A Descriptive List of Web Links Related to PAS

The American Association of Retired Persons is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to addressing the needs and interests of persons 50 and older. AARP's Research Center provides information on Independent Living topics such as housing, transportation, technology, and family relations..

This website offers solutions and ideas for people with many kinds of disabilities who find using a computer difficult, maybe even impossible. This website will direct you to adaptive equipment and alternative methods available for using computers.

ABLEDATA provides objective information about assistive technology products and rehabilitation equipment available from domestic and international sources. ABLEDATA does not sell any products, but can help you locate the companies that do.

On January 1, 2009, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Amendments Act of 2008 went into effect, making some major changes to the way the definition of disability has been interpreted in the past. The changes apply to both the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act. Very few people argue that these changes were not needed - the courts had interpreted the definition of disability so narrowly that hardly anyone could meet it - but the challenge now is understanding what the changes are and who is covered as of January 1st. We do not yet have any regulations nor do we have any court interpretation; all we currently have are the words of the Amendments Act and its legislative history. With that said, let's take a look at what we know so far.

Provides training, information, and technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and accessible information technology (IT) to businesses, consumers, schools, and government agencies within the Mid-Atlantic Region (PA, DE, MD, VA, WV, and DC).

TransCen, Inc.
451 Hungerford Drive, Suite 607
Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 217-0124 (V/TTY)
(301) 217-0754 (Fax)
adainfo@transcen.org

This section helps consumers learn about the different types of living arrangements that are available, how to deal with the emotional stresses of caregiving, how to plan for long-term care costs, and how to get involved in aging services.

AAPD is the largest national nonprofit cross-disability member organization in the United States, dedicated to ensuring economic self-sufficiency and political empowerment for the more than 56 million Americans with disabilities.

One of the missions of the American Association on Health and Disability is to promote health and wellness of people with disabilities. The website has information, resources, and a newsletter for consumers on prevention and wellness.

ADAPT is an organization at the forefront of activism regarding issues facing people with disabilities such as consumer direction of Personal Assistance Services in the community.

This website from the Red Cross gives suggestions on how to prepare for emergencies and natural disasters for people who have physical, visual, auditory, or cognitive disabilities.

The Arc is a national organization of and for people with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities and their families. This website has details of current Arc campaigns and publications on major policy initiatives for people with disabilities. The site includes an online report on the progress towards compliance with the ADA and the Olmstead ruling (2000) (http://www.thearc.org/page.aspx?pid=2955).

The Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL) is a national network of rural independent living centers and individuals concerned with the unique aspects of rural independent living.

This website contains a lot of information for people with disabilities interested in going to school after high school. The web site offers many helpful links to different universities and programs, and to information on a range of specific disabilities.

This organization advocates for people with mental disabilities and provides legal analysis and explanation of key cases and current legal issues brought under disability-related and mental health law, including Olmstead. The site provides reports about the Olmstead case, including a background to the case, key legal concepts it interpreted and links to other websites.

This website helps older adults find out what programs are available to them.

Regional centers are nonprofit private corporations that contract with the Department of Developmental Services to provide or coordinate services and supports for individuals with developmental disabilities. They have offices throughout California to provide a local resource to help find and access the many services available to individuals and their families.

This website provides the latest news, research and policy analysis on California's health care system and its delivery and financing. Of particular interest for research into home and community based services and long term care in California is the Medi-Cal page of the website, http://www.chcf.org/topics/medi-cal/index.cfm, which is a gateway to relevant information about the various Medi-Cal programs that are available in California.

Find both unbiased and easy-to-use information about the quality of care they deliver. Sponsored by the California HealthCare Foundation, this Web site is a free resource that provides ratings of long term care providers throughout the state, and helps you choose among options such as nursing homes, home health care agencies, and residential care facilities.

From the Department of Labor, Career One Stop is a collection of tools that can help you find a job, learn more about careers, and find employment services in your area.

The Carework Network is an international organization of researchers, policymakers, and advocates involved in various domains of care work. Carework research and policy focus on the caring work of individuals, families, communities, paid caregivers, social service agencies, and state bureaucracies, and ask important questions about such matters as:

• how women's labor force participation has affected the nature & scope of women's and men's caring work;
• how identities influence carework;
• how inequality based on gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other factors relates to caring;
• how caring work is recognized and compensated;
• how various state welfare policies the distribution of carework;
• and whether and to what extent citizens have a right to receive, and a duty to provide, care.

