Resources by Topic >> Legal & Advocacy

The DC Department on Disability Services (DDS) provides the residents of DC with information, oversight, and coordination of services for people with disabilities and those who support them, such as service providers and employers. DDS has two Administrations ( Rehabilitation Services Administration & Developmental Disabilities Administration ) that oversee and coordinate services for residents with disabilities through a network of private and non-profit providers.

REHABILITATION SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (RSA) - focuses on employment, ensuring that persons with disabilities achieve a greater quality of life by obtaining and sustaining employment, economic self-sufficiency and independence. RSA’s program is designed to assess, plan, develop, and provide vocational rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities, consistent with their strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, and informed choice, in order to prepare for and engage in gainful employment 34 C.F.R. § 361.1

• The RSA Youth in Transition Services Units provide transition services, as defined by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 amended, to coordinate a set of activities for students designed around an outcome-oriented process that supports their movement from school to post-school activities including post-secondary education, vocational training, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, and independent living. Vocational rehabilitation transition services link students with disabilities, while still in school, with the vocational rehabilitation program to create a continuum of services leading to long-term employment outcomes for eligible students.
• To learn more about RSA’s vocational rehabilitation process for youth with disabilities, refer to the RSA Youth in Transition Toolkit: “Explore the World of Work, Discover Your Career”. It provides the specific steps and activities that youth, schools, and parents need to understand to apply for services and work through the RSA process to receive services and find employment.

DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES ADMINISTRATION (DDA) - public agency responsible for the oversight and coordination of all services and supports provided to qualified persons with intellectual disabilities in the District of Columbia.

• DDA supports individuals with intellectual disabilities to have the most independence and choice and control over their own lives through person-centered service planning and delivery and increased provider capacity. DDA coordinates home and community services for over 2,000 individuals so each person can live and work in the neighborhood of his or her choosing, and promotes health, wellness and a high quality of life through service coordination and monitoring, clinical supports, and a robust quality management program.

Provides customized services to children, adults, and families of differing abilities that focus on one-on-one supports to foster broadened, more inclusive communities through education, training, and advocacy.

As the federally designated Parent Training and Information Center for Washington DC, AJE’s mission is to empower families, youth, and the community to be effective advocates to ensure that children and youth, particularly those who have special needs, receive access to appropriate education and health services.

AJE provides:

• FREE monthly trainings and workshops for parents and professionals in navigating special education systems and supports (including assisting families to prepare for IEP meetings and understanding educational services and parent and student rights); youth leadership and self-advocacy trainings;
• individual assistance and legal representation to address educational issues; assistance with accessing health services for children and youth with special health care needs; referral support for families to obtain housing, child care and other social services;
• legal services for school discipline issues;
• a resource library with information on various disabilities and treatment options

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) works to increase the political and economic power of people with disabilities.

AAIDD promotes progressive policies, sound research, effective practices, and universal human rights for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

AAIDD's goals are to:

• Enhance the capacity of professionals who work with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Promote the development of a society that fully includes individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Sustain an effective, responsive, well managed, and responsibly-governed organization.

AAIDD's principles* (or core values) that guide the achievement of its goals relative to its mission are to:

• Cultivate and provide leadership in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities that encompasses a diversity of disciplines, cultures, and perspectives.
• Enhance the skills, knowledge, rewards, and conditions of people currently working in the field and encourage promising students to pursue careers in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Advance basic and applied research to prevent or minimize the effects of intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Advance the assurance of all human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including equality, individual dignity, choice, and respect.
• Promote genuine accommodations to expand participation in all aspects of life for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, opportunities for choice and self-determination, and access to quality health, education, vocational, and other human services and supports.
• Influence positive attitudes and public awareness to contributions of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Establish partnerships and strategic alliances with organizations that share our values and goals.

AYPF’s mission is to broaden the awareness and understanding of policymakers and to strengthen the youth policy-making process by bridging policy, practice, and research. We do this by identifying the most pertinent high-quality information on youth issues available and providing a forum for prominent leaders in government, programming, and research, as well as the youth themselves, to share their viewpoints and expertise about the policies and practices that improve outcomes for all youth.

