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Resources for Students with Disabilities

Being deaf, blind, physically impaired or suffering from a learning impairment is a tough task for anyone to deal with. For children and young adults, the challenges can be even tougher. Students with disabilities can fall behind in the classroom and have trouble transitioning to college and employment when classroom strategies do not accommodate for their special needs. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), provides specific regulations addressing the needs of students with disabilities. Other disability laws also apply. Students and teachers can take advantage of a number of resources designed to help students suffering from all categories of disabilities meet their education goals and thrive in the classroom. 

Student Disability Resources

• Act2gether: College selection, scholarship information, and preparation recommendations to help disabled students prepare for college, vocational training, or entering directly into the job market after high school.

• Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Resources from kindergarten to high school discuss classroom interventions, speaking to teachers, starting the school year off right, and other tools parents and students can use when dealing with ADHD.

• College Funding for Students with Disabilities: Learn how you can pay for college through scholarships, grants, loans, vocational rehabilitation programs, and other sources. 

• Entrypoint!: Internship opportunities for students provide a chance to get hands on experience in business, engineering, mathematics, and computer science related fields. The program is provided by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

• High School/ High Tech: Students with disabilities interested in exploring careers in math, science, and other technology-related careers can explore these career opportunities thanks to the HS/HT program.

• Kids as Self Advocates: Read reports by youth suffering from disabilities and learn about ways to break down educational barriers, fund college, and be your own advocate.  

• Kids Corner: Designed to teach children about disabilities, this site offers games and fun facts about individuals with disabilities. A discussion on movies and books about individuals with disabilities is also provided.

• National Arts and Disability Center: Explore careers in the arts by reviewing job descriptions, assistive technology and accommodations for artists with disabilities.

• National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange: A step-by-step overview of foreign exchange data useful for disabled students looking to have fun, explore a new culture, and broaden potential job opportunities.

• National Disabled Students Union (NDSU): This organization for disabled students is open to students of all types of disability.

• National Educational Association of Disabled Students: This Canada consumer organization is designed to help students with disabilities pursue college and university educational opportunities.

• National Organization on Disabilities (NOD): The Start on Success Internship program offered by NOD is targeted towards high school students with disabilities. The program provides workplace experience and a chance to learn outside of the typical classroom setting.

• National Stuttering Association: Information for kids and teens discuss stuttering, speech therapy, and school bullying.

• Pacer Center: Provides answers to questions that students with disabilities often face when considering postsecondary education.

• Storyline Online: Children with learning disabilities and visual impairments will enjoy these stories read aloud by celebrities.  

Teacher Disability Resources

• Association for Children with a Disability: Videos, answers to questions, and personal parent stories designed to help teachers engage disabled students and promote classroom inclusion.

• American Foundation for the Blind: Aids useful for teachers instructing students who are blind or visually impaired. Guidelines, effective teaching practices and information on low vision is provided.

• Disability Studies for Teachers: From the Center on Human Policy, this resource offers lesson plans and essays that teachers can use to integrate disability studies into a variety of subjects including history and social studies. 

• Developmental Delay Resources: Education articles that help teachers collaborate, deal with parents, and prepare individualized education plans for students with developmental delays.  

• LD Online: Educators can take advantage of instructional strategies to teach spelling and handwriting to students with learning disabilities. 

• Learning Disabilities Association of America: ADHD and other learning disabilities can hold back talented children. Teachers can put the focus on individual accomplishment, gain knowledge of different types of disabilities, and use learning aids to help kids thrive.

• Learning through Listening: A wealth of information including lesson plans and classroom activities are offered to help teachers' aid dyslexic and blind students.

• Muskingum College - Center for Advancement and Learning (CAL): Educational and transition plans help students in high school and beyond who have disabilities.

• National Center for Accessible Media: Caption writing for video, digital talking books, and other accessible learning technologies are discussed here and their use in education.

• National Center on Physical Activity and Disability: Physical activity and healthy lifestyles are important for all individuals regardless of disability. Teachers and coaches can implement these strategies for offering instruction in physical education.

• National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities: Here teachers will find information on meeting the requirements of IDEA to successfully teach children from 3 to 22.

• National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities Paper: From the Association on Higher Education and Disability, this paper discusses practices educators can use to prepare students for transitioning to postsecondary education. 

• National Organization of Parents of Blind Children: Information useful to parents and teachers, discusses how to teach sighted children about blindness, home schooling, early education, and helping a blind child overcome learning difficulties in a regular classroom setting.

• SciTrain: This research initiative offers free online courses to educators to assist in teaching science, math, and computer science to disabled youth. 

• Simple Ways to Help Children with Special Needs: From the Attention Deficit Disorder Association these quick tips can help teachers keep order in the classroom. 

• Special Education Law: A review of current special education law with articles to help teachers implement these laws in the classroom.

• Teaching How-to's: From Teaching LD, these instructions help students teach math to learners with disabilities.  

• The Family Center on Technology and Disability: Assistive and instructional technology can be used to help students with disabilities overcome learning barriers in the classroom.

• The Faculty Room: Designed for faculty at post-secondary institutes, this site offers publications, videos, activities, and other tools designed to maximize the learning experience of college students with disabilities.

• The Family and Advocates Partnership for Education: IDEA fact sheets covering discipline, transitioning, and assessments for students with disabilities.  

• The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center: Children with disabilities need access to high-quality education resources at a young age in order to succeed. Information on federal laws, state rules, reports, and more help educate infants and toddlers with disabilities. 

• Toolkit on Teaching and Accessing Students with Disabilities: From the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Ideas That Work, this toolkit provides current information related to standards-based assessments.

• Topics for English Language Learners with Disabilities: Instructional strategies, curriculum ideas, and assessments useful for helping English language learners suffering from disabilities.

Government Disability Resources

• Building the Legacy: IDEA 2004: More information is provided on this federal law that removes access to education for children with disabilities. Regulations, statutes, training material, videos, and web cast are provided.  

• Disability.gov: The education section of Disability.gov offers information on financial aid, assistive technology, and other resources for parents, teachers, and students with disabilities. 

• Disability Rights Office: Those with hearing, speech, visual, learning, and other disabilities can learn more about current programs designed to aid in communication. 

• National Council on Disability: Educational papers focused on disability and education. Information on current laws, closing gaps to higher education, and inclusion are discussed. 

• Benefits for Children with Disabilities: Children and parents can learn about the Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) program at the Social Security Administration. PASS allows children aged 15 and up to start saving for their education.

• The Rehabilitation Services Administration: This federal agency carries out Titles I, III, VI, VII, and parts of Title V of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Reports, tools, and general information are available to review.

• United States Access Board: Information on disability rights laws and access to public facilities will be useful to students navigating education systems. 

• United States Department of Labor: Educational and career development interventions designed to help youths with disabilities transition into successful adults. Guideposts include apprenticeship, school based preperation, and leadership.