• Regional Centers
• Related California Agencies
• Special Interest Sites
• Family Resources
• Advocacy
• Employment Advocacy
• Policy Watch/Policy Education
• Parent Education
• Selected Research Centers
• Professional Organizations
• US Government Agencies

Related California Agencies:

• California Department of Developmental Services and Title 17
  Department of Developmental Services of the State of California.
   
• California Department of Social Services
  Department of Social Services division of the State of California.
   
• Community Care Licensing and Title 22
  Community Care Licensing division of the State of California.
   
• Protection and Advocacy, Inc.
  Advancing the human and legal rights of persons with disabilities.
   
• Shasta County Opportunity Center
  The Shasta County Opportunity Center is an employment training program for people with disabilities in Shasta County.
   
• Shasta County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA)
  The Shasta Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) is comprised of 26 school districts, including the Shasta County Office of Education.

Special Interest Sites:

• Americans With Disabilities Act
  From JAN, The Job Accommodation Network, this page lists ADA links and documents.
   
• Language Disabilities
  The leading web site on learning disabilities for parents, teachers and other professionals.
   
• Ouch!
  Ouch is a website from the BBC. Its aim is to reflect the lives of disabled people right here and now in the third millennium. It's not a help and support site. If we were to give it a label, it would probably be closest to lifestyle.
   
• Professional Fit Clothing
  Provides adaptive clothing and apparel for the disabled. This company specializes in clothing for the disabled such as adult bibs, elastic waist pants, wheelchair clothing and more.
   
• Project T.E.A.M.S.
  Since 2003, Project TEAMS (Transition, Employment, Advocacy, Mentoring and Self-Determination) has been working to promote self-determination among transition age youth with developmental disabilities. using the Take Charge for the Future model, developed by Oregon Health Sciences University, and modified by Project TEAMS, their staff works side-by-side with Special Education teachers and other school staff, parents, and supports to encourage students with developmental disabilities to explore their futures. The students develop skills such as self-advocacy, problem solving, dreaming about the future, setting short and long-term goals, asking for support, and most importantly, believing in themselves as they prepare to TAKE CHARGE of their futures.
   
• Resources for Healthcare Providers
  The primary goal of this site is to improve the health of persons with developmental disabilities in California by educating physicians and other healthcare providers about caring for this population. It is also designed to support persons with developmental disabilities and their families in making informed health care decisions.
   
• The Safety Net
  This web site is dedicated to the dissemination of information on the prevention and mitigation of risk factors for persons with developmental disabilities. 

Family Resources:

• Family Village
  The Family Village is a global community that integrates information, resources, and communication opportunities on the Internet for persons with cognitive and other disabilities, for their families, and for those that provide them services and support.
   
• Special Education Resources
  Special Education Resources on the Internet (SERI) is a collection of Internet accessible information resources of interest to those involved in the fields related to Special Education.
   
• Through The Looking Glass
  Through the Looking Glass (TLG) is a nationally recognized non-profit agency and the first National Resource Center for Parents with   Disabilities. They provide direct services, training, materials and research concerning families in which a child, parent or grandparent has a disability or medical issue.
   
• The WonderWise Parent
  The WonderWise Parent is an informative site on parenting and parent-child relationships. The WonderWise Parent is designed for parents, grandparents, foster parents, stepparents, caregivers, teachers, and parent educators. It was created and is maintained by Dr. Charles A. Smith, extension specialist with Kansas State Research and Extension in the School of Family Studies and Human Services at Kansas State University.
   
• The Center for Research on Women with Disabilities (CROWD) website:
  CROWD serves as a clearinghouse for information about the health and wellness of women with disabilities, shares information,  and links to research conducted by colleagues around the country, and serves as a forum for networking among researchers, educators, clinicians, students, women with disabilities, and advocates.

• CDD
  www.c-d-d.org
  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 Arc
  www.thearc.org
  The Arc is the national organization of and for people with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities and their families. It is devoted to promoting and improving supports and services for people with mental retardation and their families. The association also fosters research and education regarding the prevention of mental retardation in infants and young children. (from website)
   
• The Autism Society of America
  www.autism-society.org
  The Autism Society of America was founded in 1965 by a small group of parents working on a volunteer basis out of their homes. Over the last 35 years, the Society has developed into the leading source of information and referral on autism. Today, over 20,000 members are connected through a working network of over 200 chapters in nearly every state. Membership in ASA continues to grow as more and more parents and professionals unite to form a collective voice representing the autism community.
   
• UCP
  www.ucp.org
  United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) is the leading source of information on cerebral palsy and is a pivotal advocate for the rights of persons with any disability. As one of the largest health charities in America, UCP's mission is to advance the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities.
   
• The Institute for Community Inclusion
  www.communityinclusion.org
  The Institute for Community Inclusion supports the rights of children and adults with disabilities to participate in all aspects of the community. As practitioners, researchers, and teachers, they form partnerships with individuals, families, and communities. Together they advocate for personal choice, self-determination, and social and economic justice.
   
