American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is the largest national nonprofit cross-disability member organization in the United States, dedicated to ensuring economic self-sufficiency and political empowerment for the more than 56 million Americans with disabilities. AAPD works in coalition with other disability organizations for the full implementation and enforcement of disability nondiscrimination laws, particularly the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

 

ADA (Disability Rights) Information - The U.S. Department of Justice Home Page - Disability Rights Section. The primary goal of the Disability Rights Section is to achieve equal opportunity for people with disabilities in the United States by implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

 

The Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE) is the National Center on Dispute Resolution in Special Education. The Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE) works to increase the nation’s capacity to effectively resolve special education disputes, reducing the use of expensive adversarial processes. CADRE works with state and local education and early intervention systems, parent centers, families and educators to improve programs and results for children with disabilities. CADRE is funded by the Office of Special Education Programs at the US Department of Education to serve as the National Center on Dispute Resolution in Special Education.

 

The Council for Exceptional Children is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the educational success of children with disabilities. By advocating for successful governmental policies, setting standards for professionals in the education industry, and providing professional development seminars, the organization helps teachers, administrators, parents, related students and other educational support staff to best support and educate the children with special needs with whom they work.

 

The Federation for Children with Special Needs is a national organization that provides information, support and assistance to parents of children with disabilities, their professional partners and their communities. By allowing these families to more fully participate in community life, children with special needs are able to grow to their full potential. The Federation promotes the active and informed participation of parents of children with special needs in shaping and influencing public policies that affect their families. The peer support network the group provides allows for families to meet with those who can relate and understand.

 

Learning Disabilities Association of America - Since 1964, LDA has provided support to people with learning disabilities, their parents, teachers and other professionals with cutting edge information on learning disabilities, practical solutions, and a comprehensive network of resources.

 

The M.O.R.G.A.N. Project stands for Making Opportunities Reality Granting Assistance Nationwide. This group, established by parents Robert and Kristen Malfara, supports families in their journey of raising a child with special needs, be that child biological, adopted or within the foster care system. In addition to having a large library of resources and information on their website, the group also assists families with travel expenses for medical treatments and gifts of medical equipment that aren't covered by insurance, such as wheelchairs. It works to create a group of parents who are supportive of each other in difficult times.

 

National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) focuses on young teens and helps them to learn how to cope with their disability and find their place in the workforce. Once the young adults are able to achieve their educational and employment goals, NCWD/Youth works to assist them with living as independently as possible.

 

PACER Center enhances the quality of life and expands opportunities for children, youth, and young adults with all disabilities and their families so each person can reach his or her highest potential. PACER operates on the principles of parents helping parents, supporting families, promoting a safe environment for all children, and working in collaboration with others. They provide materials and workshops that help parents and caregivers develop leadership skills to assist them in advocating for a free and appropriate public education for their child(ren).

 

Parent to Parent USA is a group that matches each parent with a fellow parent who has a child with the same special healthcare need, disability or mental health concern, allowing each parent or family to have a contact for sharing information, receiving support and creating new friendships.