Tag: special education

Legal & Human Rights Resources

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  • ABA Commission on Disabilities
  • ACLU position / briefing paper: "Disability Rights"
  • ADA&IT Technical Assistance Centers
  • ADA Publications and Videos
  • ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities (ADAAG)
  • ADA Facilities Access & Parking fact sheets:
  • ADA Guide for Places of Lodging: Serving Guests Who Are Blind Or Who Have Low Vision
  • ADA Library of the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) Mission
  • Administration on Disabilities (AoD) works with states, communities, and partners in the disability networks to increase the independence, productivity, and community integration of individuals with disabilities. AoD includes the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD) and the Independent Living Administration (ILA).
  • Adapt grassroots disability rights organization
  • Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living (ACL)
  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information and Technical Assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act
  • Americans With Disabilities Act Information on the Web: ADA Information from the Department of Justice
  • Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law is committed to criminal justice reform.
  • UC Berkeley's website on the Disability Rights and Independent Living Movement (DRILM). The Disability Rights and Independent Living Movement Project was launched in 1996 to capture the history of a remarkable movement by people with disabilities to win legally defined civil rights and control over their own lives.  Updated
  • Center for Social Change (CSC) provides residential and supported employment services to children and adults with developmental disabilities in the community [Maryland]
  • Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc. (COPAA) is an independent, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization of attorneys, advocates, parents and other professionals. COPAA members work to protect special education rights and secure excellence in education on behalf of the 7.1 million children with disabilities in America.
  • Disability Law and Advocacy Resources
  • Disability Rights International (DRI) (formerly “Mental Disability Rights International”)
  • Equal Rights Center, Washington, DC
  • The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is an international court set up in 1959. It rules on individual or State applications alleging violations of the civil and political rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights. Since 1998 it has sat as a full-time court and individuals can apply to it directly.
  • Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA from the ADA.gov, U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. March 18, 2022. This guidance describes how state and local governments and businesses open to the public can make sure that their websites are accessible to people with disabilities as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  New
  • Open Society Foundatioms (OSF) are the world's largest private funder of independent groups working for justice, democratic governance, and human rights in Europe.
  • FCC Disability Rights Office If you have any questions, concerns, or need assistance in regard to disability issues relating to telecommunications please do not hesitate to contact us at email hidden; JavaScript is required. If your disability prohibits you from filing a comment please send your e-filing comments to email hidden; JavaScript is required with your address and telephone number included. If you need to reach a member of the Disability Rights Office please call 202-418-2517.
  • Human Rights Education Associates (HREA)
  • Justice for All
  • FREE Legal Help from the American Bar Association  Updated
    • Find Legal Aid The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) — America's Partner for Equal Justice — is an independent nonprofit established by Congress in 1974 to provide financial support for civil legal aid to low-income Americans.  Updated
    • You can also visit LawHelp.org to look up information about your legal questions and find free legal forms.
    • Pro Bono Resource Directory. Search for pro bono organizations in your state. Pro bono programs match low-income clients with volunteer lawyers, who agree to take their cases for free.  Updated
    • ABA Free Legal Answers Online pro bono program that matches low-income clients with volunteer lawyers, who agree to provide brief answers online for free.
    • Other Resources Information about the law or tools to help solve simple legal problems. Click your state to see resources.  New
    • Other Legal Resources by State Information about the law or tools to help solve simple legal problems such as lists of courts, law libraries, State legal help.
    • Particular Groups Some cities and states have programs that give free or low-cost legal help to clients who are elderly, disabled, members of the military, or in other special circumstances.
      • Persons with Disabilities

        Each state has one or more congressionally mandated legal advocacy organization for persons with disabilities. Protection and Advocacy (P&A) agencies provide legal representation and other advocacy services to people with disabilities. Client Assistance Program (CAP) agencies provide information and assistance to individuals seeking or receiving vocational rehabilitation services under the Rehabilitation Act. For more information and a directory of these programs by state, visit the National Disability Rights Network.

