Youth with Disabilities
We hope you find these resources for youth helpful. For more general resources, visit our
"Links and Resources" page. Our resource pages are "works in progress", so
if you have suggestions for additions,
please
contact us!
NEWS
Welcoming Kids of All Abilities in Community Life
"Paths to Inclusion" is a guide to help youth program leaders and volunteers make their organizations and programs more accessible.
RESOURCES
- The pages for the Office of
Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) include information on the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA), which requires that a free and appropriate public education be provided to children with
certain types of disabilities. OSERS also includes information on the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program,
which oversees grant programs to assist people with disabilities obtain employment and live more independently.
- The pages for the Office for
Civil Rights (OCR) include information on how the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act apply in
educational settings, including institutions of higher education.
Students with Disabilities
Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities offers advice on
transitioning to college. The publication is also available in Spanish:
Preparación para la
educación postsecundaria para los estudiantes con discapacidades: Conozca sus derechos y responsabilidades
- The pages for the Office for Federal Student Aid (FSA) include information on various financial aid programs, including grants, loans, and work-study programs.
- "Understanding Bullying and Its Impact on Kids with Learning Disabilities or AD/HD" by Marlene Snyder, Ph.D., is posted by Schwab Learning.
- "Bullying and Teasing of Youth With Disabilities: Creating Positive School Environments for Effective Inclusion" by John Hoover and Pam Stenhjem, is posted by the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition.
- "Harassment based on disability" is the topic of this letter from the U.S. Department of Education.
- The "Bully Roundup" interactive game tests kids' "bully smarts".
- Kids Turn Central offers resources for kids.
- Stop Bullying Now offers information and activities for kids, parents, and educators.
- "Bullying: Facts for Schools and Parents" by Andrea Cohn and Andrea Canter, Ph.D., NCSP, is posted by the National Association of School Psychologists.
- "Addressing the Problem of Juvenile Bullying" (PDF) by Nels Ericson, is from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention at the U.S. Department of Justice.
- "Bullying and Your Child" resources are included on the Kids Health web site.
- Operation Respect is a non-profit organization working to transform schools, camps, and youth organizations into more respectful environments.
| Advocacy/Leadership Development | Disability History | Arts |
| Education/Transition | Bullying | Employment |
| Health/Recreation | Specific Disabilities | Technology |
Advocacy/Leadership Development
National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN)
[http://nyln.org/]
NYLN is dedicated to advancing the next generation of disability leaders.
Association of Youth Leadership Forums (AYLF)
[www.montanaylf.org/?p=aylf]
AYLF promotes YLFs throughout the country and coordinates a national meeting. The Montana YLF
offers this page of resources and state contact information.
Kids As Self Advocates (KASA)
[www.fvkasa.org/]
KASA is a national, grassroots network of youth with disabilities and chronic health conditions, working to spread positive
information and raise awareness of various issues. The site includes resources, a discussion forum, and a cafe
featuring poetry and artwork.
National Consortium on Leadership and Disability for Youth
(NCLD-Youth)
[www.ncld-youth.info]
NCLD-Youth is a youth-led resource, information, and training center for youth and emerging leaders with
developmental disabilities.
Junior NAD (National Association of the Deaf)
[www.nad.org/site/pp.asp?c=foINKQMBF&b=99560]
The Junior NAD has chapters from junior high and high schools nationwide.
Virginia Youth Leadership Forum (YLF-VA)
[www.vaboard.org/ylf.htm]
The YLF-VA program seeks to empower young people with disabilities to further develop their leadership skills.
Students, serving as Delegates from communities throughout Virginia, participate in a wide range of activities and
learning experiences during the four day Youth Leadership Forum set on a university campus.
West Virginia Youth Disability Caucus
[www.wvsilc.org/WEST_VIRGINIA_YOUTH_DISABILITY_CAUCUS_2007.htm]
The WV Youth Disability Caucus is open to youth ages 16-21 with all disabilities.
