Pro Infirmis Mannequins Video Shows Bodily Diversity is Beautiful

A trip to the mall bombards me with unattainable ideals of “perfection” everywhere I turn. Mannequins of one standard body shape and size taunt me in each store I enter, all of them wearing clothing that won’t look anything on me like it does on them. Their plastic bodies are tall and thin; I am less than 5 feet with more than my fair share of curves. They stand in casual poses; I am sitting in my wheelchair. To me, mannequins are not always inviting displays. Instead, they’re nothing more than sculptures of a supposedly idyllic body type that I

The Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education – 07/12/13

This week, Carol Quirk who is the Co-Executive Director for the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education, will return to the podcast. Carol is going to talk, on behalf of the MCIE, about ways in which we can support inclusive education. The Maryland Co

2013 Top Ten Signs of Special Ed Advocate Burn Out

Subtitle: Why you may need a trip to a COPAA conference to relax. 1. You thought the OSEP’s MOU on NCLB’s AYP came from CDC and was about another STD. 2. You are were actually able to follow #1. 3. You asked the Advocate Committee to research OCR guidanc

National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability

Great resource promoting increased participation in physical activity among people of all abilities.

Some special education teachers fear losing jobs

ATLANTA (AP) — Some Atlanta special education teachers say they fear they could lose their jobs if they aren't certified to teach in another subject. Keith Butler helps special education students with math in an Atlanta high school. He said teachers are

Law Would Give Parents Final Say About Special Diploma Track

A proposed law moving quickly through the Legislature would give parents of kids receiving special education services the final say about their child’s placement on a special diploma track.

Insight into Inclusion: The Language we Use

How do we help our children or students who are perpetually losing things, often running late and seem completely disorganized? Do we re... Teachers love a great resource! Especially a resource that is free and at their fingertips - literally. That's why

School Says, “No Advanced Classes for Kids with IEPs”

My child has a learning disability. Her teachers want her to enroll in advanced classes. She is eligible based on her test scores and school performance. The School will not let her enroll her because she has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). What

Retention is Not a Form of “Specialized Instruction”

The school wanted to retain my son who has an IEP for OT, PT and Speech. They insisted he repeat second grade. I disagreed. Now in third grade, his teachers want to send him back to second grade. They say his writing is not on par with a “normal” third g

Home Modifications

Not all people begin life with disabilities, but most of us will need some kind of assistance as we experience the normal process of aging. Living at home within a community increases self-esteem, which can improve mental and physical health. Another rea

Appropriate Education for Your Child – 02/15/2013

Unfortunately, our guest Howard Glasser, was unavailable for this morning's show! However, Terri and I managed to fill the 30 minutes (it's not hard!) talking about inclusion and education. During our show, we talked about finding appropriate education f

Wright’s Law: Why Schools Usually Say “No!”

My son is going to middle school. Same district, new school, just blocks apart. His 1:1 (same para for 3 years) has been the best thing that has come into his life ever. We want his para to follow him to middle school. The Special Education Director says

The Inclusive Class: Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities

Nicole and Terri are looking forward to interviewing Dr. Sheldon Horowitz about ways classrooms can support children with learning disabilities.

Grit Media

Grit Media promotes the rights and aspirations of people with disabilities by creating opportunities to be seen and heard in a range of media productions. Our productions bring disability awareness into peoples' homes through the depiction of realistic, compelling and entertaining content, that encourages audiences to see disability as a natural part of life. The organisation provides training opportunities for people with disabilities and aims to encourage the wider media industry to join our battle against a culture of harmful misconception and ignorance about disability. Welcome to Grit Media.

Q&A: IDEA and child care

This 4-page brief explains the basics of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to child care providers, including early intervention for children under the age of 3 and special education and related services for school-aged children. It

IEP Team Member Apology: A Template for “Not Knowing It All – After All”

Have you just committed a real faux pas but find yourself at a loss for words to apologize? Perhaps you are a celebrity who needs to apologize for disability-related comment… A teacher who needs to apologize for outrageous classroom mistreatment… Or, a p

Letter from National Council on Disability (NCD) to the President Following Newtown Tragedy

December 20, 2012 The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President: On behalf of the National Council on Disability (NCD), an independent federal agency, and in response to your recent national call to act

COPAA Statement on the Newtown Tragedy

The members of Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc. (COPAA) work in schools every day with teachers and on behalf of the 7.1 million children with disabilities in the United States. Because of our work, we feel intense, personal pain over the

FCC Honors Designers of Communications Technology Benefiting People with Disabilities

445 12th Street, S.W. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: December 19, 2012 Michael Snyder at (202) 418-0997 E-mail: Michael.Snyder@fcc.gov FCC CHAIRMAN GENACHOWSKI HONORS INNOVATORS IN ACCESSIBILITY COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY IN CEREMONY TODAY Demo

What Does Ollibean Mean to You?

Crazy but true, simply wearing an Ollibean tshirt makes bedtime routine happy and fun! Send us a message about why you want one, what Ollibean means to you, and we'll get one to you.

An Ethnographic Investigation of African American Mothers’ Perceptions of Augmentative and Alternative Communication

The purpose of this study was to investigate fourteen African American mothers' perceptions of the utilization of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) by their children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The authors used ethnographic metho

‘Smartpen’ Pilot Program Helps Students with Disabilities

We often get questions about the legality of using a recording device or pen in class. Parents ask this question when schools tell them “recording devices violate the confidentiality” of other students in the classroom. Digital recorders or recording pen

Ollibean: All of a kind

The faces of Ollibean are kids with and without disabilities all trying to make the world a better place.

Use Your Words: Non-Verbal, Speech, and AAC

I see a little girl every week at events that my child attends. She's great. She's nine years old, has a fantastic laugh, and a mischievous sense of humor. She loves puddles, chocolate cake, and apples. She has a small crush on my son. She's also non-ver

Build Your App with Therapy Box

“After numerous requests, we have opened up our service to work with creative speech and language therapists, teachers and organisations who have an idea for an app they would like to deliver. We will make it happen” explains Therapy Box Therapy Box, the

CEC Celebrates IDEA’s 37th Anniversary

On November 29, 1975 President Gerald Ford signed into law the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142), landmark legislation that forever changed how American’s view individuals with disabilities. Now known as the Individuals with

Longview school suspends use of isolation box

The Longview School District has suspended the use of an isolation box for special education students while it reviews the policy for isolating students who may be a danger to themselves or others. The Longview School District has suspended the use of an

Evaluating the Efficacy of the LRE

I attended an IEP meeting recently that really brought home for me the complex nuances of determining what placement, or blend of placement options, represents the Least Restrictive Environment (“LRE”) for an individual student with an IEP. Not only are

Now, It’s Our Turn!

Tonight, Terri and I had the tables turned on us! It was our turn to be on the "hot seat" when we were featured guests on HuffPost Live. Interviewed by host, Nancy Redd, we appeared live (and on camera - much more stressful than a phone interview!!) to d

CHOP presents new findings on pediatric cardiovascular disease at AHA 2012

Physician-researchers from the Cardiac Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia presented new findings on pediatric cardiovascular disease at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2012 in Los Angeles. They described racial dispari

Adding the I to IEP: H is at the table

We worked with the wonderful team at H’s Distributed Learning School to update his Individual Education Plan (IEP) and for the first time ever H was there to take part. He wasn’t completely interested – but we built-in other options for him so he could p

Open Letter from a Doctoral Student Who Needs Some Help with her Study

Hi, my name is Christina and I am a doctoral candidate at Grand Canyon University. The title of my dissertation is “Examining the Potential of Using Technology to Improve Academic Performance: The Experience of Autistic Children with E-Readers.” As a for

Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities – 11/02/12

Having taught at the primary, secondary and college levels, Dr. Horowitz has also worked as a consultant to school districts throughout the New York City metropolitan region. In addition, he is frequently cities in popular press topics including parentin

Listen to The Inclusive Class Roundtable – 10/26

Inclusive Education, as defined and described by education experts, is a philosophy. It is not a program, nor does it happen in is... Parents of school-age children can often become bewildered by today’s education system and it’s expectations. Its quickl

Special ed in distress A few schools get it right, but complaints and lawsuits are mounting against a troubled program serving 7,000 Seattle students.

Five years ago, a high-profile report found that Seattle's public-school district was decades behind the rest of the country in serving students with disabilities. Today, the problems are even worse. Six special-education directors — and three superinten

Why Won’t the School Provide Homebound Instruction?

My child’s doctor recommended homebound instruction. The school said they had the authority to override that recommendation. Why won’t the school provide homebound services? Issues of homebound are determined in part by state law and state regulations, i

COPAA Announces Keynote and General Session Speakers for 2013 Conference

COPAA is an independent, nonprofit membership organization of special education attorneys, special education advocates, related professionals, and parents/family members. Our primary mission is to secure high quality education services for children with

AAPC Publishing Releases Lesson Plan a la Carte: Integrated Planning for Students With Special Needs

Integrate learning objectives with therapeutic supports and necessary modifications right in the classroom. Multiple worlds exist within the educational universe. Integrated planning happens when each of these worlds (teaching, clinical, administrative,

National Council on Disability (NCD) Releases Report on Rights of Parents with Disabilities & Their Children

WASHINGTON, DC -- On Thursday, September 27, the National Council on Disability (NCD), an independent federal agency, released “Rocking the Cradle: Ensuring the Rights of Parents with Disabilities and Their Children” -- a groundbreaking policy study, inf

NeoSpeech Text-to-Speech Featured in AAC Speech Application

We believe that NeoSpeech Text-to-Speech will benefit people with speech disabilities to communicate with other people. NeoSpeech, a leader in text-to-speech (TTS) software and speech-enabled solutions, announced today that an Augmentative and Alternativ

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A Sensory Garden for Zoë and Oliver

One of Ollibean's contributors, the lovely and amazing, Julie Lohoefener of Bloom Garden Shop, let's us in on some great tips on creating a non-toxic Sensory Garden with your kids.

