning from Institutional Living, and Self Advocacy Training.
At ILRCSF we are committed to working with people who are representative of our entire community: African American, Chinese, Latino, people with psychiatric disabilities, multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS): people who are blind, deaf, use wheelchairs: people who are straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, family members and small businesses. We invite you to visit us, to see the artwork on our office walls, hear the languages we speak and the music at our agency parties. We celebrate diversity, encourage empowerment and promote equal access for everyone. We view this work not as task but a gift, one we are happy to share with all who see value in our beliefs and commitment to empower for all."
publisher: Advocado Press
Advocado Press
"Publishing books and periodicals on disability rights and the disability experience since 1981."
M I S S I O N
The Waisman Center's mission is to advance knowledge about human development, developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases.
A C T I V I T I E S
In pursuit of its mission, the
Research: Scientists at the
Training: Training of undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows occurs throughout the
Service: The
Outreach: The Waisman Center shares its resources in many ways-through public lectures and seminars; through consultation to physicians, educators, and other professionals; through an internet web site and resource center specializing in topics related to developmental disabilities; and through articles in professional journals, books, and other publications."
book:
Disability/ Postmodernity: Embodying Disability Theory
Edited by Mairian Corker and Tom Shakespeare
AFB Senior Site
Learning to Live with Vision Loss, Small Changes Make Big Differences
"If you or someone you care about has recently been diagnosed with vision loss, then you probably have a lot of questions. We're confident that the information here will give you useful answers. Right now, in your community, people with vision loss are working, playing, and living independently. This site will help you join them by connecting you with information, videos, personal stories, an online community, and links to helpful resources in your area."
Podcast: Disability Nation
DisabilityNation
"
DisabilityNation highlights people working, participating in the sport or recreation of their choice, married couples, singles, children and adults, politicians and couch potatoes who happen to be people with disabilities. You will hear conversations about life, not necessarily about the disability."
Institute on Disability and Human Development
"The Institute on Disability and Human Development (IDHD), a
Aspies for Freedom
“At Aspies for Freedom we are aiming for certain rights and opportunities. We are fighting against the idea of a cure for autism. We believe autism and aspergers syndrome are genetic, not a disease, and certainly not something that should be cured. We do not require "fixing", and should be allowed to be happy with who we are, not subjected to the torment of having to believe we are wrong to be born as we are.”
The Research and Training Center on Community Living
"The Research and
Featured Publications & Products
National Residential Information Systems Project (RISP) - For over 20 years, the National Residential Information Systems Project has been collecting and disseminating annually, national and state statistics on public and private residential services, Medicaid program utilization, expenditures, etc.
2006 RISP Report (PDF) (2007); File Size: 24.4 MB
View older RISP Reports
Quality Mall - Quality Mall is a web site that gathers and disseminates information related to or useful in promoting the quality of life for persons with developmental disabilities. It especially focuses on promising person-centered practices and innovations.
College of Direct Support - The College of Direct Support (CDS) is a computer-assisted, competency-based, interactive multimedia training curriculum for direct support professionals in community settings."
The RTC is part of the Institute on Community Integration (ICI), in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota.
blog: Andrea’s Buzzing About
"WHAT'S THE BUZZ?
An "insect psychologist" examines human behaviour, education, and disability rights, from personal and social theory perspectives and points inbetween."
blog: Disability Rants
Disability Rants
"Step in and read some of my trials and tribulations of life as a wheelchair user. Agree, disagree, offer advice, condolences, congratulations, irate responses, laughter, similar experiences... whatever! It's all welcome!"
Disability Studies for Teachers
"Disability Studies for Teachers is a web-based resource for teachers who want to introduce students in social studies, history, literature, and related subjects in grades 6-12 to disability studies and disability history. Resources on this site also can be adapted for use in postsecondary education. The project prepares lesson plans, essays, and teaching materials. It also draws on and contains links to other materials found on public educational, disability, and history websites.
The project is based on a disability studies perspective. Disability studies refers generally to the examination of disability as a social, cultural, and political phenomenon. In contrast to clinical, medical, or educational approaches to disability, disability studies focuses on how disability is defined and represented in society. From this perspective, disability is not a characteristic that exists in the person so defined, but a construct that finds its meaning in social and cultural context.
