Resources for Individuals with Disabilities
Introduction

This site is designed to give school library media specialists and other educators a starting point for retrieving information to assist individuals with disabilities and those educators who serve them.

Library Resources

New York State School for the Deaf (NYSSD) Library Catalog:

 http://www.ciderpress.org/bin/home?path=/union/MO/NonPublicSchool/;code=mnyssd;change=1

NYSSD has served deaf students in New York State for over a hundred years.  They have an in-depth collection of materials related to education of the deaf, materials on the deaf community as well as a general collection to serve their students.  Materials may be borrowed through your local library system. 

New York State Talking Book & Braille Library: http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/tbbl/

The New York State Talking Book and Braille Library provides recorded and Braille books and tape recorders to adults and children who, owing to a disability, can't read print, or hold a book, or turn its pages. People qualify for this free, public library service if they have a permanent or temporary visual, physical or learning disability. The Library offers 65,000 book titles and over 60 magazines.

Resource Center for Visually Impaired

2A Richmond Avenue, Batavia, NY 14020 Phone: (585) 343-5385

http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/lsn/visual.htm

The mission of the New York State Resource Center for Visually Impaired is to provide assistance to support students who are blind and visually impaired in achieving high standards of learning and independence.  Certified Teachers of the Visually Impaired, an Orientation and Mobility Specialist, and a Rehabilitation Teacher are on staff to discuss instructional strategies, specific eye diseases and many other topics with teachers and other service providers, parents and family members who need to know about blindness and visual impairment. Professional services include training and consultation.

Resource Center patrons can also take advantage of the special library, which circulates large print and Braille literature, adapted assessments and curricula, descriptive (voice captioned) videos for students, educational videos, professional journals and other reference materials regarding students who are blind and visually impaired, including those with multiple disabilities.

Specialized instructional materials manufactured by the American Printing House for the Blind are provided to teachers and other service providers to enable them to better serve their students. Students can borrow Braille and large print books.

Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic

20 Roszel Road, Princeton, NJ 08540, (866) RFBD-585. The nation's educational library for those with print disabilities can be found at http://www.rfbd.org 

Bookshare.org. 
The Office of Special Education Programs of the U.S. Department of Education has awarded Bookshare.org a $32 million five-year grant to dramatically expand the Bookshare.org collection and provide all U.S. students with qualifying print disabilities free access to the service. Bookshare.org will add educational titles in high quality DAISY and Braille formats and deliver millions of books for free to disabled students. Bookshare.org is working with publishers, authors and technology companies to gain access to books in digital formats that can be converted to DAISY.  Go to http://www.bookshare.org/web/Welcome.html 

Universal Access to Libraries Project of the University of Washinton aims to "educate librarians and other educators about adaptive technology and accessible Web design..."  Go to http://www.washington.edu/doit/UA/ to learn about ways to make electronic resources accessible to all. 
Florida Universal Access Project includes guidelnes for "making media center resources accessible to ALL students."   Find this information at http://www.sunlink.ucf.edu/ua/mediactr.html

Local library collection development should reflect a wide range of readability in the print and non-print resources and a range of information formats to meet the needs of our special clients.  Examples include providing access to audio books, large print books, and audio-visual resources.  Part of your collection development plan may be to be a member of a regional media consortium to provide a wider range of materials not readily available at an individual school.

Internet 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. This collection exists in order to make on-line Special Education resources more easily and readily available in one location. This site attempts to continually modify, update, and add additional informative links. The web address is http://www.seriweb.com/  

LD OnLine is a "site on learning disabilities for parents, teachers and other professionals."  "LD OnLine is a service of The Learning Project at WETA, Washington, D.C., in association with The Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities. LD OnLine is made possible in part by generous support from Lindamood-Bellﾮ Learning Processes, The Eisner Foundation, Inc., The Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, The Law Firm of McKenna Long & Aldridge, and The Charles Lafitte Foundation."  Find them at http://www.ldonline.org

"Awesome Library organizes the Web with 23,000 carefully reviewed resources, including the top 5 percent in education."  They have an extensive list of links under their Special Education Section.  Find them at http://www.awesomelibrary.org/Library/Special_Education/Special_Education.html

New York State Office of Advocate for Persons with Disabilities will answer your questions about programs, services and supports for individuals with disabilities and their families. The information & referral staff will direct you to the nearest and most appropriate resources on Rights & Responsibilities; Education & Training; Technology Services & Devices; Transportation & Parking; ADA & 504; Jobs & Independence; Benefits & Assistance; Housing & Accessibility; & much more.  The Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities (TRIAD) Projects provide information and sources for assistive technology.  There are several TRAID Centers in NYS. In New York State call 800-522-4369 or the Advocate's site is at http://www.advoc4disabled.state.ny.us/