Dr Thomas Armstrong – Neurodiversity – Aug 27,2012

Call in to speak with the host "Neurodiversity" by Dr Armstrong - Brilliance "Neurodiversity - Discovering the Extraordinary gifts of Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia and other brain differences. This book has it all - what research tells us about the specific str

USC’s Special Ed Infographic

Welcome to Making Special Education Actually Work, the official blog of KPS4Parents. We sincerely hope that this blog proves to enlighten and empower all responsible adults to ensure that all children, regardless of disability, receive a Free and Appropr

National Federation of the Blind Applauds National Council on Disability Report

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “We applaud the National Council on Disability for its strong affirmation of the value, equality, and dignity of workers with disabilities, and for its recommendation that Section

Another School year !!

Another school year begins August the 16th for us. My son is a young 1st grader , he will be 6 on August 23rd . But will still be five when school starts . His kindergarten experience wasn’t so great . Before he started school last year I met with the sc

Special needs kids staying in traditional schools

LOS ANGELES The high cost of educating students with special needs is disproportionately falling on traditional public schools as other students increasingly opt for alternatives that aren't always readily open to those requiring special education. The i

My Video for Day without Starbucks for Sebastien

My video to help raise money for "Day Without Starbucks for Sebastien" . Sebastien is my friend. He has MELAS, a mitochondrial disease that is hurting him. Please help.

Sebastien’s Smile

Sebastien's Smile was created for the sole purpose of raising awareness for Mitochondrial diseases which affect the Setin's son Sebastien.

Henry’s video for his friend Sebastien, please help by sharing

Thursday Henry decided he wanted to write something to help his friend. We decided to video the process, as you can see, typing one letter at a time is a very long and arduous process. It took Henry  hours to type and edit that paragraph. It was hard and Henry decided to not to share the parts that were too emotional. Sebastien is one of Henry's best friends, he loves him dearly and he has watched his body get weaker and weaker each day. I am so proud of H for writing this, it was very, very hard for a

London 2012 Takes Paralympic Torch Relay to New Heights

The Paralympic Torch Relay is the perfect moment to get your flags back out and get behind the incredible athletes taking part as the excitement builds once again right across the capital • Flames to be created at the summits of the UK’s four highest pea

WEBSITE WEDNESDAY: The Accessible Principal

I am so thrilled to share the with you, which is a new blog that was launched this summer by one of the best administrators I have ever met. Marilyn is a school and district leader in a suburb here in Chicago and she has interests ranging from technology

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Ollibean Mama Spotlight

Connect and learn with other parents like Tonya who presume competence and celebrate their children for being exactly who they are. #allofakind

NYC to Integrate Special Ed Students into Regular Classrooms

New York City’s pilot for special education inclusion has moved the district to apply the program to a majority of the schools in the city. The city’s conclusion is that students with special needs should get access to the general education curriculum, n

What is the Timeline for Developing a Section 504 Plan?

My 6 year old daughter had her 3 year reevaluation. She has Childhood Apraxia of Speech and fine motor difficulty. She is doing well academically. At the IEP meeting, one month ago, it was decided that she no longer qualifies for an IEP. The school sugge

Resources and Downloads for Differentiated Instruction

Educators from Mesquite Elementary School, in Tucson, Arizona, have provided these resources for you to use in your own school. Daily collaborative planning time at Mesquite Elementary enables teachers to plan differentiated instruction to address the pr

  • ollibean think tank. tim villegas. inclusion

The Case for Inclusion: Does All Really Mean All?

Tim Villegas of Think Inclusive on the motivation to change from educating students with disabilities in segregated settings to inclusive settings where all means all.

Ollibean Think Tank Member Tim Villegas

My hope is that ThinkInclusive.us can create a bridge between educators, parents, and advocates (including self-advocates) to promote ideas, innovation and inspiration to change our world to be more accepting and value each and every human being.

How to Make Inclusive Practices a Reality For Your School

The new school year is fast approaching and The Inclusive Class Podcast is set to help you prepare! On Friday, August 10, 2012 we will kick off our "Back to School" series which is 3 podcasts that will discuss tips, strategies and resources for helping y

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Change Leader: Amy Sequenzia

"Presume competence. The same way I want people to assume I am competent, I also assume that others are competent".

Snacking: The Little Bite That Won’t Hurt You

Ollibean contributor Kristie Salzer talks about the benefits of "refueling" between lunch and dinner to decrease hunger related meltdowns for kids. We love her suggestions of 25 super easy snacks to get you started!

  • got questions? get answers from our disability centric community

Got Questions? Get answers from our disability-centric community.

We’ve organized Ollibean so members can support each other in a very organic way. You will connect with others based on mutual interest in diffability related content.

Teaching Reading to Children with Special Needs

On Friday July 27, 2012, Nicole and Terri will be interviewing Dr. Kathleen Whitbread about the importance of including children with special needs in reading instruction. In todays schools, children who are deemed incapable of reading, are usually pulle

School-Wide PBIS & Teachers Who Bully

One reason, I suspect, is that people are so focused on holding bullies accountable that they’re not focusing on the real causes of bullying. But, that’s a reactive strategy rather than a proactive attempt to prevent bullying in the first place. Addition

Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology ( FAAST)

About FAAST Our Mission is to improve the quality of life for all Floridians with disabilities through advocacy and awareness activities that increase access to and acquisition of assistive services and technology. We value each individual's right to achieve their highest potential and the possibilities that can be realized through collaborative efforts focused on the goal of improving life for Floridians with and without disabilities. FAAST has worked with thousands of people with and without disabilities throughout the state to provide: Hands on assistive technology demonstrations and trainings Financing for assistive technology purchases Assistive device lending programs Community outreach to rural and

Bullying Prevention State Laws

This new brief focuses on bullying prevention legislation. To date, 47 states have passed legislation requiring schools to take leadership in addressing the problem. This brief provides information on elements of a bullying prevention plan, the school’s

Perfect Ballet Slippers from Linge Shoes

We are obsessed with these ballet slippers from Linge Shoes. We get the skinny from designer/entrepreneur Whitney Evans about her exquisite shoes- perfect for moms and daughters alike.

Strong communication between brain and muscle requires both having the protein LRP4

Communication between the brain and muscle must be strong for us to eat, breathe or walk. Now scientists have found that a protein known to be on the surface of muscle cells must be present in both tissues to ensure the conversation is robust. Scientists

Leaders@ED: Alexa Posny, Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

Alexa Posny has had 23 jobs. While she never envisioned a specific career path, every position she held was a stepping stone towards her current position as the Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) at the U.S. Dep

  • “My heroes are the everyday people who have grace and kindness for others regardless of their difficulties or successes.” orthopedic surgeon. change leader. human.

Change Leader: Dr. Charles Price

If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be? "More acceptance, tolerance and understanding. Everyone is trying to get through life the best way they know how. Some are dysfunctional while others are externally successful. Not everything is as it seems on the surface".

International Hip Dysplasia Institute

The International Hip Dysplasia Institute (IHDI) is a collaborative, international, not-for-profit effort to improve the health and quality of life of those affected by hip dysplasia. Our goal is to provide education to patients, families, and physicians as the most comprehensive and reliable resource for knowledge about hip dysplasia in its various forms. What is Hip Dysplasia? Hip Dysplasia means that the bones of the hip joint are not aligned correctly. It affects thousands of children and adults each year and is known by many different names: Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH) Hip Dislocation Congenital Dislocation of the Hip (CDH)

A Letter to Parents of Children with Special Needs

I hope you have an enjoyable and relaxing summer with your family! Don’t forget to keep your child reading, practice some math facts or maybe even keep a journal of your family vacation. It's easy to forget about school for the summer and let the days pa

  • ollibean think tank inclusion advocate. talk show host. human. Nicole Eredics

Introducing Ollibean Think Tank Member Nicole Eredics

We are very proud to introduce Ollibean Think Tank member, Nicole Eredics of the Inclusive Class . We know you are going to learn as much from Nicole as we have. She is kind, extremely knowledgeable, and beyond lovely. She really is the consummate teacher. Listen to any one of her podcasts or read her blogs and you'll see what we mean. Nicole is very committed  to inclusion and we are grateful to have her share her knowledge with us. Welcome, Nicole! Hello! I’m Nicole Eredics and I’m an Elementary Teacher who has spent over 15 years teaching in an inclusive school

Special-Ed Students at Greater Risk of Bullying, Being Bullied: Study

TUESDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- Students with visible disabilities and those receiving special education services for behavioral problems are at greater risk of being bullied and of bullying others, according to a new study. These children also are m

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Jedd Hafer of Love and Logic ® answers your parenting questions

We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jedd Hafer, of Love & Logic® and asked him some of our questions. Jed's one of those people that you start talking to and feel like you've known him forever.