The Arc of Frederick County provides advocacy, access to resources, and assistance in increasing individual and family connections for people with developmental disabilities. The organization seeks creative solutions to help people with developmental disabilities attain their goals.

Programs and Services Provided by the Arc Include...

• Information and Referral services for anyone who contacts The Arc and needs connections to community resources
• Residential Supports for children and adults in their family's home, their own home, and to learn the skills to transition to their own home
• Employment supports for adults and transitioning students to locate careers based on their passions, talents, and personal interests
• Futures and Estate Planning to help parents plan for their child's needs and where they will live, when parents are no longer around to help.
• Sibling Supports including workshops and support groups for brothers and sisters of children and adults with developmental disabilities
• Service Coordination for children with autism
• Hispanic Outreach to further our efforts among the growing Spanish speaking population in Frederick County
• Educational advocacy to partner with families and schools to promote effective education for each child
• Training seminars for self-advocates, parents, siblings, professionals, and other community members covering topics such as school advocacy, creative employment options, and navigation through social service systems
• Real World weekends to support adults with independent living skills challenges that will prepare someone to move into their own home
• Funding Conduit Services where people are in charge of hiring their own staff
• Parents Day Out program that gives parents a few hours of respite each month knowing their children are being cared for in a safe, supervised environment.
• Support Groups for self-advocates and families
• Classes at FCC, Delaplaine Arts Center, Adult Basic Education, etc.

Community Education...
The Arc publishes The Link, a bi-monthly newsletter for members. A library is available to the public which includes publications and training materials. A speakers bureau is also available upon request.

ASAN is proud to announce the release of a comprehensive toolkit to empower people with disabilities and their families to manage their own health care as they transition to adulthood.

Transition to Adulthood: A Health Care Guide for Youth and Families provides people with people with disabilities and their families with information on how to choose a source of health care coverage, create a health care support network, integrate health care transition goals into their educational plans, and manage their health care. It includes useful guides and worksheets for keeping track of health care records, making doctor's appointments, and talking to doctors about health concerns.

The toolkit also includes Model Supported Health Care Decision-Making Legislation and its accompanying Questions and Answers resource. The model legislation, which ASAN developed in collaboration with the Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities, would enable people with intellectual or developmental disabilities to name a trusted person to help communicate with doctors, understand health care information, make informed decisions about health care, and/or carry out daily health-related activities. Advocates can use this model legislation when talking to their state legislators about ways to support people make independent health care decisions.

ASAN's policy brief, The Transition to Adulthood for Youth with ID/DD: A review of research, policy, and next steps, discusses the range of challenges facing youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities as they approach adulthood, including potential loss of health care coverage, barriers to obtaining adult-oriented care, and lack of support in making health care decisions. It outlines several policy recommendations to eliminate these barriers, including expanding access to income-based Medicaid coverage, increased education and awareness of the importance of transition and decision-making supports, and increased research on best practices in transition planning.

ASAN was created to serve as a national grassroots disability rights organization for the Autistic community, and does so by advocating for systems change and ensuring that the voices of Autistic people are heard in policy debates and the halls of power while working to educate communities and improve public perceptions of autism. ASAN’s members and supporters include Autistic adults and youth, cross-disability advocates, and non-autistic family members, professionals, educators and friends.

Provides multiple services for individuals with complex medical needs and disabilities, their families, and others who support them, as well as providers of services. Supports a six-month program called “Leaders in Disability Policy,” which teaches individuals with disabilities the leadership skills to effectively advocate for themselves and others with disabilities.

On national, state, and local levels, the Council for Disability Rights advances the rights of people with disabilities. The Council promotes public policy and legislation, public awareness through education, and provides information and referral services.

The DC Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC) advocates for the inclusion, empowerment, and independence of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

The DC Supporting Families Community of Practice (SF CoP) is a group of family members, advocates with disabilities, government leaders, disability advocacy and services professionals, and other interested community members who are thinking together about how to create policies, practices and systems that better support families that include a member with an intellectual or developmental disability across the life course.

