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Community Resources

Alternative Format Textbooks

  • Bookshare®
    Bookshare® is free for all U.S. students with qualifying disabilities, thanks to an award from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). A searchable online library, Bookshare offers approximately 125,000 digital books, textbooks, teacher-recommended reading, periodicals, and assistive technology
  • Learning Ally
    Records books into alternate formats for people who are blind, visually impaired, or dyslexic.

Attendant Care Services

  • Community Attendant Services
    Community Attendant Services (CAS) is a non-technical, non-skilled service providing in-home attendant services to people who need help with personal care tasks. CAS is available to eligible adults and children whose health problems cause them to be functionally limited in performing activities of daily living.

College Preparedness

Education

Employment

  • Bender Consulting Services, Inc.
    Bender Consulting Services finds employment for people who have disabilities.
  • Campaign for Disability Employment
    Collaborative effort to promote positive employment outcomes for people with disabilities by encouraging employers, and others, to recognize the value and talent that people who have disabilities bring to the workplace. Public service announcements can be viewed from the website where contest winner videos and other useful resources can also be found.
  • Job Accommodation Network
    The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is the leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues. Working toward practical solutions that benefit both employer and employee, JAN helps people who have disabilities enhance their employability and shows employers how to capitalize on the value and talent that people who have disabilities add to the workplace.
  • washington.edu careers
    Successful work experiences and career preparation activities increase a student's chances of obtaining employment upon completion of an academic program. AccessCAREERS provides information and resources and shares promising practices for the purpose of increasing access to careers for individuals who have disabilities. Much of the content is duplicated in other publications, training materials, and web pages published by DO-IT.
  • Texas Workforce Commission VR Services
    The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program helps people who have physical or mental disabilities prepare for, find, or keep employment. Gaining skills needed for a career, learning how to prepare for a job interview, or getting the accommodations needed to stay employed are just a few of the ways this program helps people with disabilities increase productivity and independence.
  • Career and Recovery Resources
    Career and Recovery Resources, Inc. is a non-profit, United Way agency established in 1945. Our mission is to help people identify and overcome barriers to employment.
  • Harris Center Coffeehouse
    The Coffeehouse is a drop-in program for individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder or a similar condition. Service plans are tailored to each individual’s needs and circumstances by a licensed psychologist, and trained facilitators implement these in group and individual formats for as long as the individual wishes to participate.

Financial Help / Other

  • Free Application for Federal Student Aid
    Federal Student Aid is responsible for managing the student financial assistance programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. These programs provide grants, loans, and work-study funds to students attending college or career school.
  • Student Business Services
    (Office of Student Business Services, also known as the Bursar's Office, is responsible for the billing of tuition and fees for admitted students. This involves creating payment plans to help students get their accounts paid off as well as actually sending the bills. This office is not involved in the financial aid process (which is handled by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid).
  • Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid
    The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid provides financial assistance to students through grants, loans, scholarships, and employment.
  • Social Security Online
    Federal website for obtaining information about Social Security benefits, including disability and Medicare. On-line benefit applications are available.

Hearing Impairment

  • Starkey Hearing Foundation
    Provides hearing aid assistance to low-income individuals.
  • Hearing Loss Association of America
    The Mission of HLAA is to open the world of communication to people with hearing loss by providing information, education, support, and advocacy. Their primary purpose is to educate families, friends, coworkers, teachers, hearing health care providers, industry, government, and others about hearing loss.
  • National Association for the Deaf
    The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is the nation's premier civil rights organization of, by and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States of America.

Health Impairments

Legal

  • American Association of People with Disabilities
    The American Association of People with Disabilities is the nation's largest disability rights organization. We promote equal opportunity, economic power, independent living, and political participation for people with disabilities. Our members, including people with disabilities and our family, friends, and supporters, represent a powerful force for change.
  • Disability Rights Texas
    Disability Rights Texas exists to help people break through barriers to achieve their personal goals and dreams.
  • Drugwatch.com
    Drugwatch.com advocates for people to make a stand against prescription drugs that have harmful side effects and medical devices that cause damage. We do this by providing accurate, comprehensive information about these commonly used drugs and devices and by answering questions raised by people who contact us.

Mental Health

  • Attention Deficit Disorder Association Southern Region
    Provides information to assist parents, teachers, professors, and adults who have ADHD, and links to conferences and support groups.
  • Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
    CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is the nation's leading non-profit organization serving individuals with AD/HD and their families. CHADD has over 16,000 members in 200 local chapters throughout the U.S. Chapters offer support for individuals, parents, teachers, professionals, and others.
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
    Provides information on a wide range of mental health topics, suicide prevention information, and mental health-related links.
  • Tourette Syndrome Association of Texas
    Provides information about Tourette syndrome and links to local support groups.
  • NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness
    NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI advocates for access to services, treatment, supports and research and is steadfast in its commitment to raise awareness and build a community for hope for all of those in need.

Scholarships

Veterans

  • TexVet
    Resources for veterans, active-duty military, families, and community.

Visual Impairment

  • American Foundation for the Blind
    Provides information and resources for living with blindness for family, friends, professionals, and employers.
  • National Federation for the Blind
    The NFB improves people who are blind through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence. They are the leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation’s blind.