Introducing Ollibean Change Leaders

Introducing Ollibean Change Leaders - comprised of the most innovative, passionate doers on the planet. Folks out there blazing a trail for the rest of us, leaders in advocacy, inclusive education, cutting edge medicine, technology, human rights, the arts, disability rights, and philanthropy. They are changing things for people of all abilities. They are the Einsteins, the Ghandis, the Martin Luther Kings, the Helen Kellers of our generation. You’ve probably heard of most of them, and if you haven’t, you will. We all have the power to create real change and make our world a better place, we just have to

National Council on Disability (NCD) Honors Life of Justin Dart

Listen to the heart of this old soldier. As with all of us the time comes when body and mind are battered and weary. But I do not go quietly into the night. I do not give up struggling to be a responsible contributor to the sacred continuum of human life

U.S. Department of Education Announces New Awards in Technology and Media Services

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs has released applications for new awards in Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities--Models Promoting Young Children's Use of Assistive Technology. The purpos

Stop IDEA Funding Cuts!

There could be some big changes awaiting you during the next school year if Congress does not act soon to save programs for children with disabilities such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Many federal programs will automaticall

Science-Based Decision-Making in Special Ed

Last month, I wrote an article for Special Education Advisor, a blog operated by some folks located in Chatsworth, CA who are dedicated to helping parents of children with special needs. You can see the article by clicking here. The title of the article

Report: Disabled Face Transportation Barriers

WASHINGTON, DC -- Two civil rights organizations are highlighting disparities in transportation access for people with disabilities. "Equity in Transportation for People with Disabilities," a report by The American Association of People with Disabilities

Videos games as therapy?

Video games may not be as bad for us as our mothers told us. The latest foray into the virtual realm stems from the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, citing that targeted rehabilitation of patients with Cerebral Palsy can be achieved through the use of active video games (Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 Kinect, Playstation Move, etc.).

Are charter schools bad at special ed?

Critics say public charter schools have an unfair advantage over regular public schools because they are less likely to have students with learning disabilities. That is not always true. Consider one D.C. charter management organization, DC Prep, with mo

Does “Eligible for Special Ed” Mean an IEP?

My 15 year old daughter was determined eligible for special education. The special ed teacher was pushing for a 504, I want an IEP. If she qualifies for special education doesn’t that mean she gets an IEP? The answer to your question about an IEP v. a 50

Helping Special Education Students, and Paying With His Career

There was no particular moment when Harris Lirtzman decided to blow the whistle, and so close the door on his teaching career. A former deputy state comptroller, he had decided to give public school teaching a midcareer whirl. In 2009, he landed a job as

Assistive Technology – What is UDL, NIMAS, and AIM?

The National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) creates a national standard for print materials in accessible formats. Schools and publishers must adhere to these standards when creating educational materials – textbooks, workbooks, a

iPad gives voice to kids with autism

Sharia Siddiqui uses an iPad to help her communicate. Her father says it's "given her a sense of control she never had." STORY HIGHLIGHTS Touchscreen iPads are giving voice to autistic children, adults Apps for it and other tablets aid those with trouble

Thank you to the best beta testers on the planet

We appreciate the excellent feedback, and are making changes based on the input from our incredible and highly intelligent group of Beta Testers ( parents, kids living with diffability, self-advocates, therapists, educators, physicians, and freedom fighters) Hang on, fasten your seat belts, it might be a little bumpy along the way, but it will be worth it, we promise.

Comparing General Education to Special Education: What are the Differences?

Students with autism are educated in a variety of settings including general education (GE) and self-contained (SC) classrooms. In GE placements, students are educated with their peers by a general education teacher. In self-contained settings, students

Disability photography: Changing the world one photograph at a time

Researching the subject, I quickly realised that the majority of photographs of disabled people are very negative, and mainly used within charitable organisations. Having lived within a disability world all my life, I already knew that societies’ opinion towards disability is very negative, and that has to change. I knew from that moment on, that this was something that disability was passionate about portraying in a positive light.

Parents Wire Kids To Prove Teachers’ Verbal Abuse

CHERRY HILL, N.J. (AP) — Teachers hurled insults like "bastard," "tard," "damn dumb" and "a hippo in a ballerina suit." A bus driver threatened to slap one child, while a bus monitor told another, "Shut up, you little dog." They were all special needs st

U.S. Department of Education Reaches Agreement with School District on Services for Students with Disabilities

The U.S. Department of Education announced today that its Office for Civil Rights has reached a resolution agreement with the Memphis, Tenn., City Schools on aids and services to students with disabilities. The agreement resolves a compliance review init

Working to Give All Students the Ability to Succeed

Tech-Now, Inc. is one of the many organizations across the country implementing the High School/High Tech Program, which provides young people with all types of disabilities the opportunity to explore jobs or further education leading to technology-relat

Facebook blocks NC mom’s pictures of Special Olympics event

Diane Cornwell said her seven year old, Cole, who happens to have Down Syndrome had a great time at his first Special Olympics event last Friday. She uploaded an album of 40 pictures to share and says Facebook blocked it for inappropriate content and locked her account.

Struggle over how to evaluate special ed teachers

Lynne Sladky / AP In this April 3, 2012, photo, teacher Bev Campbell, left, holds up stuffed animals in front of student Sebastian Rodriguez in her special education class at Amelia Earhart Elementary School in Hialeah, Fla. More than a dozen states have

RESNA Releases Wheelchair Position Statement

The Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) has issued a position paper titled "The Application of Ultralight Manual Wheelchairs." Developed through RESNA's Special Interest Group on Seating and Wheeled Mobility, the paper highlights that: Wheelchairs should conform to the individual, and not the individual to the chair; Wheelchairs should be as lightweight as possible while also being fully adjustable to meet the individual's needs; and Wheelchairs that are lightweight and adjustable cause the least amount of injury to users and increase functionality.

Deaf Olympic hopeful uses social media to fight discrimination

Marcus Titus, top U.S. breaststroker, rallied for change and got it. USA Swimming will allow the use of hand signals to accomodate Deaf swimmers at the summer Olympic trials.

Disabled Military Protection Act Allows Military Families to include Special Needs Trusts within the Survivor Benefit Plan

Currently, under the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), a military retiree can set aside up to 55 percent of his monthly retirement pay to provide their family members with a monthly stipend, after he or she dies. However, these benefits are counted as income

Subconscious Stereotyping

When it comes to negative stereotypes, your subconscious may not be the best dinner guest.

Scoliosis Treatment Might Reduce Need for Surgeries

THURSDAY, April 19 (HealthDay News) -- Magnetically controlled growing rods can treat the spinal disorder scoliosis in children without the need for repeat invasive surgeries, a small new study suggests. Scoliosis is an abnormal curving of the spine that

SchoolBook: Testing Takes Its Toll on Special Needs Students

April 19, 2012, 8:12 a.m. It has been a challenging week for many third through eighth grade public school students in New York City, as they have started their days on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with the federally mandated English Language Arts exa

Presuming Competence

This issue is very important to me because so many events and breakthroughs in my life happened because I was presumed to be competent. On the other hand, some events in my life were not so good because of a presumption of incompetence. The message of presumption of competence is of encouragement and acceptance. The presumption of incompetence sends a negative message, a message that says no matter how much one tries, success is out of reach. For disabled people, especially the ones who need more support, who can’t communicate through speech or who have other communication difficulties, this negative

Inclusive education still best model, says advocate

Gordon Porter says there are now hundreds of specialized teachers and thousands of assistants in the province. (CBC) A long-time advocate for inclusive education maintains it is still the right approach for students with special needs. But Gordon Porter,

The National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials

The National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials! This site serves as a resource to state- and district-level educators, parents, publishers, conversion houses, accessible media producers, and others interested in learning more about and implementing AIM and NIMAS. AIM Center at a Glance For students with sensory, physical, cognitive, or learning differences and their teachers, accessible instructional materials (AIM) may open doors to teaching and learning that ordinary print-based materials have closed. Accessible instructional materials or AIM are specialized formats of curricular content that can be used by and with students who are unable to read or use standard print materials.

Office of Special Education Program’s Discretionary Grants Public Database

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Department of Education is dedicated to improving results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities ages birth through 21. To this end, OSEP provides leadership and financial support to assist states and local districts, including funding approximately 1,000 grants and contracts each year. If you'd like to know what grants and contracts OSEP has funded as part of its initiatives to improve results for children with disabilities, you've come to the right place! (If you're looking for OSEP's grants opportunities, we would direct you to OSEP itself, at: www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/osep/index.html)

Data Accountability Center (DAC)

This website provides public access to data about children and youth with disabilities served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) - Part B and C; technical assistance (TA) materials to support the collection, analysis and reporting of IDEAdata; and the forms and spreadsheets used for collection. DAC was funded in October 2007 by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of Education to provide information and TA to improve the quality of all state-reported data required by the IDEA. Westat and its subcontractor, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center–Human Development Center, operate DAC as a 5-year cooperative agreement with

Technical Assistance and Dissemination Network

The Technical Assistance and Dissemination Network (or “TA&D Network”) is a network of approximately 45 Centers (this fluctuates as old projects end or new ones begin) funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). These projects provide information and technical assistance to states, schools, educational professionals and families, on topics such as autism, deafness, disproportional representation, dispute resolution, learning disabilities, parenting children with special needs, positive behavior support and transition. The TACC works with the TA&D Network to coordinate and support the work of these projects. ABOUT THE TACC The Technical Assistance Coordination Center (TACC) was formed in 2008 to facilitate coordination, collaboration,

Life After IEPs

  Welcome ! If you’re a parent or mentor of a young person with disabilities, Life After IEPs is for you. Whether your child is an elementary student or a high school graduate, you’ll find information, resources, and support you’ll need along the way. A challenging journey There’s joy on the path to adulthood. But it ain’t always easy. Perseverence, grace, and a good sense of humor are needed. It can be a bumpy road.   Supports available during the IEP years will end after high school Unfamiliar laws, systems and jargon lie ahead Resources exist, but they’re scattered in

Stereotypes of Children with Disabilities

Stigmatization is one of the greatest obstacles to the successful integration of people with Trisomy 21 (T21 or Down syndrome), the most frequent genetic disorder associated with intellectual disability. Research on attitudes and stereotypes toward these people still focuses on explicit measures subjected to social-desirability biases, and neglects how variability in facial stigmata influences attitudes and stereotyping.