This guide is for people who care for family members or others with Alzheimer's disease (AD) at home. Includes information about how AD changes a person; coping with these changes; helping family and friends understand AD; making your home safe for the person with AD; and managing everyday activities like eating, bathing, dressing and grooming.

The Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) is leading the charge to expedite the development, evaluation and adoption of emerging technologies that can improve the aging experience. CAST has become an international coalition of more than 400 technology companies, aging services organizations, research universities, and government representatives.

CATEA supports individuals with disabilities of any age within the State of Georgia and beyond through: expert services, research, design and technological development, information dissemination, and educational programs. The application of these resources is intended to promote maximum access to opportunity and environments by enhancing individuals' capabilities through the appropriate use of technology.

The Center for Home Care Policy and Research has become recognized as the pre-eminent research center for home care and is the only of its kind in the nation.

To find US and state resources for employment of people with disabilities, the Center has a directory of government agencies you can locate by state.

The Center, an affiliate of the National Association of State Medicaid Directors (NASMD), is a technical assistance center that is dedicated to helping states enhance employment support programs. One of the Center's six task forces addresses current rules and regulations for workplace PAS, factors in the work place, and related concerns. Minutes of task force meetings, beginning in January 2003, as well as a small list of publications on workplace PAS are available.

Several links within this site related to Home and Community-Based PAS:

This site links to: http://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/Partnerships/downloads/NFIflyer.pdf/ Information on the federal New Freedom Initiative (NFI) which aims to develop community integration of people with disabilities. Includes reports on programs and grants to; develop state long-term care services, improve the direct service community workforce and promote the employment of people with disabilities.

http://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Computer-Data-and-Systems/MedicaidDataSourcesGenInfo/MSIS-Mart-Home.html Website of CMS that has Medicaid Program Statistics (MSIS) data dating from 1990. Participant and Expenditure data on most Medicaid programs are retrievable by state and US.

http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/index.html?redirect=/manuals/45_smm/sm_02_2_2700.6_to_2700.6.asp This page of the CMS website deals specifically with the federal regulations for federal state Medicaid 1915(c) HCBS waivers. It provides guidelines of why waivers must be administered in certain way and also sets the guidelines of how the expenditure amount and number of participants may be calculated.

The Community Living Exchange Collaborative Clearinghouse collects and shares information about home and community-based services (HCBS) for people with disabilities of all ages from different states.

The site may also be of use to individuals with disabilities, older adults and providers to educate themselves on how to be active participants in changing systems. Researchers, policy makers and other interested parties will also find a wealth of information on the site about home and community based services.

The Consumer Voice is the leading national voice representing consumers in issues related to long-term care, helping to ensure that consumers are empowered to advocate for themselves. We are a primary source of information and tools for consumers, families, caregivers, advocates and ombudsmen to help ensure quality care for the individual.

Vocational Rehabilitation is a program available in each state specifically to help people with disabilities work. The services can range from job training to counseling and transportation services. This website from the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation provides a contact list of each state's program.

A guide to being a direct care worker, including what services they provide, what skills are required to become one and how to find a job being a direct care worker.

Centers for Independent Living (CILs) are advocacy organizations run by and for people with disabilities. This website from the MetroWest Center for Independent Living has a directory of all CILs by state.

Disability Benefits 101 (DB101) helps workers, job seekers, and service providers understand the connections between work and benefits. Although focused on California, it features a section on workplace PAS as well as practical information for employers or consumers, including frequently asked questions, policy updates publications list, and more.

DREDF is a national law and policy center dedicated to protecting and advancing the civil rights and human rights of people with disabilities through legal advocacy, training, education, and public policy and legislative development.

Disability World is an online magazine dedicated to advancing an exchange of information and expertise about the international independent living movement of people with disabilities.

Disability.gov, is a redesigned federal Web site that connects more than 50 million Americans with disabilities to thousands of trusted resources on disability-related issues, programs and services. Formerly known as DisabilityInfo.gov, the site has been completely redesigned and updated with new social media tools, such as a blog and a Twitter feed, to encourage feedback and interaction among visitors. Disability.gov is not just for Americans with disabilities, but also for parents of children with disabilities, employers, workforce and human resource professionals, veterans, educators, caregivers and many others.