The Sponsor
The project is sponsored by the Center on Human Policy, a disability research and policy institute in the School of Education at Syracuse University (http://thechp.syr.edu). The Center was founded in 1971 to promote the full inclusion of people with disabilities in society."
blog: Disability Studies, Temple U.
Disability Studies, Temple U.
“Cool stuff in the world of Geography, Disability Studies, and Educational Leadership. Based at
NCIL
"Mission
Vision: NCIL envisions a world in which people with disabilities are valued equally and participate fully.
The National Council on Independent Living is the longest-running national cross-disability, grassroots organization run by and for people with disabilities. Founded in 1982, NCIL represents thousands of organizations and individuals including: Centers for Independent Living (CILs), Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs), individuals with disabilities, and other organizations that advocate for the human and civil rights of people with disabilities throughout the
An outcome of the national Disability Rights and Independent Living Movements, NCIL was founded to embody the values of disability culture and Independent Living philosophy, which creates a new social paradigm and emphasizes that people with disabilities are the best experts on their own needs, that they have crucial and valuable perspective to contribute to society, and are deserving of equal opportunity to decide how to live, work, and take part in their communities.
Since its inception, NCIL has carried out its mission by assisting member CILs and SILCs in building their capacity to promote social change, eliminate disability-based discrimination, and create opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in the legislative process to affect change. NCIL promotes a national advocacy agenda set by its membership and provides input and testimony on national disability policy.
Sadly, our vision of equality has not yet been fully realized. Many people with disabilities remain imprisoned in nursing homes and our civil rights laws are undermined and devalued on an increasing basis. As a membership organization, NCIL needs the support of all our nation’s advocates in order to achieve our goals and advance the Disability Rights Movement. We hope you’ll join us!"
blog: 19th Floor
19th Floor
"The 19th Floor is a little project I started in August 2002. I had read a couple articles about blogging and I thought to myself, “Hey, I can do that!” I promptly signed up for a Blogger account and started writing about inane shit that nobody cares about. And I haven’t stopped since.
I usually write about whatever is on my mind. Sometimes I riff off of stuff I read in other blogs. Sometimes I just write about the banalities of my own life. I’m a frustrated fiction writer, so I find that blogging is a good warm-up or cool-down for my more serious writing. One thing that does seem to separate me from other bloggers is my disability. I have a neuromuscular disability known as spinal muscular atrophy. It’s been a part of my life since birth and I don’t give it much thought, but you will see me mention various aspects of it from time to time."
Beach Center on Disability
"Through excellence in research, teaching and technical assistance, and service in Kansas, the United States of America, and globally, and through collaborations with those individuals and entities dedicated to the same ends, the Beach Center on Disability will make a significant and sustainable difference in the quality of life of families and individuals affected by disability and of those who are closely involved with them."
film
An International Disability Film Festival
“Through the power of film, PROJECTIONS 2 provides a forum for the examination of ideas, myths, fears and attitudes as portrayed by people with disabilities. PROJECTIONS 2 provides an opportunity to engage, stimulate discussion, challenge perceptions and expand awareness or simply entertain.
From the more than 80 feature films that were received from around the globe, 39 films from 17 countries were chosen comprising an outstanding and diverse selection of documentaries, shorts, animations and experimental films. The films selected for screening at this 4-Day film showcase are written, produced, directed and/or star individuals with disabilities. In addition to film screenings, PROJECTIONS 2 will include post screening discussions with outstanding film-makers David Mitchell, Paul Nadler and Sharon Snyder.”
Mothers From Hell
"Mothers From Hell 2 (MFH2) is a grass-roots parent advocacy group, fighting for the appropriate education, community acceptance, desperately needed services, rights of, and entitlements for individuals with disabilities. We offer support and empowerment for families of individuals with special needs."
AutismAsperger.net
AutismAsperger.net
By Stephen Shore
Biography of Stephen Shore
“Diagnosed with "Atypical Development with strong autistic tendencies" Stephen Shore Stephen Shore is now completing his doctoral degree in special education at Boston University with a focus on helping people on the autism spectrum develop their capacities to the fullest extent possible.
In addition to working with children and talking about life on the autism spectrum, Stephen presents and consults internationally on adult issues pertinent to education, relationships, employment, advocacy, and disclosure as discussed in his book Beyond the Wall: Personal Experiences with Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Ask and Tell: Self-advocacy and Disclosure for People on the Autism Spectrum, and the forthcoming Understanding Autism for Dummies.