My Valentine by Paul McCartney- Featuring Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp

Paul McCartney Directs His Own 'My Valentine' Videos Featuring Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp using ASL.

MyVoice AAC

MyVoice is a new app, available for Apple and Android devices, that helps people with a variety of speech and language challenges communicate more quickly and easily. MyVoice has groundbreaking features like location-awareness, downloadable phrase books and wireless customization from any web browser. With its lifelike voices and beautiful interface, MyVoice is the affordable communication aid app you've been waiting for. MyVoice is changing the world, one voice at a time. It can be a vital aid for children and adults living with: • ALS • Autism Spectrum Disorders • Aphasia, Apraxia, Ataxia, Dysarthria • Brain Cancer • Cerebral Palsy

Teachers Weigh-In: Do We Over Accommodate? Join the Debate…

Read more as teachers debate accommodations for students. Pete & Pam Wright and Advocate Pat Howey join the discussion. Take the poll – then click “read more” to add your comment and join the debate! I teach at a charter school. We feel that if the stude

Watching TV: Even Worse for Kids Than You Think

It's no secret that sedentary behavior contributes to obesity and chronically poor health. But not all sedentary behaviors are created equal, according to a new study that examines the link between blood pressure in children and their choice of inactive

Faces of Ollibean- We want to hear from you!

Every week we put the spotlight on another person out there making a difference. Share your story and inspire and motivate others to Be the Change.

Marlo Thomas: The Givers: What Inspires Michael J. Fox? A Very Personal Interview

Unbowed by his disease and still exhibiting his trademark energy, Michael reminded me not only of the single-mindedness that is fundamental to fighting for a cause, but also of the indestructibility of the human spirit -- one that looks at each new day as another chance to enjoy the magic and the gift of life. If only all of us could learn that lesson.  

SEN / ICT

The sen / ict directory began life in August 2011 to act as a directory for Special Educational Needs and Information Communication Technology Resources. Companies can showcase their business, the products they produce and services they provide. There are also hundreds of FREE online resources from fun/educational games, activities and printable resources to tools that help disabled adults and children use computers and the internet by adapting and adjusting their technology. The sen / ict directory aims provide a central location for all your favourite resources, as well as introduce you to new ones you might not have found otherwise for your child

Planned and On-The-Spot Curriculum Accommodations in the Inclusive Classroom

The Paraeducator's Toolbox: Practical Strategies to Support Students with Learning and Behavioral Challenges 5.7.2012 9:00 AM - 3:00pm

Kris’ Camp

Kris' Camp is a non-profit organization first established in 1995 as a therapy intensive/respite camp for children with special needs (thus far focusing on children with autism/autistic-like challenges) and their families. It is motivated by three mutually enforcing goals: To provide therapy for special kids, and To provide respite and support for the siblings and parents of special kids. To provide theoretical and hands-on education and training to students, caregivers, and professionals working in the field of autism and other developmental disabilities. The camps are named after Kris Moore (5/30/1988 - 11/9/1993), a wonderful little boy who touched many people

AudioBookCloud

AudioBookCloud:Your Online Audio Library is an online audio book library collection of streaming audio books for public libraries. A subscription to AudioBookCloud gives your patrons UNLIMITED remote access to your audio book collection. Like our TumbleBookLibrary and TumbleReadables collections, AudioBookCloud are launched from a link on your library or school website. Your patrons can access the entire collection from any computer with an Internet connection. Your audio are never all checked out, never on hold. As many people can listen to the same book at the same time as you like!!! Here's how it works. Once you have previewed AudioBookCloud and are

TumbleBookLibrary

TumbleBookLibrary is an online collection of TumbleBooks � animated, talking picture books which teach kids the joy of reading in a format they'll love. TumbleBooks are created by adding animation, sound, music and narration to existing picture books in order to produce an electronic picture book which you can read, or have read to you. The TumbleBookLibrary is a collection of licensed titles from children's book publishers such as Simon & Schuster, Chronicle Books, Candlewick Press, Charlesbridge Press, Harcourt, Little Brown, Walker & Company, Lerner Books, and HarperCollins Publishers, amongst others. The TumbleBookLibrary provides enrichment to students who are reading independently with a variety of

TumbleReadables

TumbleReadables is an online collection of read-along titles for elementary, middle school, and high school students which features adjustable online text and complete audio narration. Sentences are highlighted as they are being read and the pages turn automatically. The collection features chapter books, early readers, graphic novels, YA/teen novels, high interest/low level books for both middle school and high school students, plus classics of American and English literature. Read-Alongs are great for emergent, struggling, and reluctant readers, as well as being an excellent tool for ESL. They are also well received by strong and accomplished readers who are excited to follow

Fit Kids Playground

Our mission is to decrease the burden of childhood obesity and its associated potential chronic diseases in the Tampa Bay area. Through parental education, early childhood intervention through fun education and community awareness about the simple steps that can be implemented to teach healthy habits for life, the Tampa Bay community will be healthier for years to come.

Love and Logic ®

What Is Love and Logic All About? The Love and Logic Institute is dedicated to making parenting and teaching fun and rewarding, instead of stressful and chaotic. We provide practical tools and techniques that help adults achieve respectful, healthy relationships with their children. All of our work is based on a psychologically sound parenting and teaching philosophy called Love and Logic. What Is Love and Logic? Children learn the best lessons when they're given a task and allowed to make their own choices (and fail) when the cost of failure is still small. Children's failures must be coupled with love

OlliNEPAL at the SERC School

OlliNEPAL at the SERC School in Kathmandu

OlliNEPAL team at HDCS, Asha Bal Bikash Sewa (“Children’s Hope Development Service”)

OlliNEPAL team at HDCS, Asha Bal Bikash Sewa ("Children's Hope Development Service")

Asha Bal Bikash Sewa (“Children’s Hope Development Service”)

Asha Bal Bikash Sewa (“ABBS”) is a day care ministry for children with physical and learning difficulties under the age of 16. The ministry was founded by a Norwegian Missionary Family who were living and working in Nepal. They had a severely disabled child who was cared for by a Nepali woman, Tulsa Sharma. Tulsa is now the Co-Ordinator of the ABBS programme. The ministry has grown from a single centre in Dhobighat, attended by three children which opened in 1993, to operating three centres serving approximately ninty five children with dedicated staff and volunteers. Two centres are based in

Kanti Children’s Hospital

MISSION To realize the vision, the Board has established its mission as the followings: To support GON plan to cut down children’s death rate by two-third by the year 2015. To be a leader in the field of quality child health education, training and research within the region. To develop professional exchange programs with other like-minded child health institutes within or outside the region. To exchange experience and knowledge with regional, zonal district hospitals and health centers on trainings and research. To provide expertise to government for the development of children’s hospital in the country. To set up a standard

Special Education and Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children (SERC)

Established in 2009, and located in a peaceful neighborhood of midtown Kathmandu, SERC has a goal of providing most effective education to its students. All our students are either differently able or have individual special education needs. Every pupil in SERC has a specific and complex education needs, and our goal is to provide them with the best possible education methodologies and environment for them to flourish and bring out the best buried deep within. We believe that a perfect match between proper education methodology and rehabilitation therapies is the only way to go ahead. We, at SERC, try to

Parents charged in death of Texas boy, 10

TEXAS CITY, Texas, April 5 (UPI) -- The parents of a disabled 10-year-old Texas boy whose body was found in a box are now charged in his death, authorities say. Texas City police said Tina Louise Madrid, 42, of Texas City was arrested Wednesday and was h

Therapists Address Esophageal Atresia

The Esophageal Atresia Treatment Program at Children's Hospital Boston in Boston, MA, is one of the only programs in the country specifically designed to care for children with this condition. Setting itself apart from the rest, Children's Hospital Bosto

Dysphagia (Swallowing Problems)

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University

Releasing IEE Data Without Parent Consent

I am a private psychologist. I completed an IEE, then turned in the report to the district and parents. We held an IEP meeting to review the results. Can the district request that I release my raw test data, test protocols, and test materials to the scho

Bill Introduced regarding special needs trust

H.R. 4329 -This bill or resolution was assigned to a congressional committee on March 29, 2012, which will consider it before possibly sending it on to the House or Senate as a whole.  To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the payment of monthly annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan to a supplemental or special needs trust established for the sole benefit of a disabled dependent child of a participant in the Survivor Benefit Plan.  