DeafBlind Citizens in Action is an independent and emerging organization led by young adults who are DeafBlind. Their mission includes advocacy, education, and outreach to empower other young adults globally.

• Disability benefits (guides, programs, applications, etc.)
• Civil rights (ADA information, accessibility guidelines, employment rights, complaint procedures, etc.)
• Community life (history of the independent living movement, personal care assistance services, sports and leisure activities, etc.)
• Education (IDEA and IEP information, teaching materials and strategies, classroom supports, college prep, etc.)
• Emergency preparedness (inclusive emergency planning, disaster recovery assistance, emergency service accessibility, etc.)
• Employment (career planning, workforce development, internship programs, hiring and recruiting information, etc.)
• Health care (disability and condition information, services and providers, caregiving options, financial assistance, etc.)
• Housing (housing laws, home buying guides, supportive housing options, home modification, etc.)
• Technology (accessible technology guidelines and standards, assistive information technology, assistive educational technology, financial assistance, etc.)
• Transportation (laws, travel guides, providers, vehicle modification, safety and complaint procedures, etc.)

We are dedicated to a single purpose: empowering veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. We accomplish this by ensuring that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them; fighting for the interests of America’s injured heroes on Capitol Hill; and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life.

• Providing free, professional assistance to veterans and their families in obtaining benefits and services earned through military service and provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and other agencies of government.
• Providing outreach concerning its program services to the American people generally, and to disabled veterans and their families specifically.
• Representing the interests of disabled veterans, their families, their widowed spouses and their orphans before Congress, the White House and the Judicial Branch, as well as state and local government.
• Extending DAV’s mission of hope into the communities where these veterans and their families live through a network of state-level Departments and local chapters.
• Providing a structure through which disabled veterans can express their compassion for their fellow veterans through a variety of volunteer programs.

The Disabled Veterans National Foundation exists to provide critically needed support to disabled and at-risk veterans who leave the military wounded—physically or psychologically—after defending our safety and our freedom.

We achieve this mission by:

• Providing an online resource database that allows veterans to navigate the complex process of seeking benefits that they are entitled to as a result of their military service, as well as additional resources they need.
• Offering direct financial support to veteran organizations that address the unique needs of veterans, and whose missions align with that of DVNF.
• Providing supplemental assistance to homeless and low-income veterans through the Health & Comfort program and various empowerment resources.
• Serving as a thought leader on critical policy issues within the veteran community, and educating the public accordingly.

Mortgage Calculator's "Fair and Affordable Housing: The Activist's Blueprint for Action" is a resource guide designed to help those fighting for fair and affordable housing in their communities have an even greater impact. The guide includes links to:

• National housing organization websites, research, and publications
• Brief summaries of housing laws and executive orders
• Options for reporting housing discrimination
• And more

The Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital (GSCNC) helps girls to promote diversity, gain practical life skills, and connect with their community through a variety of artistic, educational, and environmental events. Some of these events include:

• Photography expos
• College and career conferences
• Nature workshops

Sponsored by Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities, The Jenny Hatch Justice Project (JHJP) supports the right of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities to make decisions about their lives. JHJP provides access to:

• Recent research publications on independent living services and alternatives to guardianship
• Informative brochures on decision-making
• A sample training program
• Legal, educational, and transition resources

AskJAN.org is an online resource center designed to provide employers, people with disabilities, their family members, service providers, educators, and others with technical assistance on job accommodations and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The site offers a number of ways to find this information, including:

• Search
• Information by Disability
• Information by Topic
• Site Map

LAYC provides multi-lingual, culturally sensitive programs in the following areas:

• Educational Enhancement
• Social Services
• Workforce Investment
• Community Wellness
• Art + Media
• Advocacy

At M&L Special Needs Planning, we feel that access to the right information is the key to planning a successful future. In keeping with our goal to keep you informed, and to provide you with the tools to enable you to plan a happy and successful future for your family, we have compiled a list of special needs resources.