A board member of the Autism Society of America and president emeritus of the Asperger’s Association of New England, Stephen serves for the Board of Directors for Unlocking Autism, the Autism Services Association of Massachusetts, MAAP, and the College Internship Program.”
H-Net Book Reviews for H-Disability
Below are links to some reviews from the site sorted by author...
Adams, Rachel
Title: Sideshow U.S.A.: Freaks and the American Cultural Imagination
Reviewer: Martha L. Rose
Andrews, Jonathan and Andrew Scull
Title: Undertaker of the Mind: John Monro and Mad-Doctoring in Eighteenth-Century England
Reviewer: John S. Haller, Jr.
Bakke, Dave
Title: God Knows His Name: The True story of John Doe No. 24
Reviewer: Steven Noll
Barasch, Moshe
Title: Blindness: The History of a Mental Image in Western Thought
Reviewer: Edward Wheatley
Burch, Susan
Title: Signs of Resistance: American Deaf Cultural History, 1900 to 1942
Reviewer: Brad Byrom
Davis, Lennard J.
Title: Bending over Backwards: Disability, Dismodernism, and Other Difficult Positions
Reviewer: Susan Burch
Freeberg, Ernest
Title: The Education of Laura Bridgman: First Deaf and Blind Person to Learn Language
Reviewer: Hannah Joyner
Gaillard, Henri
Title: Gaillard in Deaf America: A Portrait of the Deaf Community, 1917
Reviewer: R.A.R. Edwards
Gerber, David A., ed.
Title: Disabled Veterans in History. Corporealities: Discourses of Disability.
Reviewer: Daniel J. Wilson
Gitter, Elisabeth
Title: The Imprisoned Guest: Samuel Howe and Laura Bridgman, the Original Deaf-Blind Girl
Reviewer: Hannah Joyner
Husson, Therese-Adele
Title: Reflections: The Life and Writings of a Young Blind Woman in Post-Revolutionary France
Reviewer: Gay L. Gullickson
Johnson, Mary and Barrett Shaw, eds
Title: To Ride the Public's Buses: The Fight that Built a Movement
Reviewer: Richard K. Scotch
Johnston, Basil
Title: Crazy Dave
Reviewer: Robert Bogdan
Klages, Mary
Title: Woeful Afflictions: Disability and Sentimentality in Victorian America
Reviewer: Wendy Kline
Kline, Wendy
Title: Building a Better Race: Gender, Sexuality, and Eugenics from the Turn of the Century to the Baby Boom
Reviewer: Molly Ladd-Taylor
Title: Why I Burned My Book and Other Essays on Disability
Reviewer: John Vickrey Van Cleve
Longmore, Paul K. and Lauri Umansky, eds.
Title: The New Disability History: American Perspectives
Reviewer: Brenda Jo Bruggemann
Ott, Katherine and David Serlin, and Stephen Mihm, eds
Title: Artificial Parts, Practical Lives: Modern Histories of Prosthetics
Reviewer: Dudley S. Childress
Scotch, Richard K.
Title: From Good Will to Civil Rights: Transforming Federal Disability Policy
Reviewer: Gerald V. O'Brien
Switzer, Jacqueline Vaughn
Title: Disabled Rights: American Disability Policy and the Fight for Equality
Reviewer: Stephen Gulley
SABE
To ensure that people with disabilities are treated as equals and that they are given the same decisions, choices, rights, responsibilities, and chances to speak up to empower themselves; opportunities to make new friends; and to learn from their mistakes.
H-Disability
"H-Disability is a scholarly discussion group that explores the multitude of historical issues surrounding the experience and phenomenon of 'disability.' H-Disability was established in response to the growing academic interest and expanding scholarly literature on issues of disability throughout the world."
In addition to the discussion group the site also has comprehensive book reviews.
Professional Advancement through Training and Education in Human Services. (PATHS)
“PATHS” stands for Professional Advancement through Training and Education in Human Services. The Ohio PATHS Program educates DSPs working in the field of mental retardation and developmental disabilities in the skills needed to work effectively. The results for the DSPs who have participated have been tremendous. DSPs are learning and refining skills and then exhibiting new confidence and professionalism in their work with individuals with MRDD.