OlliNepal Update – March 29

The Ollibean/OlliNepal team finished up their trekking outside of Pohkara, Nepal and are headed back to Kathmandu for 7 days where they will volunteer at a local school, meet with OLE Nepal ,Kanti Children's Hospital, and SEEDs Nepal. The team's internet access & email has been fairly limited, so we are all exicted hear their reports of working with children with a range of diffabilities and delivering communication tools/tablets. Can't wait to see the pictures and videos!  

Kyoto prof rolls out omnidirectional wheelchair

A mechanical engineering professor has taken the wraps off his vehicle that is designed to become a next-generation wheelchair. As its formal name suggests, this is the Personal Mobile Vehicle, or Permoveh for short. Rolling it around at

Ollibean Team Arrives in Nepal

The adventure begins! Beautiful start ! Greeted at Nepalese Airport by longtime friend, Topden Lama. Topden brought Tibetan scarves for the group

Whizz-Kidz

Our aim is to ensure that every disabled child has an opportunity to be something special…a kid. There are an estimated 70,000 disabled children and young people in the UK waiting for a wheelchair that fits their young lives. That’s where we come in. Whizz-Kidz provides disabled children with the essential wheelchairs and other mobility equipment they need to lead fun and active childhoods.  

250 children living in nursing homes in Florida should get home care

Five year old Andi lives in a nursing home in Tampa because his family says the state won't pay for 24-hour care that would let him live with his two brothers and parents. A second lawsuit claims several thousand other children could end up in those facilities in Florida  because of decisions by the state about their care.

Autistic Man, Jesse Saperstein Free Falls to End Bullying

Best-selling author, autism advocate and motivational speaker Jesse A. Saperstein is spreading an Anti-Bullying movement across America with his “Free-Falling to End Bullying in 2012” YouTube video hoping to put an end to torment in and out of the classroom.

Differentiated Instruction in Today’s Classrooms

The IRIS Center is a national center that provides high-quality resources about students with disabilities for college and university faculty and professional development trainers. Visit IRIS’ website to find free, online, interactive training enhancemen

Makayla Norman,14, was starved to death last year, attorney general calls for change

The Ohio attorney general is calling for change after learning a girl who starved to death was forgotten by the school system. Makayla Norman, 14, suffered from cerebral palsy and could not feed or care for herself. She died in Marc

iPad Summer Institute

Blog on the topic of assistive technology, eLearning, mind mapping, project management, visual learning, collaborative tools, and educational technology Presenters Brian S. Friedlander, Ph.D. & Christine Besko-Maughan, M.S., ATP July 10, 2012 Enhancing A

Never Lose Hope

Here is a letter to an individual who believed my children wouldn’t be successful. This is living proof that as parents, we are wiser than others who think they know better. I met you last year at a conference. This conference was held by a local organiz

Are These Good Annual Goals?

Is this annual goal written correctly for a high school freshman? Judy will improve reading comprehension skills by using graphic organizers to access the curriculum with 70% accuracy per quarter. 1. Judy will summarize or bullet important information in

University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) Georgetown University

The mission of the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) is to promote self-determination, productivity, independence and inclusion of individuals with developmental and other disabilities across the life span, and in all aspects of community life. The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, P.L. 106-402, authorizes the University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Education, Research and Service (UCEDD). The University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Education, Research and Service (UCEDDs) are funded through the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD) to provide leadership, advise federal, state and community policy makers about, and promote opportunities for people

Nordic Network on Disability Research

NNDR is a multidisciplinary network of disability researchers interested in cultural, societal and environmental dimensions of disability and marginalization. The purpose of NNDR is to advance research and development in the field of disability. NNDR provides a forum for researchers, particularly from the Nordic countries, to meet, present and discuss their research,, as well as encouraging Nordic and international exchange and collaboration. NNDR was established in Fredrikshavn, Denmark in 1997. In just a few years it has grown into a large network of disability researchers, reflecting the growing interest in and importance of disability research in the Nordic countries. The

Kathleen McClaskey

EdTech Evangelist, innovative leader, consultant, presenter and trainer of tools! Truly amazing resources for Founded on the vision that every child should have the opportunity to develop a foundation of 21st Century learning skills, EdTech Associates provides services to empower all students to succeed.

The Center for Courageous Kids

The Center for Courageous Kids, also known as CCK, is a world class medical camp located in Scottsville, KY, serving children and families from across the country who are living with a variety of medical challenges. We are open year round and can host 120 kids at a time. When you add our counselors, volunteers, trained Programs and Medical staff, our mascot, Dr. Cubby the Courageous Lion, and our top notch facility, you start to see just how "We Prescribe Fun!" What makes The Center for Courageous Kids spectacular? *We are a 20 million dollar facility. *Our 168 acre campus encompasses an onsite

Understanding Our Differences

In 1978, a group of parents of children with disabilities in Newton, Massachusetts founded Understanding Our Differences (UOD) as a nonprofit organization to increase information, understanding, and acceptance of people with disabilities and individual differences. The Understanding Our Differences disability awareness curriculum has grown rapidly in recent years and has been disseminated to more than 200 schools and youth organizations nationwide. More than 27,000 elementary school students and some 8,000 adult, high school and college students have participated as trained, volunteer instructors. The nationally recognized, award-winning program uses a hands-on, participatory curriculum to foster respect, tolerance, and compassion in elementary

School principal reprimanded told to work from home as a result of physical altercation with student

In April 2011 before a classroom of students and a security camera, Gray became violent with a special education student, according to a written reprimand in his personnel file. “During this incident you escalated the situation, became physically violent, grabbed the child by the shirt, and yanking the child out of the classroom and down the hallway,” reads York’s reprimand.

New ADA accessibility requirements took effect March 15

For the first time in history public fitness centers, public swimming pools, recreational facilities, parks, golf and mini-golf courses, detention facilities and courtrooms, playrooms and amusement rides must adhere to the governments accessibility requirements. The rules also clarify issues that have come up in the 20 years regarding bathroom dimensions, reach ranges and accesible routes.

The Center on Human Policy, Law, and Disability Studies

The Center on Human Policy, Law, and Disability Studies (CHPLDS) is an expansion of the Center on Human Policy, which was founded by Dr. Burton Blatt in 1971. The Center is a network of academic programs, centers, student organizations, and affiliated faculty whose research, teaching, and advocacy seeks to promote the rights of people with disabilities locally, nationally, and globally, and to facilitate a critical examination of disability as an aspect of diversity in society.  

National Disability Rights Network

NDRN’s mission is to promote the integrity and capacity of the P&A/CAP national network and to advocate for the enactment and vigorous enforcement of laws protecting civil and human rights of people with disabilities. The Protection and Advocacy (P&A) network was created by Congress after the Willowbrook scandal unearthed the horrible conditions in that institution. Read more about the Network's history here. The newly created P&A agencies began to realize that in order to be able to advocate for their clients, they needed a national voice in Washington, DC for their own protection, survival and growth. This was especially true, as soon

A dark legacy of forced sterilizations

Sterilization victims seek compensation STORY HIGHLIGHTS California forcibly sterilized 20,000 people from 1909 to 1963 The goal was to rid society of people labeled "feeble-minded" or "defectives" California's response to victims stands in stark contras

Don Johnston Announces Snap&Read—A Simple Toolbar That Reads Any Text On-screen

Snap&Read reads text in a Flash website “A lot of districts are striving for Universal Design for Learning, and Snap&Read is a step in the right direction.” - Ruth Ziolkowski, president, Don Johnston Incorporated Don Johnston Incorporated today announced

Institute on Human Development and Disability

The Institute on Human Development and Disabililty (IHDD) has been Georgia’s University Center for Excellence in Disability Research, Education and Service (UCEDD), and ranks as one of The University of Georgia’s oldest continuously-funded federal programs. The IHDD works with people who have disabilities and others, to ensure that all people can achieve their highest capacity and quality of life.  

Acceptance

Welcome new Ollibean writer, Amy Sequenzia! We know you're going to love her blog and her poems........ "Accepting myself is an on going process. A few days ago I wrote a poem about acceptance. It is easier for me, sometimes, to write about my life in verses. But after I write about what bothers me in verses and stanzas, I can talk about it in any format. I freed myself when I wrote the poem. In a way, I accepted myself a little more." It is very hard to have confidence in my abilities when all my life, when people

Activists Seek To Curtail Restraining Students

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tens of thousands of students, most of them disabled, are strapped down or physically restrained in school, and disability advocates hope that a new Education Department report detailing the practice of "seclusion and restraint" will sp

Cellphone Video Provides Proof of Bullying Teacher

A special education student resorted to using his cellphone to record video that proved his teacher was bullying him. Such incidents are, unfortunately, far from uncommon. “Statistically about 1 to 2 percent of teachers are actually involved in bullying

Burton Blatt Institute chairman to testify before National Council on Disability on future of disability law and policy

NCD is an independent federal agency that makes recommendations to the president and U.S. Congress to enhance the quality of life for all Americans with disabilities and their families. The public may join the meeting in a listening-only capacity (with t

Special Olympics Coach Accused Of Having Sex With High School Participant

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (AP) — A teaching assistant from Cayce has been charged with having sex with one of his students while in Mount Pleasant for the Special Olympics. Twenty-nine-year-old Cornelius Davis is a special education teaching assistant at Broo

A D A Audio Conference Series

The ADA Audio Conference Series provides in-depth information on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This program is designed to enhance an individual's existing knowledge base or facilitate continued learning regarding regulations and trends under the ADA.  