A grassroots coalition of family and advocacy organizations dedicated to improving services for children with mental health needs and their families and building a network of information and support for families across Maryland.

WE SUPPORT NATIONALLY:

• RESEARCH related to Autism and related neuro-developmental disorders,
• PUBLIC AWARENESS about incidence of disorders and effective treatment,
• ACCURATE INFORMATION dissemination of up to date, research based information to families, educators and medical professionals, and
• EDUCATION of parents, advocates, clinicians, educators, lawyers and the community as to best practices and appropriate treatment. Promoting a collaborative, cross training approach.

THIS IS DONE THROUGH:

• BEING A SOURCE of accurate, up to date, research based information,
• TRAINING families, educators and clinicians and lawyers, through community training programs,
• SUPPORTING community programs that promote awareness about disabilities and support families and individuals with disabilities,
• PROMOTING INDEPENDENCE through education advocacy, self advocacy, independent living and home and community based services for children and adults with Autism and related neuro-developmental disorders,
• FUNDING of research that addresses the quality of life for parents and their children with Autism, and
• SPONSORING quality Special Education Advocacy trainings through NSEAI, which provides on-site, on-line training, and conferences.

The National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness and Partners’ Transition Toolkit contains all of the resources needed for planning and hosting a Transition Institute that will create a memorable, high quality learning experience for deaf-blind teens. The Toolkit is a repository of information, tools and resources that serve as a model for hosting a workshop for deaf-blind teens ages 14-22 and their families.

NCIL represents thousands of organizations and individuals including: individuals with disabilities, Centers for Independent Living (CILs), Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs), and other organizations that advocate for the human and civil rights of people with disabilities throughout the United States.

The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) works to improve the lives of people with disabilities by guarding against abuse; advocating for basic rights; and ensuring accountability in health care, education, employment, housing, transportation, and within the juvenile and criminal justice systems. NDRN is the nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and the Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities. Collectively, the Network is the largest provider of legally based advocacy services to people with disabilities in the United States.

The NYLN:

• Promotes youth leadership development.
• Values inclusion, interdependent support systems, and disability pride.
• Works to create access to the resources youth need to be leaders.
• Supports work being done by youth activists with disabilities on the local level.
• Trains youth with disabilities.
• Connects youth leaders with opportunities to serve and be active members of their communities.

NAPTAC is a project within Education for Parents of Indian Children with Special Needs (EPICS) to provide training and technical assistance to Parent Training Information Centers (PTI’s) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRC’s) nationwide on providing effective, culturally responsive services to Native American families of children with disabilities, as well as youth with disabilities. The NAPTAC will also provide differentiated, targeted and intensive technical assistance to parent centers requesting additional support to build their capacity to provide services to Native American parents of children with disabilities, as well as youth with disabilities. The staff and consultants of the NAPTAC are experienced professionals who are ready to provide each Parent Center with high quality services and supports. A Technical Assistance Specialist will be assigned a region as organized by the Regional Parent Technical Assistance Centers (RPTACs). EPICS is a non-profit entity providing training, advocacy and supports to families of Native American children with disabilities and special healthcare needs. EPICS houses the Community Parent Resource Center (CPRC) and the NAPTAC.

This guide, written by the Arc of Northern Virginia, will help you answer the following questions:

• Who’s in charge of key life decisions.
• Whether your adult child is eligible for government support.
• What kind of jobs and day support programs are available.
• Which recreational activities are best.
• How he or she will get around.
• Where they’ll live.

Student Veterans of America envisions a nation where all student veterans succeed in post-secondary programs and contribute to civilian society in meaningful ways. SVA provides the resources and support to do so through five major initiatives. We maintain a commitment to Support Chapters through leadership training, grants, and networking opportunities that facilitate the development of successful student-run organizations. An essential component of chapter work is advocating for supportive campus services and programs. At the national level, SVA’s Advocacy efforts ensure policies are not only supportive for veterans in their transition to school and employment, but also for the entire military community. To best serve this large community, SVA Develops Partnerships with other organizations to provide scholarships, mentorships, employment, and benefits counseling. Yet, our support doesn’t end at graduation. Student Veterans of America is developing a networking program that will Connect Alumni veterans with even more professional opportunities. These initiatives are designed to bring veterans closer to their degrees, yet little data exists on student veterans' academic performance. By Investing in Research, SVA hopes to fill that void and showcase student veteran success.