National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
"The ultimate purpose of the National Federation of the Blind is the complete integration of the blind into society on a basis of equality. This objective involves the removal of legal, economic, and social discriminations; the education of the public to new concepts concerning blindness; and the achievement by all blind people of the right to exercise to the fullest their individual talents and capacities. It means the right of the blind to work along with their sighted neighbors in the professions, common callings, skilled trades, and regular occupations."
AHEAD
Association on Higher Education and Disability
"AHEAD is the premiere professional association committed to full participation of persons with disabilities in postsecondary education. As an international resource, AHEAD:
- values diversity, personal growth and development, and creativity
- promotes leadership and exemplary practices
- provides professional development and disseminates information
- orchestrates resources through partnership and collaboration
AHEAD dynamically addresses current and emerging issues with respect to disability, education, and accessibility to achieve universal access.
Since 1977 AHEAD has delivered quality training to higher education personnel through conferences, workshops, publications and consultation. AHEAD members represent a diverse network of professionals who actively address disability issues on their campuses and in the field of higher education."
Institute on Community Integration
"The Institute was established in 1985 on the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. We are a federally designated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD - pronounced U Said), part of a national network of similar programs in major universities and teaching hospitals across the country. We
are currently home to over 80 projects and four affiliated centers through which we carry out activities addressing the needs of persons with disabilities across the life span.
Mission
Activities
Program Areas
Affiliated Centers
Partners and Collaborators
Advisory Councils
Funding
Contact Information
Mission
The Institute's mission is to improve the quality and community orientation of services and supports available to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Rather than providing direct services itself, the Institute works with community service providers, school districts, advocacy and self-advocacy organizations, policymakers, and researchers around the world to provide state-of-the-art information and practices that support the community integration of individuals with disabilities."
ABLEDATA
ABLEDATA provides objective information about assistive technology products and rehabilitation equipment available from domestic and international sources. Although ABLEDATA does not sell any products, we can help you locate the companies that do.
Disability Rights Movement
An exhibit by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
Note from the curator:
This exhibit physically existed in the gallery from July 2000 to July 2001. Now it is only available on the web.
This Web site represents what a visitor to the museum would encounter when using one of the kiosks in the physical exhibition. The kiosks are Web-based prototypes being developed for museum use. Because of the innovative nature of these prototypes, we have had to test and assess them throughout the process. We have made an effort to get the kiosk material onto the Web in an efficient way that is also widely accessible, but there are a few technical requirements:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator 4.0+, or pwWebSpeak browser.
- Screen resolution of 800x600 or higher recommended.
- For audio and video, a media player that supports MPEG format.
If you experience difficulty, please contact the webmaster.
Ragged Edge Online
Ragged Edge Online
"The Disability Rag was around for 16 years (see this 1986 article about The Disability Rag from The Washington Post archives), then changed its name to Ragged Edge -- and got a makeover and this website -- in 1997. "
The National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP)
"The National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP) is a Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) training and technical assistance provider. Through comprehensive training, technical assistance, and product dissemination, NSIP strives to ensure meaningful service experiences for all Americans, regardless of their abilities. Most services are free of charge-call for more information. 1-888-491-0326 (V/TTY)
NSIP offers:
- Train the Trainer-Disability Inclusion
- Regional, state, and program onsite training to AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, and Senior Service Corps programs
- Communication and information via the Corporation's "Disability Email Discussion List"
- Individualized technical assistance
- Resources on service and disability issues such as recruitment, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, providing accommodations, and much more (see a full listing of our training and TA topics below)
- Online education and webinars
Our team is happy to work with you to design a workshop, training, or strategic planning session to meet the unique needs of your state or program. Below is a partial listing of training and technical assistance topics:
Values That Guide and Current Best Practices on Inclusion
- Person-First Language and Inclusion Etiquette
- Who Are People with Disabilities/What Is a Disability?
- What Makes Someone "Qualified"?
- Moving Beyond Accessibility: Creating an Inclusive and Welcoming Environment"
The Center for Capacity Building on Minorities with Disabilities Research (CCBMDR)
The Center for Capacity Building on Minorities with Disabilities Research (CCBMDR) seeks to increase the capacity of State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies (VR) and community-based organizations (CBOs like Centers for Independent Living and/or other agencies serving minorities with disabilities) to document the impact of their programs and develop culturally competent services. This effort is conducted in order to promote positive rehabilitation outcomes for minority individuals with disabilities. We propose to develop long-term relationships with agencies, conduct participatory research and demonstration projects, engage in active dissemination efforts, and provide state-of-the art training and technical assistance to professionals and researchers in the field.
