National Resources of a general nature, not specific to any disability
The National Council on Disability (NCD) is an independent federal agency making recommendations to the President and Congress on issues affecting 54 million Americans with disabilities. NCD is composed of 15 members appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. In its 1986 report "Toward Independence", NCD first proposed that Congress should enact a civil rights law for people with disabilities. In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law.
NCD's overall purpose is to promote policies, programs, practices, and procedures that guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability; and to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and inclusion and integration into all aspects of society.
Disability and Business Technical and Assistance Centers
The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) of the U.S. Department of Education has established ten regional Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs) to provide information, training, and technical assistance to employers, people with disabilities, and other entities with responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The centers act as a "one stop" central, comprehensive resource on ADA issues in employment, public services, public accommodations, and communications. Each center works closely with local business, disability, governmental, rehabilitation, and other professional networks to provide ADA information and assistance, placing special emphasis on meeting the needs of small business. Programs vary in each region, but all centers provide:
Technical assistance
Education and training
Materials dissemination
Information and referral
Public awareness
Local capacity building
Indiana and Illinois are located in Region 5 of the U.S. Information for this region is given below. Links to the other 9 regions are also provided.
REGION 5 (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI)
REGION 5 (IL, IN, MI, MN,
OH, WI)REGION
4 (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN)
The Alliance for Technology Access (ATA) began in 1987 as a joint
project of a grass-roots organization, the Disabled Children
The
Alliance for Technology Access (ATA) began in 1987 as a joint project of a
grass-roots organization, the Disabled Children’s Computer Group, and a major
Corporation, Apple Computers.From this
group of parents, consumers, and professionals, the ATA has grown into one of
the nation’s largest resources to help children and adults who have
disabilities gain access to the benefits of adaptive technology.
The
ATA’s most important means of promoting technology access may be its nationwide
network of community-based assistive technology resources centers.ATA centers work with a wide variety of
individuals and organizations and have no eligibility criteria for determining
who may receive service.Most centers
provide hands-on consultations, product demonstrations, make recommendations
and referrals, and present workshops on technology use.
The
ATA center for Indiana is Assistive Technology Training and Information Center
(ATTIC).For information on ATTIC and
the National office, click on the links below.
