RESOURCES

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Childcare Centers

Assistive Technology Partners' website includes information on funding sources for assistive technology. AT Partners issues a newsletter, with the most current issue available here. Learning Labs are free and provide participants an opportunity to speak with the knowledgeable staff at Assistive Technology Partners about a variety of assistive technology devices.

The Assistive Technology Coalition issued a White Paper on Assistive Technology and Health Care Reform in March 2011.  

Autism National Committee, AUTCOM, is the only autism advocacy organization dedicated to "Social Justice for All Citizens with Autism" through a shared vision and a commitment to positive approaches. Our organization was founded in 1990 to protect and advance the human rights and civil rights of all persons with autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, and related differences of communication and behavior. In the face of social policies of devaluation, which are expressed in the practices of segregation, medicalization, and aversive conditioning, we assert that all individuals are created equal and endowed with certain inalienable rights, and that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Center on Human Policy is a Syracuse University based policy, research and advocacy organization involved in the national movement to insure the rights of people with disabilities.

CHANCE, The Center for Housing and New Community Economics improves and increases access to integrated, affordable, and accessible housing coordinated with, but separate from, personal assistance and supportive services.

"Choices, Control and Community" and "Opciones, Control y Comunidad" Call or email the Council to order the documentary, a product of the work of El Grupo Vida, Coloradans for Family Support, Advocacy Denver and the Arc of Jefferson County, Colorado TASH, the Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council, and Families and Allies. This documentary received the TASH 2003 Image Award.

Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, CCDC, is a statewide cross-disability organization dedicated to ensuring the independence, self-reliance, and full participation of people with all types of disabilities in Colorado.

Colorado Fund for People with Disabilities: The Colorado Fund for People with Disabilities (CFPD) is a trust fund designed to protect a person's public benefits, such as Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid, should the person receive a sum of money that would otherwise make them ineligible for public benefits. Funds in CFPD are seen as unavailable assets for eligibility determination.

Colorado Legal Services:  Colorado Legal Services is a non-profit corporation that has assisted persons with low income and seniors in the State of Colorado for over 85 years. The mission of Colorado Legal Services is to provide meaningful access to high quality, civil legal services in the pursuit of justice for as many low-income persons and members of vulnerable populations throughout Colorado as possible.

Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law: This site offers a directory of lawyers in each state in the United States who specialize in disability law. Neither the American Bar Association nor the Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law endorses any of the lawyers or legal service providers found in this Directory. The Directory is intended only as a research tool. Please note that individuals and organizations included in this Directory vary widely and users should question listed attorneys about important issues before agreeing to be represented or assisted.

Denver Metro Community Parent Resource Center: The mission of the Denver Metro CPRC is to inform and empower low-income, culturally and linguistically diverse families as advocates for their children with disabilities, ages birth-26, to achieve meaningful participation in their schools and communities. Click here for Winter 2012 newsletter, Our Voice.

Disability History Museum: Their mission is to promote understanding about the historical experience of people with disabilities by recovering, chronicling, and interpreting their stories.

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. The website offers articles, books and links to valuable websites.

Family Center on Technology and Disability: Provides a wide range of resources on instructional and assistive technologies, from introductory fact sheets through CEU's for practitioners and educators. View the Family Information Guide to Assistive Technology & Transition Planning, designed to provide families with the information they need to effectively prepare for and participate in periods of transition in their children's lives.

Grupo Vida: With the love, wisdom, and support of their families and communities, individuals with disabilities can experience and live happy and productive lives. Grupo Vida is network of families who have children with disabilities or special needs. El corazon, newsletter for Summer 2011.

Harvard Project on Disability (HPOD) works to promote the human rights of people with disabilities worldwide. They empower all people to use the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) to develop fully equitable societies. They have publications that are worth reading, such as their handbook with an easy to read explanation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This publication is designed for anyone wanting a clear explanation of the CRPD, including people with intellectual disabilities, their organizations, and their advocates.

Housing and Mortgages for People with Disabilities: This website provides useful information and assistance for people with disabilities who are interested in buying a home.  Website provides ideas to consider when deciding to buy a home, describes the process, explains mortgage and housing terminology, and how to obtain financial assistance to buy a house.

Inclusion Daily Express: This site includes the top disability rights stories for the year. The mission of the Inclusion Daily Express is is to provide disability advocates with the most up-to-date news, information and commentary about community inclusion, self-determination and disability rights, in a way that saves time and is easy to use.

Information on Autism Spectrum Disorders for Spanish-speaking families.  A new Web site, created by families for families, provides information in Spanish about Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). A chat room and forum area are under development. These will be moderated by parents of children with autism. Two doctors and an advocate will help to answer questions.

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

Knowledge Path: Locating Community-Based Services to Support Children and Families is an electronic guide for service providers and families to help them find resources within their communities to address child and family needs.

Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR): Beginning in 1950 with 30 organizations, mostly civil rights and labor groups, the LCCR has grown in numbers, scope, and effectiveness. Here you will find a listing of the more than 180 national organizations that comprise the LCCR.

Mobility International: Is a US-based national non-profit organization. The mission of Mobility International USA (MIUSA) is to empower people with disabilities around the world through international exchange, information, technical assistance and training, and to ensure the inclusion of people with disabilities in international exchange and development programs.

Mouth Magazine:  a disability rights bi-monthly print magazine. Mouth Magazine is now the only disability rights-oriented magazine put to printed page. The Ragged Edge (see below), recently went to web only, and is the place to go for the latest news and articles if you prefer the free and complete coverage via accessible web.

National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability  The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) assists state and local workforce development systems to better serve youth with disabilities. The NCWD/Youth, created in late 2001, is composed of partners with expertise in disability, education, employment, and workforce development issues. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), the NCWD/Youth is housed at the Institute for Educational Leadership.

National Down Syndrome Congress: The mission of the NDSC is to provide information, advocacy and support concerning all aspects of life for individuals with Down syndrome. The vision of the NDSC is a world with equal rights and opportunities for people with Down syndrome. It is the purpose of the National Down Syndrome Congress to create a national climate in which all people will recognize and embrace the value and dignity of people with Down syndrome.

Not Dead Yet: Not Dead Yet is a national disability rights group that is the disability community's definitive source on the implications of public policy and media activity related to euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Ragged Edge:  an online magazine that began in 1997, offers topic-area searches and articles from the world of disability activism, and news updates supported by Inclusion Daily Express.

Rethinking Autism: All too often in the world of autism, celebrity and sex appeal are used to promote pseudo-science and personal agendas.  RethinkingAutism.com wants to change minds, change the current media conversation and help give autistic people a more prominent voice in the conversation.  Up to this point, celebrities and parents of autistic children have dominated the media with their miracle cures and unsubstantiated theories on causation. This exploits autistic people, their family members and the public.  Please join us.  Share the videos, read the blog and sign up to be part of our emailing list. Let’s change the conversation one video at a time.

The Riot! is an e-newsletter for self-advocates. Self-advocates are people with disabilities who speak up for themselves and others. Self-advocates speak up with spoken words, sign language, language boards or in ways unique to each person. The Riot! is all about self-advocacy.  We also want to make you laugh and feel good about life.  Every issue focuses on a timely theme, or a particular idea.  We also cover life topics, such as dating, health and everyday fun.

The Road to Self-Sufficiency: A Guide to Entrepreneurship for Youth with Disabilities is a resource for organizations working with youth on career exploration and employment options, and policymakers who support youth programs through policy and practice.  The Guide shows how entrepreneurship education can be implemented in programs and offers suggestions on how to introduce self-employment as an option  for all youth, including youth with disabilities.

Rocky Mountain ADA/IT Center: Providing information on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and accessible education-based information technology to Colorado, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Sexuality and Developmental Disability Resources: Following are links to some helpful resources from a 2010 issue of Impact magazine and a 1996 article from the Bioethics Forum. 

Social Security and Disability Resource Center: The Social Security and Disability Resource Center website provides answers to questions concerning how to apply for disability, how to appeal a claim in the event of a denial, how to navigate the federal system, and how to avoid certain mistakes that are commonly made by applicants filing for either SSD (social security disability) or SSI (supplemental security income) benefits.  The site is based on the author's personal experience as a former disability-Medicaid caseworker, and also as a former disability examiner for the Social Security Administration.

Transportation Hotline for Air Travelers . Updated Air Carriers Access Act  regulations became effective May 13, 2009. For detailed information on the changes click on this link to the Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center for the Southwest (DBTAC Southwest). 

Watch Our Words (WOW) – Watch Our Words is a group of facilitated communication users, their facilitators and friends who meet monthly alternately in Lafayette and in Denver.  WOW offers trainings to any groups interested in learning about facilitated communication.  WOW has also produced two DVDs, one with short documentaries about 5 WOW members, and another that can be used as a training video.  Click here for the documentaries on Michael Hoover, Jaison Hart, Daniel Sutter, Sharisa Kochmeister and Chris Patton. Click here for the training segments "What is FC" and "Learning to be a Facilitator." 
You may call or email the Council to have a set of DVDs mailed to you, at no charge. Please use the "Contact Us" form on this website, or call the Council at (720) 941-0176.  Thanks!

Web Accessibility Standards: Presently, most websites and web software have accessibility barriers that make it difficult or impossible for people with disabilities to use the Web. This website provides an overview of the various disabilities that can affect how people use the Internet, plus links to resources that can help you make your website or Web content more accessible.

Council Publications