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia apologizes to Rivera family over kidney transplant flap

(CBS) The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has apologized to the family of Amelia Rivera, the girl whose family alleged she was denied a life-saving kidney transplant because she was disabled. "As an organization, we regret that we communicated in a m

U.S. Department of Education Announces Overhaul of IDEA Compliance System; More Emphasis on Student Outcomes

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) announced that it will revamp IDEA’s compliance system to better emphasize student outcomes, such as academic performance and graduation rates for students with disa

Large eye-tracking study highlights diversity of autism

Gaze mapping: Researchers measured the amount of time children spent looking at eyes (red), mouths (green), bodies (blue) and objects (yellow) when watching scenes from Welcome to the Dollhouse. Children with autism who have different verbal and intellec

1Voice – Communicating Together

"A world where the voice of every child and adult, however they communicate, is listened to and heard" 1Voice takes a family and social perspective on communication and recognises the great need for adult role models to inspire children and families alike. 1Voice promotes families supporting each other to overcome the isolation that being unable to speak can bring.  

Accessible Leeds

Nathan Popple is a 14 year old, self-advocate and  editor of Accessible Leeds, this is the description of his incredible site. I have cerebral palsy so I use a wheelchair and I also use a communication aid to help me speak. I am a Whizz Kidz Ambassador and I support the charity 1voice. I believe strongly in fairness and do not think that the world should be able to disable people by not providing access to places.  

Boy charts city’s disabled access

Nathan was inspired to create his website after finding access to a bowling alley blocked by stairs. Despite the challenges he faces, Nathan's disability does not stop him from leading a full life. What does occasionally stand in his way is more mundane - steps, staircases and narrow shop aisles.

Lloyd Coleman, deaf teen composer’s Olympic theme

Lloyd Coleman, 18, who is also visually impaired, recently won a place at London's Royal Academy of Music. "It's called Breaking the Wall because, after Giles and I started talking about marathons and how runners hit the wall and have to overcome humungous challenges, we realised there were parallels with the kind of challenges disabled people face," he said.

KIT – Kids Included Together : Recognizing the Ability in Every Child

Kids Included Together (KIT) is a registered 501(c)(3) non–profit organization founded in San Diego, California in 1997. The mission of Kids Included Together (KIT) is to provide learning opportunities that support recreation, child development and youth enrichment programs to include children with and without disabilities. KIT’s goals are to enrich the lives of all who participate and to increase understanding and acceptance of disabilities as a natural part of life. We invite you to explore our site and learn more about our work with out–of–school time programs across the United States and internationally.

Hannah’s Buddies Charity Classic, Support the Fight Against SMA, March 30-31

The Hannah's Buddies Charity Classic began in 2000 with John Bell of Widespread Panic deciding to help his goddaughter Hannah and tens of thousands of children in their fight against SMA. Today, the golf tournament, silent/auction and concert lineup attracts more than 2,000 participants and has raised nearly $2 million for SMA research. What is SMA? Spinal Muscular Atrophy is a neuromuscular disease that affects between 1 in 6,000 and 1 and 20,000 births. Over time, SMA causes muscles to become weak and considerably smaller. On average, 1 in 40 people are genetic carriers. Sponsor/Donate If you are unable to attend the

State Obligations | UNESCO

Like all human rights, the right to education imposes three levels of obligation on States: The obligation to respect, protect and fulfil each of the “essential features” (availability, accessibility, acceptability, adaptability) of the right to education. The obligation to respect requires States to avoid measures that hinder or prevent the enjoyment of the right to education. The obligation to protect requires States to take measures that prevent third parties from interfering with the enjoyment of the right to education. In turn, the obligation to fulfil incorporates an obligation to facilitate and to provide. Facilitation requires States to take positive measures

Extreme Kids & Crew

Extreme Kids & Crew is a parent-run non profit dedicated to causing a great scene for Brooklyn’s kids with disabilities, their families and friends. They are all about creating a warm and encouraging atmosphere where children and adults of every ability and disability can relax, have fun, and enjoy the experience of being deeply accepted and celebrated for the people that they are. We offer workshops in the arts and movement with insightful and practiced teachers, parent education nights, free family concerts, and much more.  

2012 Accessible Technology Webinar Series

All sessions are free and scheduled for 2-3:30pm Eastern/1-2:30pm Central/12-1:30pm Mountain/11-12:30pm Pacific utilizing the ElluminateLive! webinar platform. The Great Lakes and Pacific ADA Centers on behalf of the ADA National Network are pleased to announce the 2012 Accessible Technology Webinar Series. Electronic information and communications technology have become essential tools in all areas of our lives and working environments today, and are particularly important to people with disabilities by providing equal access to the workplace and social media. The 2012 webinar series will explore some of the latest technological trends and their accessibility to people with disabilities. Registration is available

Choosing to Have a Child With Down Syndrome

If our culture assumes that across the board, a child with a disability is defective, and a problem best avoided, then we’re encouraging people who want to be parents to make a decision based on bad information. And having an abortion because of bad information is a preventable tragedy.  

P2PUSA::Parent to Parent USA

Emotional & Informational support for families of children who have special needs.For over 36 years Parent to Parent programs across the country have been providing emotional and informational support to families of children who have special needs most notably by matching parents seeking support with an experienced, trained 'Support Parent'.  

Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

A society where all people are valued and respected, and where all people have the knowledge, opportunity and power to improve their lives and the lives of others. MISSION The Institute on Disabilities leads by example, creating connections and promoting networks within and among communities so that people with disabilities are recognized as integral to the fabric of community life.    

UNESCO | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNESCO works to create the conditions for dialogue among civilizations, cultures and peoples, based upon respect for commonly shared values. It is through this dialogue that the world can achieve global visions of sustainable development encompassing observance of human rights, mutual respect and the alleviation of poverty, all of which are at the heart of UNESCO’S mission and activities. The broad goals and concrete objectives of the international community – as set out in the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – underpin all UNESCO’s strategies and activities. Thus UNESCO’s unique competencies in education, the sciences,

SPREAD THE WORD TO END THE WORD 03.07.12

Respectful and inclusive language is essential to the movement for the dignity and humanity of people with all disabilities. However, much of society does not recognize the hurtful, dehumanizing and exclusive effects of the word “retard(ed).” It is time to address the minority slur “retard(ed)” and raise the consciousness of society to its hurtful effects.

Challenger Division

The Challenger Division was established in 1989 as a separate division of Little League to enable boys and girls with physical and mental challenges, ages 4-18, or up to age 22 if still enrolled in high school, to enjoy the game of baseball along with the millions of other children who participate in this sport worldwide. Today, more than 30,000 children participate in more than 900 Challenger Divisions worldwide.

The Miracle League

The Miracle League is proud to serve over 200,000 children and young adults with disabilities.Presently there are 250 Miracle League Organizations across the country including Puerto Rico, Canada and our newest member in Australia. Our goal is to offer this program to every city in the country so children, young adults and adults alike with special needs around the globe will have this same opportunity to play baseball. The Miracle League believes; “Every Child Deserves A Chance to Play Baseball.” To find a league or start a league  

Trailblazers

Trailblazers is a national network of more than 400 young disabled people who work together on a national and local level to highlight and address the issues that are important to them. We aim to fight the social injustices experienced by young disabled people and to ensure we can gain access to education, employment and the services we require. We are part of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, the leading UK charity focusing on muscular dystrophy and other related conditions. Our mission To fight against the social injustices experienced by young people living with muscle disease or a related condition. Our

World Institute on Disability

The mission of the World Institute on Disability (WID) in communities and nations worldwide is to eliminate barriers to full social integration and increase employment, economic security and health care for persons with disabilities.  

Don’t Play Me Pay Me

The Don't Play Me Pay Me campaign seeks to: Actively encourage disabled people to follow their chosen creative career path. Remove the barriers of prejudice that disabled actors face in finding work. Provide a forum for all disabled actors to encourage debate and empower them to have their voice heard and listened to. Encourage programme makers to feature disabled actors in all storylines to reflect real life. Encourage programme makers not to use non-disabled actors (even if a “name” means funding) to portray disabled characters. Encourage advertisers to feature disabled people in all advertising. http://www.dontplaymepayme.com  

GCAC Presents: VSA Ohio at the intersection of art and disability

Since its founding in 1986, VSA Ohio has evolved to become a community that helps inspired artists connect with their passions. Bridging arts and disability, their programs and services focus on providing equal opportunity, full participation, independen

  • 4 members of OlliNepal team sitting on stairs

Sign up and Ollibean gives to a child in Nepal. It’s that easy.

Want to help kids in Nepal? We’re making it super easy. For every person that joins our community we will donate $2 to support children in Nepal.You can also enter for a chance to win an iPad**. Now share this with everyone you know and show the world how easy it is to make a difference.

The Coffee Klatch

The Coffee Klatch started on a whim. I often speak and write about the isolation, stigma and confusion of parents raising a special needs child. Many of those 
parents are on twitter to share information, seek support or find a friendly ear. Twitter is where it all began. It is where I met my incredible team of moderators and thousands of special needs parents. It is where we created a morning chat for parents both newly diagnosed and those who have navigated the muddy waters to meet and share. It became very apparent to me, very quickly, that many of

Pressure Mapping

Thousands of Americans spend their days in wheelchairs. This adaptive technology has given many people the opportunity to enjoy activities of daily living and be independent in their mobility. But sedentary time spent in a wheelchair has a darker side ef

Hospital apologizes to Amelia Rivera who was denied kidney transplant

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has issued an apology to the parents of Amelia Rivera, a disabled three-year-old girl who, according to her parents, was initially denied a chance at a kidney transplant because she is “mentally retarded.” In a stateme

When nerve meets muscle, biglycan seals the deal

In the absence of the protein biglycan, synapses at neuromuscular junctions in mice began to break up about five weeks after birth, according to a new study led by Brown University researchers. Reintroducing byglycan helped

OlliNepal: Why Nepal ?

