Disability Services
Access Board
The Access Board is an independent Federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities. Created in 1973 to ensure access to federally funded facilities, the Board is now a leading source of information on accessible design. If you are concerned about access to a facility that may have been federally funded, you can file a complaint about it with the Access Board under the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA). Find out more at the website above (look under the “Enforcement” tab) or by contacting the Board via its toll-free voice and TTY lines.
American Association of People with Disabilities - The American Association of People with Disabilities is the largest nonprofit, nonpartisan, cross-disability organization in the United States - www.aapd-dc.org
Center on Disability at the Public Health Institute, a national leader in disability policy, civil rights, disability law, employment, health issues, independent living, and assistive technology
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Designing Accessible Communities - A nonprofit organization providing information and education about accessibility to people with disabilities and to professionals in the fields, of design, construction, code development and enforcement - www.designingaccessiblecommunities.org
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Disability.Gov - A one-stop inter-agency portal for information on U.S. Federal programs, services, and resources for people with disabilities, their families, employers, service providers, and other community members - www.disability.gov
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DisabilityResources, Inc. - A national nonprofit organization that provides information about resources for independent living - www.disabilityresources.org
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Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund - Founded in 1979 by people with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Inc. (DREDF) is a national law and policy center dedicated to protecting and advancing the civil rights of people with disabilities through legislation, litigation, advocacy, technical assistance, and education and training of attorneys, advocates, persons with disabilities, and parents of children with disabilities - www.dredf.org
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Disability Statistics Center - The Disability Statistics Center produces and disseminates statistical information on disability and the status of people with disabilities in American society and establishes and monitors indicators of how conditions are changing over time to meet their health, housing, economic and social needs - dsc.ucsf.edu
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Disability Studies Quarterly - Disability Studies Quarterly (DSQ) is the journal of the Society for Disability Studies (SDS). It is a multidisciplinary and international journal of interest to social scientists, scholars in the humanities, disability rights advocates, creative writers, and others concerned with the issues of people with disabilities - www.dsq-sds.org
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Disabled American Veterans - DAV is a national organization advocating on behalf of veterans with disabilities - www.dav.org
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Easter Seals - Easter Seals creates serves children and adults with disabilities, their families and communities through early intervention and child development services, vocational training and employment services, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. Easter Seals has more than 400 service sites across the country, including Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico - www.easter-seals.org
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Environmental Health Network - EHN's focus is on issues of access and developments relating to the health and welfare of the environmentally sensitive and to promote public awareness of environmental sensitivities and causative factors - users.lmi.net/wilworks
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Goodwill Industries International - Goodwill’s network of independent, community-based Goodwill centers in the United States and Canada offer customized job training, employment placement, and other services to people who have disabilities, lack education or job experience, or face employment challenges. Enter your zipcode on its website, and find Goodwill training centers in your area.
http://www.goodwill.org/
http://www.goodwill.org/espanol/ (Spanish)
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Hearing Loss Association of America - (formerly Self Help for Hard of Hearing People (SHHH)) - The Hearing Loss Association of America is a national consumer organization representing people who are hard of hearing and provides technical assistance for selecting Assistive Listening systems - www.hearingloss.org
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Institute for Human Centered Design - (formerly Adaptive Environments) - Founded in 1978 to address the environmental issues that confront people with disabilities and elderly people, the Institute for Human Centered Design (formerly Adaptive Environments) promotes accessibility as well as universal design through education programs, technical assistance, training, consulting, publications and design advocacy. Its mission is to promote, facilitate, and advocate for international adoption of policies and designs that enable every individual, regardless of disability or age, to participate fully in all aspects of society - www.adaptenv.org
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Independent Living Centers - ILCs are typically non-residential, private, non-profit, consumer-controlled, community-based organizations providing services and advocacy by and for persons with all types of disabilities. There are nearly 500 ILC's in the USA. Many are state supported. Their goal is to assist individuals with disabilities to achieve their maximum potential within their families and communities. Also, Independent Living Centers serve as a strong advocacy voice on a wide range of national, state and local issues. They work to assure physical and programmatic access to housing, employment, transportation, communities, recreational facilities, and health and social services. This site provides a list, arranged by State - www.ilusa.com/links/ilcenters.htm
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Institute on Independent Living - The Institute serves self-help organizations of disabled people who work for self-determination and equal opportunities; provides information, training materials and technical assistance on accessibility, personal assistance, advocacy, legislation and peer support; publishes articles, reports, manuals or comments and other materials related to Independent Living - www.independentliving.org
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International Commission on Technology & Accessibility - ICTA initiates, facilitates and provides information regarding technology and accessibility through the World Wide Web. This information is available to people with disabilities, advocates and professionals in the field of disability, researchers, legislative bodies, and the general community - www.ictaglobal.org
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Job Accommodation Network - JAN - Free consulting on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), job accommodations, and the employability of people with disabilities - www.jan.wvu.edu
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National Disability Rights Network - The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) is a voluntary national membership association of protection and advocacy systems and client assistance programs. It assumes leadership in promoting and strengthening the role and performance of its members in providing quality legally based advocacy services - www.napas.org
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National Federation of the Blind - NFB is a national organization advocating on behalf of persons who are blind or have low vision - www.nfb.org
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National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities - The Center is a clearinghouse for information on disabilities and disability-related issues concerning children and youth (birth to age 22) - www.nichcy.org
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National Organization on Disability - The National Organization on Disability promotes the full and equal participation and contribution of America's 54 million men, women and children with disabilities in all aspects of life - www.nod.org
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PACER Center - Nonprofit organization for families of children and adults with disabilities. The site includes newsletters, articles and legislative information - www.pacer.org
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Paralyzed Veterans of America - PVA is a national advocacy organization representing veterans - www.pva.org
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TASH - (formerly the Association for the Severely Handicapped) is an international advocacy association of people with disabilities, their family members, other advocates, and people who work in the disability field - www.TASH.org
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TDI - (formerly known as Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc.) mission is to promote equal access in telecommunications and media for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, late deafened, or deaf blind - www.tdi-online.org
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Through the Looking Glass - (TLG) is a nationally recognized non-profit agency that provides direct services, training, materials and research concerning families in which a child, parent or grandparent has a disability or medical issue - www.lookingglass.org
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United Cerebral Palsy Association - UCP's mission is to advance the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities, through our commitment to the principles of independence, inclusion and self-determination - www.ucpa.org
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United Spinal Association - A membership organization serving individuals with spinal cord injuries or disease. Formerly known as the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association, the organization expanded its mission to serve people with spinal cord injuries or disease regardless of their age, gender, or veteran status - www.unitedspinal.org
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University of New Hampshire–Institute on Disability, a University Center of Excellence on Disability
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Wounded Warriors Project - https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/mission Every warrior has a next mission. We know that the transition to civilian life is a journey. And for every warrior, family member, and caregiver, that journey looks different.
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World Institute on Disability - WID is an international public policy center dedicated to carrying out research on disability issues and overcoming obstacles to independent living - www.wid.org