      • Military Personnel and Veterans

        Each military service offers legal assistance to enlisted personnel and their families, but only if sufficient resources are available. Visit ABA Home Front or the Armed Forces Legal Assistance website for more information.

  • Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDOD) MDOD oversees the restructuring, reorganization of government delivery of services & programs for people with disabilities in Maryland through collaboration with all state government agencies.  Updated
  • Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) assures the full participation of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families in all aspects of community life
  • Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC) envisions a state where all people with developmental disabilities exercise control over their lives, reach their full potential, and lead healthy, fulfilling lives with enriching relationships. [Maryland]
  • Maryland Dept. of Health Developmental Disabilities Administration Coordination of Community Services [Maryland]
  • Maryland Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS) [Maryland]
  • Maryland Technology Assistance Program (MDTAP)  Updated [Maryland]
  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation. NHTSA strives to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce economic costs caused by road traffic crashes, through education, research, safety standards, and enforcement activity. The website provides Car Ratings, Recalls, and the Latest Safety News. Road Safety information:  New
  • Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. (NLS)
  • Older Americans Act
  • Social Security Disability Information from the Social Security Administration
  • Social Security FAQ
  • Social Security Disability Questions & Answers
  • Accessibility Laws & Standards is an overview of the various major standards and legislation pieces passed in the U.S. and other countries. These lists do not provide an exhaustive list of all such legislative pieces, but does list the major relevant standards and legislation.
  • The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) is the nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and the Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities. P&As and CAPs work to improve the lives of people with disabilities by guarding against abuse; advocating for basic rights; and ensuring access and accountability in health care, education, employment, housing, transportation, voting, and within the juvenile and criminal justice systems. NDRN is the only legally based advocacy organization established by Congress to protect the rights of all individuals with disabilities. As part of that mandate, the network includes agencies in every state and U.S. territory, working to provide legal protection and advocacy services for people with disabilities.
    • Training and Advocacy Support Center (TASC) is a division of NDRN that delivers training and technical assistance information and coordination for the federally mandated P&A/CAP Network. TASC is designed to enhance the advocacy functions of the P&As and CAPs in their efforts to protect the civil rights of persons with disabilities and prevent and/or remedy abuse and neglect of those who reside in institutions, other facilities and the community. TASC is a federal interagency project TASC by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD), the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA).
    • Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and Client Assistance Programs (CAP) There is a P&A/CAP agency in every state and U.S. territory as well as one serving the Native American population in the four corners region. Collectively, the P&A/CAP network is the largest provider of legally based advocacy services to people with disabilities in the United States.
  • U.S. Department of Justice ADA Home Page
  • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Information for Disabled Persons
  • HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) works to eliminate housing discrimination, promote economic opportunity, and achieve diverse, inclusive communities.
  • HUD's FHEO Disabilities Overview Disability discrimination is prohibited by the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other federal, state, and local laws.
  • "U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section works to achieve equal opportunity for people with disabilities in the United States by implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Through its multi-faceted approach toward achieving compliance with the ADA, this Section works to make this goal a reality. The Section’s enforcement, certification, regulatory, coordination, and technical assistance activities, required by the ADA, combined with an innovative mediation program and a technical assistance grant program, provide a cost-effective and dynamic approach for carrying out the ADA's mandates. The Section also carries out responsibilities under Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act, and Executive Order 12250."
  • Website accessibility and the Equality Act 2010, 23 Jun 2011, by Alasdair Taylor. Explanation of English Law from SEQ Legal. Since 2 December 1996 (when the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 came into force) website owners have been obliged to ensure that their websites are accessible to users with disabilities. After over a decade in force, the DDA's requirements were merged into the Equality Act 2010. The 2010 Act was intended to bring clarity to the diversity of previously-extant discrimination legislation. Despite the goal of clarity, the new legislation can be more confusing than the old. Section 29(1) of the 2010 Act says that:  New

    A person … concerned with the provision of a service to the public or a section of the public (for payment or not) must not discriminate against a person requiring the service by not providing the person with the service.

    Accordingly, neglecting to provide a service to a disabled person that is normally provided to other persons is unlawful discrimination. This applies to commercial web services as much as to traditional services.