Delaware Leadership, Employment, Advocacy Development
(LEAD) Project
[www.udel.edu/cds/lead.html]
The LEAD Project is designed to develop leadership and advocacy skills for youth ages 13-17 and emerging leaders ages 18-30
with developmental disabilities.
District of Columbia Youth Empowerment Resource Center (YERC)
[http://www.inclusionresearch.org/YERC/YERC%20HOME.HTML]
The Youth Empowerment Resource Center provides District teens and young adults with developmental disabilities with
leadership training and information about employment, housing, education, and transportation.
Maryland Youth Leadership Forum (MD-YLF)
[www.md-ylf.org/]
MD-YLF seeks to identify High School students with disabilities who have demonstrated leadership potential, academic success,
and community involvement,
and provide them with training and experiences, role models, and mentors to assist them in becoming tomorrow's leaders.
Maryland Youth Empowerment Alliance (YEA)
[www.md-council.org/resources/yea.html]
This project of the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council develops leadership training to increase the participation
of students with developmental disabilities in their
own educational, career, and life planning.
Mobility International USA
[www.miusa.org/]
This organization offers many exchange programs throughout the year in the U.S. and abroad.
"The Disability Rights Movement"
[americanhistory.si.edu/disabilityrights/]
This virtual exhibit is presented by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
"Parallels in Time: A History of Developmental Disabilities"
[www.mncdd.org/parallels/menu.html]
The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities offers this history lesson, which looks at the experiences of
people with disabilities from
ancient through modern times. "Parallels in Time Part 2" focuses
on the period from 1950 through 2005.
Museum of Disability History
[www.museumofdisability.org/]
This extensive virtual museum was developed in cooperation between People Inc. and the B. Thomas Golisano Foundation. It features
sections on disability in the media, society, and medicine.
Disability Social History Project (DSHP)
[www.disabilityhistory.org/]
DSHP is a participatory community history project.
The Lives They Left Behind:
Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic
[www.suitcaseexhibit.org/]
This virtual exhibit, based on a New York State Museum exhibit, chronicles the lives and experiences of residents of the
Willard Psychiatric Center.
American Eugenics Movement Image Archive
[www.eugenicsarchive.org/eugenics/list3.pl]
This collection of materials chronicles the eugenics movement in America, which sought to eliminate "genetically unfit" people
from the population.
A People’s History of the Independent Living Movement
[www.independentliving.org/docs5/ILhistory.html]
This monograph, by Chava Willig Levy, was published by the Research and Training Center on Independent Living (RTC/lL) at the
University of Kansas.
Historical Context of the ADA
[www.dbtac.vcu.edu/whatsada-history.aspx]
This essay was developed by Adaptive Environments, Inc.
VSA arts
[www.vsarts.org/]
VSA arts promotes learning opportunities through the arts for people with disabilities. Many of VSA arts programs, including
the Young Soloists program and the Playwright Discovery program, offer opportunities to young artists with disabilities.
U.S. Department of Education
[www.ed.gov/index.jhtml]
National Dissemination Center for Children with
Disabilities
[www.nichcy.org]
This Center (formerly the National Information Center for Handicapped Children and Youth) offers information and
publications on IDEA and other areas of interest to students, parents, and professionals. Several of the publications
are available in Spanish. The web site also features a "State Resources" section; you can find a resource
list for each state with state government offices, disability-related organizations, and parent groups.
FinAid
[www.finaid.org/otheraid/disabled.phtml]
This site includes information about scholarships and fellowships for students with disabilities.
HEATH Resource Center
[www.heath.gwu.edu/]
The HEATH Resource Center is a national clearinghouse on post-secondary education for individuals with disabilities.
Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD)
[www.ahead.org/students.php]
AHEAD answers common questions that students and parents have about going to college.
College Living Experience (CLE)
[www.cleinc.net/]
CLE is a post-secondary support service program for students with various types of
learning disabilities. The program offers intensive academic, independent living skills, and social skills support to students
who are enrolled in nearby colleges and universities. There are several sites around the country, including one in the
Washington, DC area.