This website gives people with disabilities, shelter managers and rescue workers information about how to prepare for a disaster such as an earthquake (grade level 12).

Disabled Sports USA is an organization that offers nationwide sports rehabilitation programs to anyone with a permanent physical disability. Activities include winter skiing, water sports, summer and winter competitions, fitness and special sports events. Participants include those with visual impairments, amputations, spinal cord injury, dwarfism, multiple sclerosis, head injury, cerebral palsy, and other neuromuscular and orthopedic conditions.

Emergency Preparedness for persons with disabilities, their families and support networks. Covers specific individual preparedness for people with disabilities and activity limitations and content includes:

• Guides
• Hazard Specific
• Lessons Documented
• Specific Functional Need Focus
• Forms, Checklists, Tools, Samples, etc.
• Videos
• General Preparedness Information

People of every age need a plan of action in case of an emergency. Although you may be in good health, you probably aren't as agile as you used to be. Or you might have a disability that can present additional challenges. Age and disabilities do not have to be debilitating in emergencies. By planning ahead, you"ll feel more confident about protecting yourself during an emergency, whether it is a house fire, power outage, hurricane or attack on the community. Now is the time to get prepared.

A project of the University of Washington, DO-IT serves to increase the participation of individuals with disabilities in academic programs and careers. It promotes the use of assitive technology to increase independence, productivity, and participation in education and employment.

The Employer Assistance & Recruiting Network (EARN) is a free service that connects employers looking for quality employees with skilled job candidates. This web site is a source of disability employment information including:

• recruiting services
• tools and resources
• employer success stories
• business case for hiring people with disabilities

The Eldercare Locator links those who need assistance with state and local area agencies on aging and community-based organizations that serve older adults and their caregivers. Whether an older person needs help with services such as meals, home care or transportation, or a caregiver needs training and education or a well-deserved break from caregiving responsibilities, the Eldercare Locator is there to point that person in the right direction.

Topics include, General Information & Assistance, Aging & Disability Resource Center, Medicare, Elder Abuse Prevention, Health Insurance Counseling, Legal Assistance, Long-term Care Ombudsman and Prescription Assistance.

Emergency Managers are often asked about their social media….is it accessible? For many people, the word "accessible" means "available," but for the disability community it means can I have equal access to the information that people without disabilities have. Accessible Social Media requires design features that make it accessible to a variety of people with disabilities. The Emergency 2.0 Wiki Accessibility Toolkit offers a crowdsourcing site that pools resources on helping emergency managers and homeland security professionals learn how to make their information/resources accessible to everyone - Office of the Governor Rick Perry Committee on People with Disabilities.

Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, NOD launched the Emergency Preparedness Initiative (EPI) to ensure that emergency managers address disability concerns and that people with disabilities are included in all levels of emergency preparedness including planning, response, and recovery.

EPI has since become a nationally recognized leader in emergency preparedness for people with disabilities and special needs through the delivery of national outreach, education, and awareness programs. Additionally, EPI offers training programs to ensure that preparedness officials across the country include people with disabilities in their emergency planning, preparation, response and recovery activities at the community level. EPI works to ensure that people with disabilities take an active role in emergency plan development and practice before, during, and after emergencies.

EASI provides information and guidance to students and professionals with disabilities on adaptive software and technology used in schools, colleges, universities, libraries and the workplace.

EUROFAMCARE is an international research project funded within the 5th Framework Programme of the European Community, Key Action 6: The Ageing Population and Disabilities, 6.5: Health and Social Care Services to older People, Contract No QLK6-CT-2002-02647 "EUROFAMCARE". The EUROFAMCARE project will provide a European review of the situation of family carers of elderly people in relation to the existence, familiarity, availability, use and acceptability of supporting services.

According to the National Organization on Disability (NOD), "To be better prepared as a nation, we all must do our part to plan for disasters. Individuals with or without disabilities can decrease the impact of a disaster by taking steps to prepare BEFORE an event occurs."

This multilingual website of the Family Caregiver Alliance, a national community-based non profit organization provides information on a range of policy analysis and research publications on issues relating to informal caregivers. It also provides useful information, guides and factsheets for caregivers.

The American Psychological Association's Family Caregiver Briefcase is now available. An online resource for those who work with family caregivers, the Briefcase can help professionals recognize, anticipate, and reduce the stresses on family caregivers across the life span. It provides guidance on how to assist caregivers through individual and organizational practice, research, teaching, and community service. Segments of the briefcase are also useful for family caregivers.