  • Workforce Investment Act of 1998 was a United States federal law that was repealed and replaced by the 2014 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
  • Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014
  • H.R.803 – Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 113th Congress (2013-2014) full text
  • Wrightslaw Parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities. Begin your search in the Advocacy Libraries and Law Libraries.

Related Links

Learning and Speaking

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  • Learning Disabilities Association of America a group of parents and professionals started LDA and led the push for passage of the first Federal legislation mandating a free, appropriate, public education for students with disabilities. LDA's mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities and to reduce the incidence of learning disabilities in future generations.
  • LD Online provides information on learning disabilities for parents, teachers, and professionals. LD Online works in association with the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD). LD OnLine is an educational service of public television station WETA in Washington, D.C.
  • National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) provides information about learning disabilities, early literacy and learning resources, support for adolescents and adults with learning disabilities, public policy and advocacy tools.
  • NLDLine provides information about nonverbal learning disorders (NLD). NLD is a neurological syndrome consisting of specific assets and deficits. The assets include early speech and vocabulary development, remarkable rote memory skills, attention to detail, early reading skills development, and excellent spelling skills. In addition, these individuals have the verbal ability to express themselves eloquently and have strong auditory retention. Four major categories of deficits and dysfunction also present themselves:
    • motoric (lack of coordination, severe balance problems, and difficulties with graphomotor skills).
    • visual-spatial-organizational (lack of image, poor visual recall, faulty spatial perceptions, difficulties with executive function* and problems with spatial relations).
    • social (lack of ability to comprehend nonverbal communication, difficulties adjusting to transitions and novel situations, and deficits in social judgment and social interaction).
    • sensory (sensitivity in any of the sensory modes: visual, auditory, tactile, taste or olfactory)
  • Learning and Speaking Disability Solutions Every Mac comes standard with assistive technologies that help people with disabilities enjoy the power and simplicity of OS X. It includes features like an advanced screen reader, FaceTime, and literacy tools that help those with a wide range of abilities get more from their Mac.
  • MENCAP, the voice of learning disability.
    "Understanding learning disability" Mencap can help you make your information easy to understand for people with a learning disability. Or, if you have a learning disability, you might like to see their easy to read web pages and publications. [UK]
  • Natural Language Interfaces (NLI) Group of the The Applied Science and Engineering Laboratories (ASEL), duPont Hospital for Children, and the University of Delaware. The NLI Group encompasses several laboratories that are involved in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) research. AAC systems help people with severe disabilities to communicate. The NLI group is interested in improving the efficiency and usability of current AAC devices as well as discovering novel ways in which to aid communication. The individual units of the group are
    • Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative (DATI) connects Delawareans who have disabilities with the tools they need in order to learn, work, play, and participate in community life safely and independently. DATI operates Assistive Technology Resource Centers that offer training as well as no-cost equipment loans and demonstrations. We also provide funding information, develop partnerships with state agencies and organizations, and publish resource materials and event calendars. A used equipment recycling program is also coordinated by DATI.
    • Pediatric Engineering Research Laboratory has a staff of biomedical engineers and students who work with various clinicians at the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children to conceive and develop engineering solutions to medical problems. PERL has affiliations with Drexel University and University of Delaware in biomedical and mechanical engineering with full facilities for mechanical and electronic fabrication of research prototypes. PERL collaborates with a number of companies to manufacture and market devices conceived and developed at PERL.  Updated
    • Speech Research Laboratory does research on speech disorders in children, speech analysis and synthesis, and voice banking.
  • Resources for Test Takers with Disabilities and Health-Related Needs The Educational Testing Service (ETS) provides guidelines for test creators to consider when writing for people with a learning disability, psychiatric disability or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. ETS provides reasonable testing accommodations for candidates with documented disabilities or health-related needs, as recognized under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Amendments Act. Some accommodations we offer include extended testing time, extra breaks, a reader, a recorder/writer of answers and a separate testing room.
  • Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center provides adult education and literacy resources, publications, and training for teachers of adults in Virginia. From the Literacy Institute of the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU School of Education).