Each of the sites below provides information relevant to many different types of disabilities. The list is organized in the following sections: Music Organizations, Federal Agencies, and Nonprofit Organizations. For the most detailed information on many different disabilities, consult the sites and links for the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). For information on children and adults with severe disabilities, consult TASH. And for detailed information on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004), consult the sites for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and NICHCY.
MUSIC ORGANIZATIONS
American Music Therapy Association, Inc.
8455 Colesville Road, Suite 1000
Silver spring, Maryland 20910
(301) 589-3300
http://www.musictherapy.org
The mission of the American Music Therapy Association is to advance public awareness of the benefits of music therapy and increase access to quality music therapy services in a rapidly changing world. Music Therapy is an established healthcare profession that uses music to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals of all ages. Music therapy improves the quality of life for persons who are well and meets the needs of children and adults with disabilities or illnesses. Music therapy interventions can be designed to promote wellness; manage stress; alleviate pain; express feelings; enhance memory; improve communication; promote physical rehabilitation.
Research in music therapy supports its effectiveness in a wide variety of healthcare and educational settings. For further information, please explore the rest of this site including the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.
Certification Board for Music Therapists
506 E. Lancaster Ave. Suite 102
Downingtown, PA 19335
800-765-CBMT (2268), 610-296-8900
http://www.cbmt.org
CBMT is the only organization to certify music therapists to practice music therapy nationally. It has been fully accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) since 1986. Over 5,000 music therapists currently maintain the MT-BC credential, and participate in a program of recertification designed to measure or enhance competence in the profession of music therapy.
National Association for Music Education
1896 Robert Fulton Drive
Reston, VA 20191
800-336-3768
http://menc.org
Preamble: Music allows us to celebrate and preserve our cultural heritages, and also to explore the realms of expression, imagination, and creation resulting in new knowledge. Therefore, every individual should be guaranteed the opportunity to learn music and to share in musical experiences. NAfME's Mission: The mission of NAfME: The National Association for Music Education is to advance music education by encouraging the study and making of music by all.
Special Research Interest Group: Children with Exceptionalities (Part of NAfME)
https://sites.google.com/site/exceptionalitiessrig/home/resources
The mission of this group is to promote understanding of children with exceptionalities and to provide opportunities for music educators and researchers to exchange information about and collaborate on strategies for teaching children with disabilities in all areas of music education. In addition to the organization's information, the website has a resource page with links to information about the following: adaptive devices; assitive devices and technology; awesome apps; books; journal articles; laws, legal documents, guidelines, and terms; professional organizations; research-based programs; specific disability information; support groups.
FEDERAL AGENCIES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30333
800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636), TTY: 888-232-6348
http://www.cdc.gov/
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is one of the 13 major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is the principal agency in the United States government for protecting the health and safety of all Americans and for providing essential human services, especially for those people who are least able to help themselves. Numerous links are provided on the topics Developmental Disabilities, Disabilities, Maternal & Child Health, and Persons with Disabilities.
National Institutes of Health
9000 Rockvile Pike
Bethesda, MD 20892
301-496-4000, TTY: 301-402-9612
http://www.nih.gov/
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research.
NIH is the steward of medical and behavioral research for the Nation. Its mission is science in pursuit of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability.
Composed of 27 Institutes and Centers, the NIH provides leadership and financial support to researchers in every state and throughout the world. Among the 27 Institutes are those which focus on: cancer; eye diseases and other disorders of vision; diseases of the heart, blood vessels, lung, and blood, blood resources, and sleep disorders; alcoholism and alcohol-related problems; infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases; arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases; fertility, pregnancy, growth, development and medical rehabilitation; diseases and disorders of hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language; infectious and inherited craniofacial-oral-dental diseases and disorders; diabetes, endocrinology, and metabolic diseases; digestive diseases and nutrition; and kidney, urologic, and hematologic diseases; drug abuse and addiction; human illness and dysfunction from environmental causes; mental illnesses; neurological diseases. (http://www.nih.gov/icd/)
Office of Disabilities
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
http://www.hhs.gov/od/index.html
The Secretary of Health and Human Services created the Office on Disability (OD) in October 2002. The Office on Disability oversees the implementation and coordination of disability programs, policies and special initiatives for 54 million persons with disabilities. Disabilities information is available on topics such as Section 508 Accessibility, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act and others.
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Ave. S.W.
Washington, DC 20202-7100
(202) 245-7468
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/index.html
OSERS is comprised of the Office of the Assistant Secretary (OAS) and three program components: the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), and the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). OSERS provides a wide array of supports to parents and individuals, school districts and states in three main areas: special education, vocational rehabilitation and research.
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
Alliance for Technology Access (ATA)
1119 Old Humboldt Road
Jackson, TN 38305
800-914-3017, 731-554-5282, TTY: 731-554-5284
http://www.ataccess.org
The Alliance for Technology Access is the national 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.
Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
2900 Crystal Drive, Suite 1000
Arlington, VA 22202-3557
888-232-7733, TTY 866-915-5000
http://www.cec.sped.org
Overview: 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. Services Provided: Professional development opportunities and resources; 17 divisions for specialized information; Journals and newsletters with information on new research findings, classroom practices that work, federal legislation, and policies; Conventions and conferences; Special education publications.