For information about library services for people with print-related disabilities, see:

Upstate New York Regional Library--55 counties: New York State Library, New York State Talking Book & Braille Library 

New York City and Long Island Regional Library: The New York Public Library, Andrew Heiskell Braille & Talking Book Library 

Nassau and Suffolk Counties Subregional Library: Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Long Island Talking Book Library 

National Library Service for the Blind & Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress

http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/tbbl/ http://talkingbooks.nypl.org http://www.litbl.org/ http://www.loc.gov/nls

Educational Resources

The Learning Standards and Alternate Performance Indicators for Students with Severe Disabilities, NY State Education Department (1998). http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/learnstand/lrnstd1.htm

Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities, New York State Education Department: http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/all/home.html

The Mission of the Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with disabilities (VESID) is to promote educational equity and excellence for students with disabilities while ensuring that they receive the rights and protection to which they are entitled; assure appropriate continuity between the child and adult services systems; and provide the highest quality vocational rehabilitation and independent living services to all eligible persons as quickly as those services are required to enable them to work and live independent, self-directed lives.

Special Education Training and Resource Centers (SETRC):

"SETRCs provide coaching and technical assistance to school districts based on the district?s needs. There are 56 SETRC offices located throughout the state at each of the BOCES (except Western Suffolk BOCES, which is served by Eastern Suffolk BOCES) and in the Big 5 cities.

The first priority for services is given to districts involved in the Facilitated Review process and districts involved in the Collaborative Review process are given second priority. All other staff development needs are determined by the district?s Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD), Comprehensive District Education Plan (CDEP), and Personnel Development Plan (PDP). Many of the SETRCs have resource centers housing materials on a variety of topics related to disabilities that can be borrowed."  Their site can be found at http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/lsn/setrc.htm

New York State School for the Blind (NYSSB) Providing High Quality Education to Visually Impaired Children Who Have Multiple Disabilities.

"Every child has the right to enjoy life fully, discover, grow and learn in a caring and nurturing environment. This belief forms the basis for all of the programming at the New York State School for the Blind where they have a proud tradition of providing quality education to the children of New York State who are visually impaired and have multiple disabilities. Programs and services, including transportation, are provided at no cost to parents. The School is located in Western New York. Children who are 5 - 21 years of age receive individual attention from a community of skilled and caring professionals."  Their site can be found at http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/nyssb/home.html

The New York State School for the Deaf http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/nyssd/home.html

The New York State School for the Deaf mission is to provide a foundation of learning that will enable students to become independent, self-respecting and contributing adults in a multi-cultural society.  They provide a learning environment, based on excellence and teamwork that puts achievement and independence within the reach of each student. The New York State Education Department requires that an applicant have a hearing loss of at least 80dB in the better ear. However, students have been accepted to the school if they are considered to be "functionally deaf."

LD Resources   http://www.ldresources.com  "Resources for the Iearning disabilites community."

Organizations and Societies

 The Alliance for Technology Access (ATA) is a network of community-based Resource Centers, Developers, Vendors and Associates dedicated to providing information and support services to children and adults with disabilities, and increasing their use of standard, assistive, and information technologies.  These ATA Members can be found all across the country whose mission is "connecting children and adults with disabilities to technology tools."

Resource Center for Independent Living (RCIL), 401-409 Columbia StreetP.O. Box 210, Utica, New York 13503-0210, Telephone: (315) 797-4642, TTY/TDD: (315) 797-5837, FAX: (315) 797-4747.  RCIL "promotes the individual services and systemic changes and programs which support the rights and integration of people with disabilities." http://www.rcil.com/Alliance for Technology Access: http://www.ATAccess.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 under-served individuals with exceptionalities, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice:  http://www.cec.sped.org/ab/

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)  is a national non-profit organization founded in 1987 in response to the frustrations and sense of isolation experienced by parents and their children with AD/HD :   http://www.chadd.org/

Learning Disabilities Association of America "The Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) is a non-profit grassroots organization whose members are individuals with learning disabilities, their families, and the professionals who work with them.  LDA strives to advance the education and general welfare of children and adults with learning disabilities."  Their site can be found at http://www.ldanatl.org/

Center for Applied Special Technology ( CAST) is a not-for-profit organization that uses technology to expand opportunities for all people, especially those with disabilities: http://cast.org/

National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY) shares information about disabilities in children and youth. http://www.nichcy.org/

NYS Talking Book & Braille Library: http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/tbbl/index.html

The New York State Talking Book and Braille Library (TBBL) lends Braille and recorded books and magazines, and the necessary equipment to play recorded books, to residents of the 55 upstate counties of New York State who are unable to read standard printed materials because of a visual or physical disability.  TBBL is the Regional Library for the upstate region in the nationwide program coordinated by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), a division of the Library of Congress, in Washington DC. TBBL is also a unit of the New York State Library.

National Center to Improve Practice in Special Education Through Technology, Media and Materials (NCIP):  http://www2.edc.org/NCIP/

Video and captioning are powerful educational tools for students with disabilities when effectively integrated into the instructional process. Increasingly, educators are experimenting with a variety of video and captioning techniques to bolster literacy skills in students who are deaf and hard of hearing and/or who have learning disabilities.  These resources were compiled during NCIP's period of funding, 1992-1998.

U.S. Department of Education Information on IDEA:  http://www.ed.gov./offices/OSERS/IDEA

The New York State Education Department, Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities, Albany, NY 12234

The Mission of the Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) is to promote educational equity and excellence for students with disabilities while ensuring that they receive the rights and protection to which they are entitled; assure appropriate continuity between the child and adult services systems; and provide the highest quality vocational rehabilitation and independent living services to all eligible persons as quickly as those services are required to enable them to work and live independent, self-directed lives.

 http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/

Resources for Individuals with Disabilities Identified by the New York State Education Department: http://usny.nysed.gov/disa/

Federation for Children with Special Needs   www.fcsn.org  The Federation is a center for parents and parent organizations to work together on behalf of children with special needs and their families. 

Louisa-Muscatine Community School District  www.louisamuscatine.k12.ia.us

Businesses

Apple Computer, Inc.: http://www.apple.com/accessibility/  Looking for Special Needs Solutions? Search Apple's database to find specific hardware and software that meet your needs. Read success stories about those who have overcome great challenges.

Microsoft http://www.microsoft.com/enable/  Lists accessibility features oncorporated into products or available for download.  Microsoft's new corporate mission: To enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential.

IBM http://www-3.ibm.com/able/   Includes solution offerings and product acessibility information.
Don Johnston http://www.donjohnston.com  Learning Intervention Resources
Mayer-Johnson, Inc. http://www.mayerjohnson.com   Products for Special Needs and Education  MaxiAids.com    http://www.maxiaids.com/   Products for Independent LivingReadPlease Corporation  http://www.readplease.com  Software that lets your computer talk...

Laws and Regulations Pertaining to Special Education - New York State and Federal

Public Law 94-142 - IDEA 

The intent of this 1974 legislation, along with amendments passed in 1988 and 1997, is to assist students with a variety of disabilities.  PL94-142 is now known as the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act or IDEA.  It places greater responsibility on the schools to provide compensatory help, including assistive technology devices, to students in special education settings.

Department of Education Information on IDEA:  http://www.ed.gov./offices/OSERS/IDEA

Section 508  In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Inaccessible technology interferes with an individual's ability to obtain and use information quickly and easily. Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, to make available new opportunities for people with disabilities, and to encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals.

Assistive Technologies

There are many sources of assistive technology (AT).  Here are some links to sites that provide searchable databases of assistive technology products that visitors can use to locate assistive technology based on specific disabilities and needs.  Some of these are:

Assistive Technology Training

TRECenter in Albany: http://www.trecenter.org  

Closing the Gap Conference: http://www.closingthegap.com

CSUN International Conference on Technology and Persons with Disabilities: http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf/index.htm

Assistive Technology Products Search sites

AssistiveTech.Net at Georgia Tech's Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access: http://www.assistivetech.net/search/index.cfm  

Closing the Gap has a directory of assistive technology that you can search based on the type of product or type of disability that you are trying to address: http://www.closingthegap.com/rd/about.html

DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology) at University of Washington also provides a list of assistive technology which as been used by students in their DO-IT Scholars program.  There are links to each of the vendors.  I noticed that they are using Kurzweil: http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Technology/tech.html

Information on how to set up accessibility features of various operating systems can be found at http://www.sunlink.ucf.edu/ua/resources.html

General Resource Sites:

TRACE Center: http://trace.wisc.edu/resources/at-resources.shtml

DO-IT Center at University of Washington: http://www.washington.edu/doit/

AccessIT at University of Washington: http://www.washington.edu/accessit/index.php

This site brought to you by

Madison-Oneida School Library System

Oneida/Herkimer School Library System

Onondaga-Cortland-Madison School Library System

Syracuse City School Library System

Jefferson-Lewis School Library SystemDeveloped with the assistance of Sharon Trerise, Coordinator of Accessible IT, Northeast ADA & IT Center, 331 Ives Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY  14853

Thank you, Sharon
Updated August 12, 2008