The components of the Family Caregiver Briefcase include:

• Caregiving facts and figures
• Strategies for reaching family caregivers
• Caregiving interventions
• Assessment tools
• Variations in practice for culturally diverse groups
• Practical aspects of providing services
• Research opportunities and considerations
• Teaching about Caregiving
• Advocacy on behalf of family caregivers
• Resources for diverse populations and age groups

The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) offers these suggestions to keep in mind when making emergency preparations addressing people with disabilities.

This link provides a collection of research reports, fact sheets, speeches, news releases, congressional testimony, legal dockets and opinions on the topic of "Funding for Long-Term Care Programs".

Provides information, materials, technical assistance and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and accessible information technology (IT). The ADA addresses all aspects of employment and the obligations of state and local governments and business to ensure that their programs and services are readily accessible to and useable by people with disabilities.

The Great Lakes ADA Center's service area is Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The Center is one of 10 regional centers funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).

The Great Plains Americans With Disabilities Act & Accessible Information Technology Center is one of 10 ADA centers authorized by the National Institute on Disability & Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) to provide technical assistance, training and materials dissemination related to the Americans with Disabilities Act and Accessible Information Technology to the Great Plains Region (IA, KS, MO, NE).

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has issued guidance to HUD-assisted housing providers on how they can support state and local Olmstead efforts to increase the integrated housing opportunities for individuals with disabilities who are transitioning from, or at serious risk of entering, institutions and other restrictive, segregated settings.

ICI offers training, clinical, and employment services, conducts research, and provides assistance to organizations to promote inclusion of people with disabilities in school, work, and community activities. Publication topics listed on the site include: employment, disability policy, finding and keeping a job, health care, social security benefits and eduction.

Of interest to those seeking employment are "Flexible funding stories" which describe funding approaches used by people with disabilities in order to obtain employment, often involving the hiring of personal assistants or job coaches in the workplace.

Iowa CareGivers Association (ICA) is Iowa's first independent statewide professional association for Certified Nurse Assistants, Home Care Aides, Patient Care Technicians, and other direct care/support workers who deliver 80-90% of the care in Iowa's nursing facilities, home care agencies and in many other health care settings

ICA provides education, information, support and advocacy for those who perform direct resident/patient/client care. ICA also conducts market research relative to staff recruitment and retention.

What is long-term care and will I need it? If I do need long-term care services, where can I find them? Are there things I should be doing now to plan ahead?

Older adults and their loved ones can find easy-to-understand answers to these and other questions can be found on the "Long-Term Care," page, the newest topic on NIHSeniorHealth, the health and wellness website for older adults from the National Institutes of Health.

Maine PASA is an association that promotes professionalism and development for the direct care, direct support and personal assistance workforce to support the highest quality of life for elders and people with disabilities.

Provides training, information, and technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to businesses, consumers, schools, and government agencies within the Mid-Atlantic Region (PA, DE, MD, VA, WV, and DC)

The Mid-Atlantic ADA Center
451 Hungerford Drive, Suite 700
Rockville, MD 20850
TOLL FREE: 800-949-4232 V/TTY (DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV)
LOCAL: 301-217-0124 V/TTY
FAX: 301-217-0754

The National Alliance for Caregiving is dedicated to providing support and information to family caregivers and to increasing public awareness of issues facing family caregivers.

The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) is the umbrella organization for the 655 area agencies on aging (AAAs) and more than 230 Title VI Native American aging programs in the U.S. Through its presence in Washington, D.C., n4a advocates on behalf of the local aging agencies to ensure that needed resources and support services are available to older Americans.

The National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD) was founded in 1964 under the name National Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA). In 2010, the organization changed its name to NASUAD in an effort to formally recognize the work that the state agencies were undertaking in the field of disability policy and advocacy. Today, NASUAD represents the nation's 56 state and territorial agencies on aging and disabilities and supports visionary state leadership, the advancement of state systems innovation and the articulation of national policies that support home and community based services for older adults and individuals with disabilities.

This website contains links to departments in each state that deal with services for seniors and people with disabilities. It also provides reports on home and community based services and Medicaid waivers.

The National Center for Learning Disabilities provides online information about learning disabilities, early literacy and learning resources, support for adolescents and adults with learning disabilities, public policy and advocacy tools.