One in five Americans has a severe hearing loss, yet may not be aware of the special tax deductions and credits allowed by the Internal Revenue Service. Knowing about these deductions and credits can help you know which receipts and paperwork to save so you can claim them on your taxes.

This webpage offers a series of educative articles, compiled by Five 9 Call Center Software, on hearing impairment and accessibility issues. These articles provide specific information about:

• The history of telecommunications devices
• Telephone relay services
• Using a TTY system
• Accessing 9-1-1 emergency services
• Ongoing efforts to improve telecommunication
• Overcoming isolation through social media
• Making distance learning courses more inclusive
• The challenges of communicating in the workplace
• Accessibility and the Americans with Disabilities Act

This webpage also offers informative resources related to hearing impairment. These resources include:

• Webpages devoted to deaf culture
• Reviews of assistive technology products
• A database of closed-captioned, educational DVDs

Organization dedicated to improving educational and employment outcomes for people with disabilities by developing, implementing, and researching innovative practices regarding school-to-adult life transition, career and workforce development, and inclusive community participation.

The U.S. International Council on Disabilities (USICD) is a non-profit that 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.

Youth Action Council on Transition (YouthACT)

The Youth Action Council on Transition (Youth ACT) is a national initiative to get more youth involved as leaders and partners with adults and youth-serving organizations to improve youth transition outcomes. YouthACT is led by the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) at the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) with funding from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP).

For more information about the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) at the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) visit http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ .

For more information about the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) visit http://www.dol.gov/odep/ .

YouthACT State Teams

YouthACT has supported the creation of 5 state teams: District of Columbia, Tennessee, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and California.

We are very excited that DC has been selected to participate in the Youth Action Council on Transition (YouthACT)! YouthACT Team DC is comprised of two youth, an adult partner (SchoolTalk) and a sponsoring organization (Quality Trust). YouthACT Team DC received letters of support from the DC Department on Disability Services (DDS), the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), and the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS).

To get in contact with YouthACT Team DC, please contact Sarah Grime with SchoolTalk at (202) 907-6887 or sarah.grime@schooltalkdc.org .

More Information

YouthACT works with youth, ages 12-25, to develop skills and knowledge in leadership and advocacy so they can speak up about what all youth need to be successful during transition to adulthood. YouthACT also supports youth to learn how to partner with adults and work with peers as a team to advocate for improving youth opportunities and services in their local community.

YouthACT aims to improve the capacity and engagement of youth with disabilities and their allies as leaders and partners in efforts to improve transition policies and practices within and across systems serving youth. YouthACT will accomplish this goal by:
1. Supporting the creation of local YouthACT teams consisting of two emerging youth leaders and one adult partner.
2. Providing the emerging youth leaders the training and mentoring necessary to: increase their knowledge about the transition process and policies in various systems; and increase their leadership and advocacy skills.
3. Supporting the youth leaders, as part of their YouthACT team, to participate in leadership opportunities related to informing their peers and the various systems about improved transition for all youth.
4. Engaging the youth leaders in developing materials and tools for youth, families, professionals, and policy makers.
5. Engaging the youth leaders in identifying transition barriers youth are experiencing across systems and developing a national change agenda that is youth-driven.
6. Developing the capacity of organizations/agencies to effectively engage youth as leaders and partners in efforts to improve youth transition outcomes.

Are You Between The Ages Of 18-26 With A Disability Who Wants To Help Other People With Disabilities? Are You Looking For Services To Help You Solve Everyday Issues? Do You Want To Learn About Advocacy?

Come discuss issues that affect you and others like yourself. The DCCIL Youth Peer Support and Group will provide you with an outlet to talk about issues that not only affect you, but others with disabilities. Connect with others and make a difference together.