Department of Disability and Human Development
The
UIC’s Department of Disability and Human Development is dedicated to the scholarly, interdisciplinary study of disability and related aspects of human development. Home to a number of active research centers and projects, the department is exploring current and prospective disability policies, conceptual models, and intervention strategies. The department houses the renowned Institute on Disability and Human Development,
Centers and Projects
- Advocacy and Empowerment for Minorities with Disabilities
- Center on Epidemiology and Demography of Disability
- Center on Health Promotion Research for People with Disabilities (CHP)
- The Chicago Center for Disability Research (CCDR)
- The Disability and Cultural Studies Unit
- Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Aging with Developmental Disabilities (RRTC/ADD)
media: Grit Media
Grit Media
"Grit Media is a project of Disability Media Inc. We are based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. We aim to bring awareness of disability into people’s homes through the production of media including television, video, film, print and radio.
It is anticipated that this will allow Australians generally to see disability as a natural part of life and be increasingly comfortable with seeing, hearing and discussing all aspects of disability much as they would any other realities of day to day life.
It will do this by producing images of disability that are realistic, compelling and engaging. Grit Media has been developed in response to the paucity of presence in the Australian media of people with disabilities.
We are a Victorian, not-for-profit organisation with the purpose of producing media with, for and by people with disabilities. We are a grass roots community organisation that has the capacity to deliver a service nationally, and which has a national and international audience. Our role is to facilitate the process, with a focus on cross-media. It will initiate, develop and manage the production of the full range of media."
publisher: Brookes Publishing Co.
Brookes Publishing Co.
“For 30 years, Brookes has published highly respected resources in early childhood, early intervention, inclusive and special education, developmental disabilities, learning disabilities, communication and language, behavior, and mental health.
* Helping children and adults with disabilities lead fulfilling and self-directed lives
* Ensuring early intervention for children with special needs and children at risk
* Preparing educators for the challenges they face in today's inclusive classrooms
* Providing professionals with research-based theory and practice (because one without the other just isn't enough)”
Quality Mall
"Welcome to Quality Mall, a place where you can find lots of free information about person-centered supports for people with developmental disabilities. Each of the Mall stores has departments you can look through to learn about positive practices that help people with developmental disabilities live, work and participate in our communities and improve the quality of their supports.
- There are currently 1,329 products listed in Quality Mall
- Come in and browse the Mall.
- Looking for a Specific Product? Search our database.
- Know about something valuable? Nominate a product.
- Learn about the Person Centered Principles that are the Mall's foundation."
ResearchAutism Research Centre
ResearchAutism Research Centre
"The mission of the ARC is to understand the biomedical causes of autism spectrum conditions, and develop new and validated methods for assessment and intervention. The ARC fosters collaboration between scientists in Cambridge University and outside, to accelerate this mission. "
film Festival: Berkeley
Superfest International Disability Film Festival
"CDT is a non-profit, collaborative organization that works to transform disability stereotypes by providing access and opportunities for performers and mediamakers with disabilities. Comprised of disability cultural artists, activists and allies, CDT promotes artistic excellence and diversity by presenting disability cultural events. "
blog: Diary of a Goldfish
Diary of a Goldfish
Interesting blog and hosts annual "blogging against disablism"
Disability World
Disability World
"Disability World is a web-zine dedicated to advancing an exchange of information and research about the international independent living movement of people with disabilities. The web-zine is the heart of a larger project, IDEAS for the New Millennium, funded in 1999 by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research as a five-year project.
DisabilityWorld is a unique international online magazine (e-zine), dedicated to advancing an exchange of information and expertise about the international independent living movement of people with disabilities. Published by the World Institute on Disability (WID) since 2000 and available only online, DisabilityWorld features a wide variety of news reports, international studies and research, new projects, interviews, book and film reviews. Since 2005, DisabilityWorld has had a focus on initiatives and activities to improve the status of the estimated 400 million children, youth and adults with disabilities living in poor countries. DisabilityWorld has over 30,000 regular readers from 200 countries and received an Ashoka Changemakers Award in 2002. The most recent issues of DisabilityWorld are sponsored by WID, and WID is currently seeking funds to resume publishing DisabilityWorld on a more regular basis.