The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability believes being physically active is good for everybody. This website has guidelines to consider before starting any kind of exercise program plus factsheets on many activities, games, and sports that have been adapted for people with disabilities.

The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition was established to create opportunities for youths with disabilities to achieve successful futures. NCSET provides technical assistance and provides information related to schooling after high school and other transition issues for youth with disabilities.

The National Center on Workforce and Disability/Adult provides training, technical assistance, policy analysis, and information to improve access for all in the workforce system. This section includes resources for people with disabilities who are seeking jobs.

The HEATH Resource Center provides information about educational support services, policies, procedures, adaptations, and opportunities for people with disabilities in the United States.

The National Clearinghouse on the Direct Care Workforce tracks national and state policies that relate to the PAS workforce. This includes a national survey of state workforce initiatives and information on recruitment, training, mentoring, career advancement, management and supervisory training, workplace culture and caregiving practices, wages and benefits, worker supports and other valuable information. Information for consumers of Personal Assistance Services can be found on their Consumer Direction section of the Direct Care Clearinghouse web site.

NCWD is a source of information about employment and youth with disabilities. Summaries of publications on disability and employment can be sorted according to 5 classes of users: Administrators, Employer/Business, Youth Service Practitioners, Policymakers, and Youth or Family. Outlines of disability-related legislation highlight eligibility requirements and services they provide.

The NCHSD is a technical assistance partnership providing flexible, state-tailored technical assistance to states developing comprehensive health and employment service systems for people with disabilities who want to work.

Policy briefs and reports to Government on disability-related issues. Information leaflets for people with disabilities (for example on social security benefits, legal rights and housing) and a monthly newsletter are also available.

The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) publishes the National Directory of Aging Resources which provides the most complete listing available of local and state agencies on aging, as well as Native American aging programs.

For people who have family members as caregivers, this website gives tips and advice for families and caregivers.

The National Organization on Disability (NOD) provides the latest in disability news, information, and resources. NOD has a number of programs running dealing with issues such as employment, emergency preparedness and disability in the community.

National Program Office on Self-Determination provides links, articles, and message boards on self-determination, as well as articles on personal care assistants.

National Resource Available for Respite Care

The ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center assists and promotes the development of quality respite and crisis care programs and helps families locate respite and crisis care services in their communities. As part of their effort this Center has a National Respite Locator Service that helps parents, family caregivers, and professionals find respite services in their state and local area to match their specific needs.

To learn more about the National Respite Network, go to http://archrespite.org/home

To find the online Respite Locator, go to http://archrespite.org/respitelocator

A project of the University of Southern California Andrus Gerontology Center, this resource center has an online directoy of home modifications resources, aimed at promoting independence and preventing accidents in the home.

It is also the home to another project titled "Caregiver Adaptations to Reduce Environmental Stress" aimed at increaing caregiver use of environmental coping strategies to reduce physical burden and strain.

This Center advocates nationally through litigation and legislative representation, and assists attorneys to promote the independence of older people and people with disabilities. The website has legal news and details of cases relating to Medicaid, waiver programs and nursing facilities.

One of ten regional ADA centers funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). The Center is a project of Adaptive Environments, Inc., a nonprofit organization. The Center's goal is to facilitate voluntary and effective compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Adaptive Environments Center, Inc.
374 Congress Street, Suite 301
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 695-0085 (V/TTY)
(617) 482-8099 (Fax)
adainfo@newenglandada.org

The North Carolina Office on Disability and Health lists several publications available from their website on access to health care for people with disabilities. Women's health, removing barriers, physical activity, health and wellness are some of the subjects covered in the publications.

We provide training, technical assistance and materials on the Americans with Disabilities Act and Accessible Information Technology throughout New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Funded by the US Department of Education's, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)as one of 10 national ADA centers.

201 ILR Extension Building
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-3901
Phone: 1-800-949-4232 Voice / TTY / Spanish - New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
In other areas: 607-255-6686 Voice / TTY / Spanish
Fax: 607-255-2763
Email: northeastada@cornell.edu

The Northwest ADA/IT Center is one of 10 regional ADA Centers funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) of the U.S. Department of Education. They are located at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon. Working together with designated state affiliates and partners in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington, they provide technical assistance, training and dissemination of information regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act and accessible education-based information technology.