You can help kids with diffabilities in Nepal. We’re making it super easy. For person that joins our community we will donate $2 to support children in Nepal.You’ll also be entered for a chance to win an iPad at the same time. Now share this with everyone you know and show the world how easy it is to make a difference.

A little bit about us

It's hard to convey all that we want you to know "about us" in a paragraph., hard to explain the million and one reasons we're so passionate about Ollibean and how much we want you involved in our community. We hope this does it. We'd love to hear an "about us" about you. Shoot a video response and send it to us at olli@ollibean.org or post to our youtube account. We'll send an Ollibean tshirt to the first 20.

Advocates for Children of New York

At Advocates for Children of New York (AFC), we are dedicated exclusively to protecting every child’s right to an education, focusing on students from low-income backgrounds who are struggling in school or experiencing school discrimination of any kind. For more than 40 years, our staff of attorneys and education specialists have successfully helped hundreds of thousands of families by providing free legal and advocacy services, including representation at school-related hearings and appeals, and teaching families what they need to know to stand up for their children’s educational rights. AFC also works to change education policy so that the public school

TenMarks | Online Math Program for Grades 2-10

TenMarks was started to create a better way for students to learn - one that focuses on the student and their individual needs, is interactive and engaging, takes advantage of new technologies, and caters to the changes in student expectations and behavior. Their mission is to positively impact the lives of 20 million students in 5 years.

Amy Sequenzia “Be Proud of Who You Are”

"Feeling sorry for our disabilities means not accepting ourselves. I feel sorry because disabilities rights are still lacking, not because I am disabled. My message is, hopefully, about our strength and similarities". Amy Sequenzia

“Miles for Kids’ Smiles” Pediatric Physical Therapy

As a pediatric PT, I often hear requests for "another lap on the tricycle" or "can I go back to my room now? Puhhhleeeease!" But the question of going to Nepal to fulfill one of my life's dreams has only one answer: "YES!" I grew up playing soccer. My family and I dedicated much of my childhood free time to road trips, holiday tournaments and the goal of obtaining a college scholarship to play. I signed with a small, liberal arts university in Alabama. While training preseason, I heard and felt a "POP". I would spend the next 4 years

The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center

NECTAC is the national early childhood technical assistance center supported by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to strengthen service systems to ensure that children with disabilities, from birth to 8 years, and their families receive and benefit from high quality, culturally appropriate and family-centered supports and services.

UNH Institute on Disability

The Institute on Disability/UCED (IOD) at the University of New Hampshire was established in 1987 to provide a coherent university-based focus for the improvement of knowledge, policies, and practices related to the lives of persons with disabilities and their families.

Inclusive Schools Network

The Inclusive Schools Network offers a forum for educators, students, family, and community members to share experiences and ideas with each other. It is important for the Inclusive Schools Network to model an inclusive approach in welcoming and valuing all perspectives and opinions regarding the practice of inclusive education.  We hope you will communicate with us directly to improve this website and our services to you.

Disability is Natural

The mission of Disability is Natural is to encourage new ways of thinking about developmental disabilities, in the belief that our attitudes drive our actions, and changes in our attitudes and actions can help create a society where all children and adults with developmental disabilities have opportunities to live the lives of their dreams, included in all areas of life.

Broadreach Training and Resources

Norman Kunc and Emma Van der Klift have spent the last 25 years working to ensure that people with disabilities are able to take their rightful place in schools, workplaces, and communities. Although they are well known advocates within the disability rights community, they prefer to think of themselves as modern day storytellers, continuing the long held tradition of using humour and narrative to initiate self-reflection and social change.

Association on University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)

AUCD envisions a future in which everyone, including people living with developmental and other disabilities, are fully integrated, participating members of their communities. We envision a future in which culturally appropriate supports that lead to independence, productivity, and a satisfying quality of life are universally available across the life span. AUCD's mission is to advance policy and practice for and with people with developmental and other disabilities, their families, and their communities by supporting our members in research, education, and service activities that achieve our vision. AUCD values the participation of people with disabilities, family members, and a culturally diverse

Love and Logic

The Love and Logic Institute is dedicated to making parenting and teaching fun and rewarding, instead of stressful and chaotic. They provide practical tools and techniques that help adults achieve respectful, healthy relationships with their children. All of their work is based on a psychologically sound parenting and teaching philosophy called Love and Logic. What Is Love and Logic? Children learn the best lessons when they're given a task and allowed to make their own choices (and fail) when the cost of failure is still small. Children's failures must be coupled with love and empathy from their parents and teachers.

Hannah’s Buddies

The Hannah's Buddies Charity Classic began in 2000 with John Bell of Widespread Panic deciding to help his goddaughter and tens of thousands of children in their fight against SMA. Today, the golf tournament, silent/auction and concert lineup attracts more than 2,000 participants and has raised nearly $2 million for SMA research. Spinal Muscular Atrophy is a neuromuscular disease that affects between 1 in 6,000 and 1 and 20,000 births. Over time, SMA causes muscles to become weak and considerably smaller. On average, 1 in 40 people are genetic carriers.

  • Including Samuel

Including Samuel

Before his son Samuel was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, photojournalist Dan Habib rarely thought about the inclusion of people with disabilities. Now he thinks about inclusion every day. Shot and produced over four years, Habib’s award-winning documentary film, Including Samuel, chronicles the Habib family’s efforts to include Samuel in every facet of their lives. The film honestly portrays his family’s hopes and struggles as well as the experiences of four other individuals with disabilities and their families. Including Samuel is a highly personal, passionately photographed film that captures the cultural and systemic barriers to inclusion.

Inclusion Network

This wonderful resource provides resources for Training, Consulting and Networking Facilitators.foster the development of inclusion. The focus is the development of future leadership for inclusion through the creation of focused programs, materials and research that will create a world where Everyone Belongs.

The Inclusive Class

  We are crazy about the Inclusive Class! Nicole Eredics is pretty incredible, and her blog and podcasts are informative, interesting, and always just what we need. The inclusive classroom best demonstrates that message as it begins with the belief that all children belong. Each child can demonstrate and achieve success, in various ways, according to their abilities, strengths and areas for growth. Inclusive Class' Livebinder has an abundance of resources.

Paula Kluth: Toward Inclusive Classrooms and Communities

This website is dedicated to promoting inclusive schooling and exploring positive ways of supporting students with autism an other disabilities. Most of Paula Kluth's work involves collaborating with schools to create environments, lessons,  and experiences that are inclusive, respectful, and accessible for all learners.

Wrightslaw

Wrightslaw's mission is to provide parents, advocates, educators, and attorneys with accurate, up-to date information about special education law and advocacy so they can be effective catalysts. * Information for parents about their rights and responsibilities * Information for teachers about professional training so they can meet the diverse needs    of their students * Information for advocates about laws, regulations, and advocacy strategies * Information for attorneys who want cases, pleadings, and tactics and strategies

Office of Special Education Programs

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is dedicated to improving results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities ages birth through 21 by providing leadership and financial support to assist states and local districts. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) authorizes formula grants to states, and discretionary grants to institutions of higher education and other non-profit organizations to support research, demonstrations, technical assistance and dissemination, technology and personnel development and parent-training and information centers. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 was signed into law by President George W. Bush on December 3, 2004. As the nation's special education law, IDEA serves approximately 6.8 million children and

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) understands the many challenges still facing individuals with disabilities and their families. Therefore, OSERS is committed to improving results and outcomes for people with disabilities of all ages. OSERS supports programs that serve millions of children, youth and adults with disabilities. OSERS is comprised of the Office of the Assistant Secretary (OAS) and three program components: the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), theNational Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), and theRehabilitation Services Administration (RSA).

US DOE Associations and Organizations Resource Page

The Education Resource Organizations Directory (EROD) contains information on more then 3,000 national, regional and state education organizations and associations. The directory helps you identify and contact these organizations that provide information and assistance on a broad range of education-related topics.

Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM)

OMIM is a comprehensive, authoritative, and timely compendium of human genes and genetic phenotypes. The full-text, referenced overviews in OMIM contain information on all known mendelian disorders and over 12,000 genes. OMIM focuses on the relationship between phenotype and genotype. It is updated daily, and the entries contain copious links to other genetics resources.

United States International Council on Disabilities

The U.S. International Council on Disabilities (USICD) is a non-profit, membership, constituent-led organization committed to building bridges between American and international disability communities and cultures. Through a wide range of projects and programs, USICD promotes the inclusion of disability perspectives in U.S. foreign policy and aid and provides opportunities for domestic disability rights organizations to interface with their international counterparts. USICD’s major initiatives leverage a membership that spans organizations and individuals in more than 30 U.S. states and a number of foreign countries. USICD's Board of Directors includes leading experts in domestic and international disability issues.

Technology & Telecommunications Task Force

The Telecommunications and Technology Task Force, part of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities deals with issues related to access to telecommunications and assistive technology in education, employment and independent living.