Virginia College Quest
[www.vacollegequest.org/]
This site includes lots of practical information for students with disabilities who want to go to college.
National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC)
[www.nsttac.org/]
The Center works to improve transition planning, services, and post-school outcomes for youth with disabilities.
National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET)
[www.ncset.org/]
The Center coordinates national resources, offers technical assistance, and disseminates information related to
secondary education and transition for youth with disabilities.
National Center on Education, Disability, and Juvenile Justice (EDJJ)
[www.edjj.org/]
EDJJ provides technical assistance, conducts research, and disseminates resources related to special education and transition
services for detained and incarcerated youth with disabilities, as well as prevention of school failure and delinquency.
The Parents Place of Maryland compiled these online resources related to bullying in schools:
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth)
[www.ncwd-youth.info/]
NCWD/Youth is your source for information about employment and youth with disabilities.
Youth @ Work
[www.youth.eeoc.gov/]
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) offers information about the rights and responsibilities of employees,
and the types of discrimination they may face.
"Youth: Guideposts for Success"
[www.dol.gov/odep/categories/youth/]
This information is from the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) in the U.S. Department of Labor.
Youth with Disabilities
[www.ssa.gov/work/Youth/youth.html]
This site from the Social Security Administration includes a variety of resources related to
benefits, transition, and employment development programs.
Disability Mentoring Day (DMD)
[www.dmd-aapd.org/]
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) sponsors DMD, a national program that promotes career development
for students and job-seekers with disabilities through job shadowing and hands-on career exploration.
Entry Point!
[http://ehrweb.aaas.org/entrypoint/]
ENTRY POINT! is a program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) offering internship
opportunities for students with disabilities in science, engineering, mathematics, computer science, and some fields of
business.
The Washington Center
[www.twc.edu/disability_services.shtml]
The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars provides an integrated academic and work experience to
prepare college students and professionals for lives of achievement and civic engagement. The Center offers various
internship opportunities, scholarships, housing, and other support to participants with disabilities.
KidsHealth
[www.kidshealth.org/]
KidsHealth provides accurate, jargon-free health information. The site has separate areas for kids, teens, and parents,
and features articles (including many available in Spanish), animations, games, and resources.
Healthy and Ready to Work (HRTW)
[http://www.hrtw.org/]
HRTW promotes the involvement of youth with special health care needs in transitioning to adult service systems.
National Center on Physical Activity and Disability
[www.ncpad.org/]
NCPAD promotes physical activity to enhance health and wellness for people with disabilities.
National Center on Accessibility (NCA)
[www.ncaonline.org]
NCA offers resources on inclusive outdoor and recreational activities. The site also features a product resource section
with information on accessible picnic tables, golf cars, hunting and fishing equipment, playground components, and more.
LD Resources
[www.ldresources.com/]
LD Resources features discussion forums and resources for people with learning disabilities, including tools and technologies,
educational institutions from pre-school through college, and camps.
National Center for Learning Disabilities
[www.ncld.org/]
NCLD offers information for students and adults with learning disabilities, as well as parents and service providers.
National Center on Disability and Access to Education (NCDAE)
[www.ncdae.org/]
NCDAE promotes accessible distance learning technologies.
National Center on Accessible Information
Technology in Education (AccessIT)
[www.washington.edu/accessit/index.php]
AccessIT promotes the use of accessible electronic and information technology (E&IT) for students and employees with disabilities
in educational institutions at all academic levels.
WGBH
[http://main.wgbh.org/wgbh/access/index.html]
WGBH works to bring media access to television, movies, home video, and the Internet. They offer a variety of products and
services related to captioning and/or video description for television programs and live broadcasts, Web casts, theatrical
releases, and videos and DVDs for education and home entertainment.
ABLEDATA
[www.abledata.com]
This site includes a searchable database of assistive technologies and disability related products,
equipment, and architectural elements.
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©2008 DBTAC: Mid-Atlantic ADA Center