• DREDF
  www.dredf.org
  Founded in 1979 by people with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Inc. (DREDF) is a national law and policy center dedicated to protecting and advancing the civil rights of people with disabilities through legislation, litigation, advocacy, technical assistance, and education and training of attorneys, advocates, persons with disabilities, and parents of children with disabilities.
   
• The Association for People with Severe Handicaps
  www.tash.org
  The Association for People with Severe Handicaps is an international organization that focuses on public policy, independent living issues, and advocacy for people with severe disabilities.
   
• The Easter Seals
  www.easter-seals.org
  Easter Seals has been helping individuals with disabilities and special needs, and their families, live better lives for more than 80 years. Whether helping someone improve physical mobility, return to work or simply gain greater independence for everyday living, Easter Seals offers a variety of services to help people with disabilities address life's challenges and achieve personal goals. 

Employment Advocacy:

• AAPD
  www.aapd.com
  AAPD is the largest national nonprofit cross-disability member organization in the United States, dedicated to ensuring economic self-sufficiency and political empowerment for the more than 56 million Americans with disabilities.
   
• DBTACs
  www.adata.org
  Since 1991, your local Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs) have been providing information, materials, technical assistance and training on the ADA. In 2001, their responsibilities expanded to include providing those same services in the area of accessible information technology.

Policy Watch/Policy Education:
 

• California Disability Community Action Network (CDCAN)
  www.cdcan.us
  The California Disability Community Action Network, is a non-partisan link to thousands of Californians with developmental and other disabilities, people with traumatic brain injuries, the Blind, the Deaf,  their families, community organizations and providers, direct care, homecare and other workers, and other advocates to provide information on state (and eventually federal), local public policy issues.
   
• Wrightslaw
  www.wrightslaw.com
  Parents, advocates, educators, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for accurate, up-to-date information about special education law and advocacy for children with disabilities.
   
• National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
  www.nichcy.com
  The new center, called the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, will be serving as a central source of information on: IDEA , the nation's special education law, No Child Left Behind (as it relates to children with disabilities), and research-based information on effective educational practices
   
• The California Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism
  http://senweb03.senate.ca.gov/autism/index.html
  The Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism was established by the California Legislature in 2005 without a single dissenting vote. The resolution creating it received strong bipartisan support. Its goal is to have direct impact on the needs of children and adults with autism spectrum disorders.

Parent Education:

• PACER
  www.pacer.org
  The mission of PACER Center is to expand opportunities and enhance the quality of life of children and young adults with disabilities and their families, based on the concept of parents helping parents.
   
• Family Village
  www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/tindex.htm
  Welcome to the Family Village, a global community that integrates information, resources, and communication opportunities on the Internet for persons with cognitive and other disabilities, for their families, and for those that provide them services and support.
   
• Exceptional Parent
  www.eparent.com
  On-line site for Exceptional Parent magazine. EP's on-line resource. Continuing 32 award-winning years of providing information, support, ideas, encouragement and outreach for parents and families of children with disabilities, and the professionals who work with them.
   
• Family to Family
  www.familytofamilynetwork.org/f2fWeblinks13INCLUSION.html
  Family to Family Network has a vision for ALL children where education and families working together are making dreams become realities. Children must have a good educational foundation and experiences within their home communities to prepare them for independent living and accomplishment of their goals.
   
• New Horizons
  www.newhorizons.org/spneeds/inclusion/collaboration/front_collab.html
  The New Horizons for Learning web site provides resources for inclusion of students with disabilities. Collaboration of the school with its surrounding community systems is a factor to help create positive educational change. Partnerships within and outside the school setting are essential to support education reform.

Selected Research Centers:

• Beach Center
  www.beachcenter.org
  Supports individuals with disabilities, their families, service providers, researchers, and policy makers through research, information distribution and training.
   
• CSADP
  www.disabilitypolicycenter.org
  The Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy (CSADP) provides public education, leadership development and training, technical assistance and information dissemination, and conducts action-research and analysis of public policy issues affecting individuals with disabilities and their families.
   
• Early Childhood Research Institute on Inclusion
  www.fpg.unc.edu/~ecrii
  Identifying what facilitates and presents barriers to the inclusion of disabled young children with typically developing peers. Developing, testing and disseminating strategies for supporting the participation of young children with disabilities and their families in classrooms and communities.
   
• The Association of University Centers on Disabilities
  www.aucd.org
  The Association of University Centers on Disabilities is a network of interdisciplinary Centers advancing policy and practice for and with individuals with developmental and other disabilities, their families, and communities.

Professional Organizations:

• CEC
  www.cec.sped.org
  The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. CEC advocates for appropriate governmental policies, sets professional standards, provides continual professional development, advocates for newly and historically underserved individuals with exceptionalities, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice.
   
• The Association of University Centers on Disabilities
  www.aucd.org
  The Association of University Centers on Disabilities is a network of interdisciplinary Centers advancing policy and practice for and with individuals with developmental and other disabilities, their families, and communities.
   
• Division TEACCH
  www.teacch.com
  Division TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic Children and related Communication handicapped Children). Their goal is to enable individuals with autism to function as meaningfully and as independently as possible in the community. Based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

US Government Agencies:

• The Access Board
  www.access-board.gov
  The Access Board is an independent Federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities.