Family Support Resources

Disability resources

Computer/Electronics Accommodations Program  This program provides assistive technology and services to people with disabilities, federal managers, supervisors and information technology professionals.

The Disability Resource Community was designed for people with disabilities, their family members and caregivers as a place to ask questions, share resources and build community.

Home and Community Based Services Clearinghouse  This clearinghouse promotes the development and expansion of home and community-based services for people of all ages who depend on supports to live in their homes and participate fully in community life. The website provides information, tools, data and state-produced resources on best practices.

The Center for Parent Information and Resources serves as a central resource of information and products to the community of Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers, so that they can focus their efforts on serving families of children with disabilities.

Children and Youth Education and Resource Network This network consolidates and makes available the child and youth resources from of all the public land-grant universities in the country. The website provides information and resources organized by early childhood, school age (kindergarten through eighth grade), teens, parent/family and community.

Supplemental Security Income for Children provides monthly cash payments to help meet the basic needs of children who have a physical or mental disability or who are blind. Children or teenagers may be eligible for SSI if those who care for them have limited income and savings or other resources.

Support

The Arc promotes and protects the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively supports their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes. The website provides information and resources by role (parent, person with disability, advocate, etc.), by type of intellectual and developmental disability or by topic area (civil rights, education, employment, etc.).

The Beach Center on Disability, a permanent unit of the University of Kansas, conducts research, carries out training and technical assistance, and provides international, national, state, regional and local service. The website provides “Knowledge-to-Action Guides,” links to disability policy, education and training information, and a resource library.

Children’s Disabilities Information — Advocacy for Special Needs Children  This website contains articles and resources to empower parents of children with disabilities on subjects such as advocating for special needs children, raising a child with a learning disability, and speaking with health professionals and teachers. The site also includes a listing of programs and services for children with disabilities.

Families USA This national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization is dedicated to the achievement of high-quality, affordable health and long-term care for all Americans. The website provides news, publications, advocacy tools and state information and provides information by issue, such as Medicaid, children’s health, Medicare and long-term services.

The Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers is a partnership of one national and six regional parent technical assistance centers, each funded by the Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs. The Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers in each state provide training and information to parents of infants, toddlers, school-aged children and young adults with disabilities and the professionals who work with their families. This assistance helps parents participate more effectively with professionals in meeting the educational needs of children and youth with disabilities.

Advocacy

The American Bar Association Military Pro Bono Project accepts case referrals from military attorneys on behalf of junior-enlisted, active-duty military personnel and their families with civil legal problems, and places these cases with pro bono attorneys where legal assistance is needed.

National Disabilities Rights Network This network is the nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy Systems and Client Assistance Programs. Collectively, this network is the largest provider of legally based advocacy services to people with disabilities in the United States.