Easter Seals
233 South Wacker Drive, Suite 2400
Chicago, IL 60606
800-221-6827
http://www.easter-seals.org
Easter Seals has been helping individuals with disabilities and special needs, and their families, live better lives for nearly 90 years. From child development centers to physical rehabilitation and job training for people with disabilities, Easter Seals offers a variety of services to help people with disabilities address life's challenges and achieve personal goals. Easter Seals assists more than one million children and adults with disabilities and their families annually through a nationwide network of more than 550 service sites.
Family Center on Technology and Disability
Academy for Educational Development
1825 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20009
202-884-8068
http://www.fctd.info/
The Family Center is a resource designed to support organizations and programs that work with families of children and youth with disabilities. We offer a range of information and services on the subject of assistive technologies. Whether you're an organization, a parent, an educator, or an interested friend, we hope you'll find information that supports you in your efforts to bring the highest quality education to children with disabilities.
March of Dimes
1275 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, NY 10605
http://www.marchofdimes.com
Our mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. We carry out this mission through research, community services, education and advocacy to save babies' lives. March of Dimes researchers, volunteers, educators, outreach workers and advocates work together to give all babies a fighting chance against the threats to their health: prematurity, birth defects, low birthweight.
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY)
1825 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20009
800-695-0285 (Voice/TTY); 202-884-8200 (Voice/TTY)
http://www.nichcy.org
NICHCY serves the nation as a central source of information on:
- disabilities in children, and youth,
- programs and services for infants, children and youth with disabilities,
- IDEA, the nation's special education law, and
- research-based information on effective practices for children with disabilities.
The following information on IDEA was all provided by NICHCY:
The IDEA was originally enacted by Congress in 1975 to make sure that children with disabilities have the opportunity to receive a free appropriate public education, just like other children. The law has been revised many times over the years. The most recent amendments were passed by Congress in December 2004, with final regulations published in August 2006, and in September 2011. So, in one senses, the law is very new, even as it has a long, detailed, and powerful history. IDEA guides how states and school districts provide special education and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible children with disabilities.
NICHCY provides the following sites on IDEA:
- The recent reauthorization of IDEA. http://www.nichcy.org/reauth/index.html
- The statute passed by Congress in December 2004. http://www.nichcy.org/idealaw.htm
- Final regulations for IDEA 2004 were published in August 2006. http://www.nichcy.org/idearegs.htm
- Resources on IDEA 2004. http://www.nichcy.org/resources/IDEA2004resources.asp
- OSEP-Reviewed Materials on IDEA 2004. These publications and products have reviewed by the Office of Special Education Programs to assure their consistency with the IDEA 2004 statute. http://www.nichcy.org/idealist.htm
- OSERS and OSEP (Office of Special Education Programs) have also made a series of short summaries available on changes from the IDEA 97 to IDEA 2004. All of these can be found in NICHCY's "OSEP-Reviewed Materials on IDEA 2004," posted at: http://www.nichcy.org/idealist.htm
National Organization for Rare Disorders
55 Kenosia Avenue
PO Box 1968
Danbury, CT 06813-1968
(203) 744-0100 , (800) 999-6673, TDD: (203) 797-9590
http://www.rarediseases.org
Mission Statement: The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), a 501(c)3 organization, is a unique federation of voluntary health organizations dedicated to helping people with rare "orphan" diseases and assisting the organizations that serve them. NORD is committed to the identification, treatment, and cure of rare disorders through programs of education, advocacy, research, and service. NORD Services and Programs: NORD provides information about diseases, referrals to patient organizations, research grants and fellowships, advocacy for the rare-disease community, and Medication Assistance Programs that help needy patients obtain certain drugs they could not otherwise afford.
Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER)
8161 Normandale Blvd.,
Bloomington, MN 55437,
888-248-0822, TTY 952-838-0190
http://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.
Through its ALLIANCE and other national projects, PACER, a national center, responds to thousands of parents and professionals each year. From California to Minnesota to New York, PACER resources make a difference in the lives of 7 million children with disabilities nationwide.
With assistance to individual families, workshops, materials for parents and professionals, and leadership in securing a free and appropriate public education for all children, PACER's work affects and encourages families in Minnesota and across the nation.
TASH
1001 Connecticut Ave, NW, Suite 235
Washington, DC 20036
202-540-9020
http://tash.org
TASH is an international membership association leading the way to inclusive communities through research, education, and advocacy. TASH members are people with disabilities, family members, fellow citizens, advocates, and professionals working together to create change and build capacity so that all people, no matter their perceived level of disability, are included in all aspects of society.
We have twenty-five chapters and thousands of members from thirty-four different countries and territories. Since our inception over thirty years ago, TASH has gained international acclaim for our uncompromising stand against separatism, stigmatization, abuse and neglect. We actively promote the full inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of life.
TASH believes that no one with a disability should be forced to live, work, or learn in a segregated setting; that all individuals deserve the right to direct their own lives. TASH 's mission is to eliminate physical and social obstacles that prevent equity, diversity, and quality of life.