DisabilityWorld also houses a literature database of more than 800 abstracts of articles primarily covering employment, independent living, governance, disabled women, disabled children, technology and appropriate technology, community based rehabilitation and rehabilitation in developing countries, all searchable by topic or country. However, due to limited resources, no new abstracts have been added since 2004."
DAC-PAS Personal Assistant Services
"DAC-PAS Personal Assistant Services is one of three non-profit Fiscal Intermediaries that provides personal assistant services for senior citizens and people with disabilities in
We help, but you're in charge to arrange Personal Assistance in your own home. You will be able to freely select, manage, and, if necessary, dismiss your personal assistant according to your wants, not someone else's!
Our Committment
We are committed to freedom of choice and enhanced quality of life for all people. With the right information and a little assistance, we know you can manage your own services! Our experience with disability and other health-related conditions will help you succeed.
Your Advantage
We appraoch in-home assistant services from the standpoint of having "been there." Our organization is a non-profit corporation. As a result, we pay higher wages to your assistant(s). Higher wages mean you keep good assistants longer."
Institute for the Study of the Neurologically Typical
Institute for the Study of the Neurologically Typical
This site includes a mock DSM diagnosis for NT’s and a bogus request for research
“Neurotypical syndrome is a neurobiological disorder characterized by preoccupation with social concerns, delusions of superiority, and obsession with conformity. Neurotypical individuals often assume that their experience of the world is either the only one, or the only correct one. NTs find it difficult to be alone. NTs are often intolerant of seemingly minor differences in others. When in groups NTs are socially and behaviorally rigid, and frequently insist upon the performance of dysfunctional, destructive, and even impossible rituals as a way of maintaining group identity. NTs find it difficult to communicate directly, and have a much higher incidence of lying as compared to persons on the autistic spectrum.
NT is believed to be genetic in origin. Autopsies have shown the brain of the neurotypical is typically smaller than that of an autistic individual and may have overdeveloped areas related to social behavior.”
film:
Picture This
Calgary
"Picture this… www.ptff.org is an international disability film festival. It is a non-profit annual event initiated by the Community Development department of Calgary Scope Society, a registered non-profit society. There are a few members of staff and many volunteers who work year round to bring the festival to the public."
O.A.S.I.S.
O.A.S.I.S.
ONLINE ASPERGER SYNDROME INFORMATION AND SUPPORT
“As parents of children who are diagnosed with AS, we understand how essential is it that families of children diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and related disorders, educators who teach children with AS, professionals working with individuals diagnosed with AS, and individuals with AS who are seeking support, have access to information.”
Book:
The New Disability History: American Perspectives
By Paul Longmore, Lauri Umansky
Below is an excerpt from a review by Brenda Jo Bruggemann
"The New Disability History: American Perspectives is a truly groundbreaking volume and is well-deserving of the praise heaped on its back cover: a "splendid collection" that is "not your father's old-time medical history--it's a broader, brilliant enterprise" (Walter Nugent) and "a cause for celebration" with "the insights popping off each page" (Martha Minow). Co-edited and introduced by Paul Longmore and Lauri Umansky, two scholars of the new disability history themselves, this volume brings together a collection of fourteen essays about disability and disabled people in American history. The essays range from the early nineteenth century to the present, with "a majority of the pieces situated in the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries," a period that "draws particular attention" because, as the editors document in their introduction, much of the work around disability in American history at large "point[s] to the half century from around 1880-1930 as a moment of major redefinition" for disabled lives, disability policy, and disability history (p. 22)." Read Full Review
Brenda Jo Bruggemann . "Review of Paul K. Longmore and Lauri Umansky, eds, The New Disability History: American Perspectives," H-Disability, H-Net Reviews, September, 2002. URL: http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.cgi?path=144171031912790.
Book:
Make Them Go Away: Clint Eastwood, Christopher Reeve and the Case Against Disability Rights
By Mary Johnson
Advocado Press,
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Johnson is founder and editor of Ragged Edge magazine (formerly The Disability Rag.) She has been covering the disability rights movement in the
Books:
From Good Will to Civil Rights: Transforming Federal Disability Policy Second Edition
By Richard K. Scotch
Book:
Disability and Social Work Education: Practice and Policy Issues
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