Resources For the Transition to Adulthood

facingdisability.com

This website has information about several programs that are dedicated to ensuring that people with disabilities have the opportunity to work and go to school. Here you'll find job search engines geared toward finding employers who comply with the American’s with Disabilities Act, as well as sites with advice and guidance for college-bound individuals.

ABILITY Jobs provides a resource for people with disabilities to find employment online. Here you can upload resumes and search job postings by employers who support and engage in "affirmative disability action."

AbilityLinks.org

The AbilityLinks mission is to increase employment of qualified persons with disabilities. By joining the AbilityLinks Consortium, non-profits, businesses and government agencies gain access to disability employment networking opportunities. Organizations can find qualified candidates with disabilities; job seekers can post resumes and apply for jobs online.

American Association of People with Disabilities

The AAPD is a national nonprofit member organization focused on advocacy and on making the voice of the disability community heard. This group sponsors career and leadership programs for disabled individuals and promotes legislative action to create a more accessible world. Here you can learn about the latest in advocacy news and find job postings from companies that support equal employment practices. Just look through the options in the drop-down menu under the Programs tab to learn about current AAPD projects such as the Disability Vote Project and the Technology Initiative.

Job Accommodation Network (JAN)

Provided by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, JAN is a service intended to help employees and employers create a more accessible environment by providing information about job accommodations and legal information for people with disabilities. JAN provides consulting services to decide the best course of action in making a business accessible as well as ideas for accommodating disabilities in the work place.

American Association of Retired Persons Grandparent Foundation Information Center

This section of the AARP website provides articles and information for grandparents who play an active role in their grandchildren's lives. The website offers extensive information on finding government aid programs, legal advice, tips on grandparenthood, and caregiving. There are a variety of resources including "Grandparenting a Child with Special Needs."

Center for Assistive Technology

The Center for Assistive Technology (CAT) was established within the School of Health Related Professions in 1988. CAT conducts research, education, and service programs in assistive technology for persons with disabilities and the elderly in four related areas: research, development, and commercialization, education programs, client assessment and training services and dissemination.

Marianjoy Scholarship Program

The Marianjoy Scholarship Program was established in 1994, and more than $500,000 in scholarship money has been awarded to date. Each year, scholarships for post-high school education are awarded to students with disabilities to enable them to pursue educational programs at accredited four-year colleges and universities, two-year colleges, or vocational-technical schools in the United States. The Marianjoy Scholarship is intended for individuals with permanent physical disabilities, like those served through Marianjoy programs, but it is not necessary to have been a Marianjoy patient to apply.

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY)

National Organization on Disability

NOD strives to make the nation more accessible to the millions of Americans with disabilities. It sponsors programs and initiatives that encourage employment of individuals with disabilities, and dialogue on current accountability issues across the nation. Here you will learn about the advocacy programs that are in progress as well as what's been accomplished so far to create a nation that encourages and creates opportunities for participation from disabled individuals.

ServiceSource

ServiceSource is a not-for-profit corporation with regional offices and programs located in nine states and the District of Columbia. ServiceSource's regional offices share a mission to provide exceptional services to individuals with disabilities through innovative and valued employment, training, habilitation, housing, and support services. Nationwide, ServiceSource serves more than 13,000 people with disabilities annually of whom nearly 2,000 individuals are directly employed on both government and commercial affirmative employment contracts. Others receive assistance in habilitation programs, benefits planning, job placement, evaluation and counseling and housing.

We Connect Now

We Connect Now is dedicated to uniting people interested in rights and issues affecting people with disabilities, with particular emphasis on college students and access to higher education and employment issues. We Connect Now aims to help college students with disabilities succeed in their studies by getting the information and support they need, both through resources, links, blogs latest news, studying existing laws and regulation, and through personal contacts. People can also share and read other people’s stories as a source of support and comfort.

Center on Technology and Disability Library

The Center on Technology and Disability (CTD) is designed to increase the capability of families and providers to advocate for, obtain, and utilize effective assistive and instructional technology practices, devices, and services. With an online Open Institute, resources, personal and professional development activities, and technical assistance can be found on this site. In the CTD Café you will find resources designed specifically for the transition period into adulthood.

National Rehabilitation Information Center

The National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC) covers research findings on a wide range of issues including health, function, and independent living. The NARIC is the library of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, which funds more than 250 projects each year, much like the CPAT study. Information on resources for education, mental health, independent living, aging, etc. can be found in the section titled "Disability Resources."