Northwest ADA Center
Northwest ADA/IT Center
P.O. Box 574
Portland, Oregon 97207-0574
(503) 494-4001
nwada@ohsu.edu

The purpose of the Pacific Americans with Disabilities Act and Accessible Information Technology Center is to build a partnership between the disability and business communities and to promote full and unrestricted participation in society for persons with disabilities through education and technical assistance. The Pacific ADA & IT Center is one of 10 ADA Centers and server Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and the Pacific Basin (American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and Palau).

Pacific ADA & IT Center
555 12th Street, Suite 1030
Oakland, CA 94607-4046
510-285-5600 V/TTY
510-285-5614
adatech@adapacific.org

A report on Personal Assistance Services in the Workplace.

Proyecto Vision connects disabled Latinos with employment services and related resources by offering a bilingual website, newsletter and technical assistance hotline plus outreach to employers in the community.

Quality Mall is 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.

Ready.gov is the Department of Homeland Security's public website on emergency preparedness. The section on making an emergency kit includes checklists for special needs items for infants, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

If disaster strikes your community, you might not have access to food, water, or electricity for some time. By taking time now to prepare emergency water supplies, food supplies and disaster supplies kit, you can provide for your entire family.

RewardingWork.org is an online direct care job registry connecting employees and employers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey.

Mike Collins, a disability consultant living with paralysis, is a fundraiser, volunteer, advocate and Christopher/Dana Reeve fan.

Provides information on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and accessible education-based information technology to Colorado, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota. One of 10 ADA centers in the US.

Meeting the Challenge, Inc.
3630 Sinton Road, Suite 103
Colorado Springs, CO 80907
(719) 444-0268 (V/TTY)
(719) 444-0269 (Fax)
rmdbtac@mtc-inc.com

The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management (DEM) manages disaster preparation, mitigation, and response; 9-1-1 dispatch; and homeland security grant distribution for the City and County of San Francisco. DEM was created in 2006 by local legislation that reorganized the Emergency Communications Department and the Office of Emergency Services into a single agency.

A description of programs and policies that help SSI and SSDI recipients increase their earnings without losing their benefits. Two such programs are the Program for Achieving Self-Sufficiency (PASS), and the Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE).

One of ten regional ADA Centers funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). It supports efforts to strengthen ADA compliance for eight states in the Southeast Region, shares publications and resources on the ADA that are accurate and reliable, provides technical assistance promptly to telephone or written inquiries about the ADA, offers training and distance education on the ADA, disseminates news and ADA in Action articles about implementation and enforcement of the ADA, makes referrals to regional ADA experts for specialized assistance, works with a distinguished ADA Leadership Network to promote coalition building among business, government, education, and disability communities, and develops effective solutions for the challenges in ADA compliance.

Center for Assistive Technology & Environmental Access (CATEA) at Georgia Tech
490 Tenth St.
Atlanta, GA 30318
404-385-0636 (v/tty) 404-385-0641 (fax)
sedbtacproject@catea.org

The Southwest's leading resource on the Americans with Disabilities Act, related laws and making Information Technology accessible to people with disabilities. The DLRP serves a wide range of audiences who are interested in or impacted by these laws, including employers, businesses, government agencies, schools and people with disabilities. Expert staff are available to provide training and publications and to respond to your inquiries via DLRP's toll free hotline 800-949-4232.

The service area is Texas, Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Louisiana. The Center is one of 10 regional centers funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).

Independent Living Research Utilization
2323 South Shepherd Boulevard, Suite 1000
Houston, TX 77019
(713) 520-0232 (V/TTY)
(713) 520-5785 (Fax)
dlrp@ilru.org

Steve Gold is an experienced disability rights attorney based in Pennsylvania. He maintains this website which is a very useful resource for anyone interested in disability rights in the U.S. The website provides regular bulletins on policy developments, legislation, research and statistics concerning five key issues for people with disabilities: housing, medical assistance/Medicaid, nursing homes, education, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The website presents short, easy to read bulletins and also give tips on how to use the facts and figures in state and local lobbying. It also presents sources of further information. It is possible to sign-up online to receive new bulletins by email and there is a searchable archive of all previous bulletins.

TASH is a civil rights organization that works to include people with disabilities into every aspect of society.

The Annapolis Coalition is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the recruitment, retention, training, and performance of the prevention and treatment workforce in the mental health and addictions sectors of the behavioral health field.

The Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research, and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis through grants, information and advocacy.