SABE – Self Advocates Becoming Empowered

Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE) is the self-advocacy organization of the United States. Founded in 1990, we have been working hard for the full inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in the community throughout the 50 states and the world for 21 years. Our non-profit advocacy organization is run by a board of self-advocates representing 9 regions of the country.

RESNA

Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) RESNA's goal is "To maximize the health and well being of people with disabilities through technology." The purpose of RESNA is to contribute to the public welfare through scientific, literary, professional and educational activities by supporting the development,dissemination, and utilization of knowledge and practice of rehabilitation and assistive technology in order to achieve the highest quality of life for all citizens.

Office for Civil Rights

The mission of the Office for Civil Rights is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation through vigorous enforcement of civil rights. An important responsibility is resolving complaints of discrimination. OCR also provides technical assistance to help institutions achieve voluntary compliance with the civil rights laws that OCR enforces. An important part of OCR's assistance is partnerships designed to develop creative approaches to preventing and addressing discrimination.

National Information Center for Children & Youth with Disabilities

NICHCY serves the nation as a central source of information on: ■disabilities in children and youth; ■programs and services for infants, children, and youth with disabilities; ■IDEA, the nation’s special education law; and ■research-based information on effective practices for children with disabilities.

The National Association of Parents with Children in Special Education

The National Association of Parents with Children in Special Education (NAPCSE) is a national membership organization dedicated to rendering all possible support and assistance to parents whose children receive special education services, both in and outside of school. NAPCSE was founded for parents with children with special needs to promote a sense of community and provide a national forum for their ideas.

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund

The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, founded in 1979, is a leading national civil rights law and policy center directed by individuals with disabilities and parents who have children with disabilities. The mission of the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund is to advance the civil and human rights of people with disabilities through legal advocacy, training, education, and public policy and legislative development.

Releasing the Music In Your Head

Dan Ellsey and Tod Macchover on TED Talks, Macchover (the man behind Guitar Hero) of MIT's Media Lab , talks about Hyper Score. Ellsey,a composer with cerebral palsy uses some new tools to write and perform his own beautiful music. Very cool.

On Beauty

We are in love with 'On Beauty" the documentary by Joanna Rudnick. She follows the talented Rick Guidotti as he challenges public perception of difference and beauty through the lives of three exquisite women.

Institute on Communication and Inclusion

The Institute on Communication and Inclusion (ICI) is a research and training center that is part of the Inclusion Institutes of the School of Education at Syracuse University. Formerly the Facilitated Communication Insitute, our new name - the Institute on Communication and Inclusion - represents a broadened focus developed over the past 20 years, reflecting lines of research, training and public dissemination that focus on school and community inclusion, narratives of disability and ability, and disability rights, as well as research and training on faciltiated communication. Its initiatives stress the important relationship of communication to inclusion.   Led by Director

Kit( Kids Included Together)

Kids Included Together (KIT) specializes in providing best practices training for community–based organizations committed to including children with and without disabilities into their recreational, child development and youth development programs. Utilizing a blended learning style with interactive eLearning components, KIT’s services are provided free of charge to its 63 affiliate organizations representing over 304 sites in San Diego County. Since its inception in 1997, Kids Included Together (KIT) has trained over 25,000 youth providers in the best practices of inclusion. Over 15,000 children with disabilities have been co–enrolled with over 265,000 children without disabilities at KIT affiliate sites. 72% of

National Arts and Disability Center

The National Arts and Disability Center (NADC) is a project of the University of California: their mission is to promote the full inclusion of audiences and artists with disabilities into all facets of the arts community. The NADC is a leading consultant in the arts and disability community, and the only center of its kind. Recipients of our technical assistance include museums, performing arts organizations, art centers, film and television companies and unions, universities and colleges, national publications, disability specific groups, artists with disabilities, arts educators, students, arts administrators and government policy makers.

Muscular Dystrophy Association

The Muscular Dystrophy Association, MDA http://www.mda.org/ MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research. The Association also provides comprehensive health care and support services, advocacy and education. MDA combats neuromuscular diseases through programs of worldwide research, comprehensive medical and support services, and far-reaching professional and public health education. With national headquarters in Tucson, MDA has more than 200 offices across the country, sponsors some 200 hospital-affiliated clinics and supports more than 330 research projects around the world. MDA supports more research on neuromuscular diseases than any other private-sector

Disability.gov

Disability.gov is a federal government website that provides an interactive, community-driven information network of disability-related programs, services, laws and benefits. Through the site, Americans with disabilities, their families, veterans, educators, employers and many others are connected to thousands of resources from federal, state and local government agencies, educational institutions and non-profit organizations.

TASH- Disability Advocacy Worldwide

TASH is an international leader in disability advocacy. Founded in 1975, TASH advocates for human rights and inclusion for people with significant disabilities and support needs – those most vulnerable to segregation, abuse, neglect and institutionalization. TASH works to advance inclusive communities through advocacy, research, professional development, policy, and information and resources for parents, families and self-advocates. The inclusive practices TASH validates through research have been shown to improve outcomes for all people. TASH is governed by a board of directors and is supported by a network of members, volunteers, committees and chapter organizations. The TASH membership includes a diverse

Council for Exceptional Children

The Council for Exceptional Children is an international community of professionals who are the voice and vision of special and gifted education. CEC's mission is to improve, through excellence and advocacy, the education and quality of life for children and youth with exceptionalities and to enhance the engagement of their families. The Council for Exceptional Children is a premier education organization, internationally renowned for its expertise and leadership, working collaboratively with strategic partners to ensure that children and youth with exceptionalities are valued and full participating members of society. As a diverse and vibrant professional community, CEC is a trusted

The Council on Quality and Leadership

The Council on Quality and Leadership is leader for person-centered supports and services for people with disabilities, people with mental illness and older adults. Through our services, publications and public presence, we establish real connections between theory and practice and help organizations and systems take the important step from innovative ideas to everyday action. Our goal is to be partners and mentors to our customers, showing them how they can become even better at ensuring that all people lead lives of dignity and quality.

Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities

The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities is a coalition of approximately 100 national disability organizations working together to advocate for national public policy that ensures the self determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society. The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) envisions an American society in which all individuals, aided by an enabling government, have the freedom and opportunity to exercise individual decisions concerning their own lives, welfare and personal dignity. CCD envisions a society in which communities are fully accessible to all individuals with disabilities and their families, where

Best Buddies International

Best Buddies is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Founded in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver, Best Buddies is a vibrant, international organization that has grown from one original chapter to almost 1,500 middle school, high school, and college chapters worldwide. Best Buddies programs engage participants in each of the 50 United States, and in 50 countries around the world. Best Buddies’ seven formal programs – Best Buddies Middle Schools, High Schools, Colleges, Citizens, e-Buddies, Jobs

Benefits.gov

Benefits.gov (formerly GovBenefits.gov) was launched in an effort to provide citizens with easy, online access to government benefit and assistance programs. The program's mission is to reduce the expense and difficulty of interacting with the government while increasing citizen access to government benefit information. The site's core function is the eligibility prescreening questionnaire. Answers to the questionnaire are used to evaluate and compare with the eligibility criteria for more than 1,000 Federally-funded benefit and assistance programs. Each program description provides citizens with the next steps to apply for any benefit program of interest.

Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs

The Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs (ATAP) is a national, member-based organization, comprised of state Assistive Technology Act Programs funded under the Assistive Technology Act (AT Act). ATAP was established in 1997 to provide support to state AT Program members to enhance the effectiveness of AT Programs on the state and local level, and promote the national network of AT Programs. ATAP facilitates the coordination of state AT Programs nationally and provides technical assistance and support to its members. ATAP represents the needs and interests of the state AT Programs and is the national voice of the AT Programs.

ADA Portal

The ADA Document Portal Allows users to search a collection of ADA-related documents that have been produced by federal agencies and organizations receiving federal funds.

American Association of People with Disabilities

The American Association of People with Disabilities is the nation's largest cross-disability organization. They promote equal opportunity, economic power, independent living, and political participation for people with disabilities. Their members, including people with disabilities and their family, friends, and supporters, represent a powerful force for change. Over 50 million Americans with disabilities and their supporters have the power to achieve full civil rights for all. They are powered by their vision of a community whose voice is heard through the halls of government, in our culture, and in our communities.

Student Software Opens World For Motion Impaired

49-year-old Rick Hoyt has cerebral palsy and communicates using assistive technology. Hoyt has collaborated with Margrit Betke, a College of Arts & Sciences associate professor of computer science, and James Gips, a Boston College professor of computer science and their students. Camera Mouse, is an augmentative communication tool for people with movement and communication challenges. Cameramouse uses a webcam to lock onto and track a chosen section of the user’s face—a nostril or the tip of an eyebrow, for example—and then links that person’s head movement to a cursor on the screen. Chris Kwan and John Magee , graduate students in

Thank You, Steve Jobs

Thank you Steve Jobs for thinking differently so that so many others may express their thoughts. Apple's products have changed the lives of so many people with disabilities - CP, autism, dyspraxia, motor planning issues, developmental delays, neuromuscular disorders, expressive language disorders, vision impairments. My son uses his iPad and iPod as a communication device, a way to surf the internet, watch youtube, and connect with friends. Until Apple came out with the ipod, the choices in AAC devices were very expensive ( the ones we looked at were between $5,000 and $8,000 and heavy- too heavy for someone that