Disability News & Views Radio Show- Advertising Sponsorship

Institute of Abundant Living - Andy Lewis, Program Director
The Institute of Abundant Living is a non profit corporation of self-advocates, educators, and other professionals who believe all people should live life to the fullest.
http://www.discoverabilities.com

Abilities4u is a website dedicated to helping people wiith disabilities. It explains disabilities in a clear, concise way, instead of some confusing medical website. And its created by someone who knows firsthand what its like to have a disability: A 13 year old girl with cerebral palsy. Abilities4u includes disability news, articles, and more and is updated frequently. Be sure to sign the guestbook!
www.webspawner.com/users/abilities4u/

Hi, I'm Cara. I am a 12 year old girl with mild cerebral palsy. I would like to advertise my website dedicated to helping people with disabilities on your radio show. To look at my website, go to www.webspawner.com/users/abilities4u/ Thank you! -Cara

www.disabilitiesbooks.com/for-parents.htm
www.disabilitiesbooks.com/for-consumers.htm

United Cerebral Palsy Publishes Comprehensive One-Stop Resource Guides for People with Disabilities - Available on UCP Web site, resource guides for people of all ages with any disability. (Washington, DC) – United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) announced today it has published the most complete resource guides available for people with disabilities on the Internet. By visiting the UCP Web site at http://www.UCP.org individuals with disabilities and their families can now easily access contact information for organizations, nonprofit service providers, and state government offices in every state in the nation. Contact: jbaker@ucp.org

• People with disabilities, parents of young children with a new diagnosis, caregivers, and advocacy organizations can use these resources to locate information about early intervention, assistive technology, employment, housing, transportation, and many more topics.

• Though UCP and its nationwide affiliate network will continue to offer free one-to-one information and referral services to the public, anyone with access to the Internet now can find information on their own with this easily accessible resource.
Each one-stop resource guide is free and can be downloaded as a Microsoft Word® or Adobe® PDF document. Information and referral resources listed in each guide are organized in alphabetical categories with complete contact information, so anyone can find the information and services they need.
“Staying informed and knowing where to find help are huge steps towards achieving full independence,” said Margaret “Muffi” Lavigne, UCP Information and Referral Coordinator. “These guides are some of the most complete community-based resource listings for people with disabilities available today.”

• To access the one-stop resource guides, visit www.UCP.org, click through to the “Parenting and Families” channel and then to “Resources.” Information seekers who need one-to-one information and referral service can contact Muffi Lavigne at (800) 872-5827 or mlavigne@UCP.org.

• About United Cerebral Palsy: United Cerebral Palsy is one of the nation’s leading organizations serving and advocating for the more than 54 million Americans with disabilities. Most UCP consumers are people with disabilities other than cerebral palsy. Through its nationwide network, United Cerebral Palsy offers services to individuals, families and communities such as job training and placement, physical therapy, individual and family support, early intervention, social and recreation programs, community living, state and local referrals, and instruction on how to use technology to perform everyday tasks. For more information, visit www.ucp.org or call (800) 872-5827.

Federal Law IDEA

IDEA '97 Law & Regs - The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 Public Law 105-17, were signed by the President on June 4, 1997. The Final IDEA '97 Regulations were released on Friday, March 12, 1999. The law and its associated regulations are available in several different formats, including enhanced versions that take full advantage of the linking capabilities of the web.

How to Order a Paper/Alternate Format Copy of the IDEA '97 Law & Regs EDPUBS Call: toll-free: (877) 433-7827 TTY/TTD: (877) 576-7734 to request one free copy.

NYSED-Elementary, Middle, Secondary, Continuing Ed- New York State Education Department, Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities, Special Education Policy, One Commerce Plaza, Room 1624 Albany, New York 12234. call: (518) 473-2878 E-mail: vesidspe@mail.nysed.gov

Publications- Education Laws and Regulations- The most-requested publications relating to Education Laws and Regulations and students with disabilities are available on-line.

Publications on-line are:

   • Part 100 Regulations
   • NYS Part 200 Regulations
   • Parts 200 and 201 of the Commissioner's Regulations (6/02)
   • Article 89 of the Education Law
   • Article 81 of the Education Law

Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities- Mission: VESID Special Education Quality Assurance oversees preschool and school-age special education services through a quality assurance review process that emphasizes attainment of positive results for student with disabilities. Regional Associates, located in several regional offices across New York State, coordinate the review process and also provide technical assistance to parents, school district personnel, and private providers.

Register to Receive Information on Services for Students/Individuals with Disabilities- You can receive by electronic mail the latest memoranda and other technical assistance documents (or notification of the location of these documents on the web) from VESID. Due to fiscal restrictions, most publications will now only be available in electronic format or on our website. You will receive all documents regardless of the constituency you indicate on the registration form.

The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates- An independent, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization of attorneys, advocates and parents established to improve the quality and quantity of legal assistance for parents of children with disabilities. Contact COPAA at 1321 Pennsylvania Ave, SE | Washington, DC 20003-3027 | Ph: (202) 544-2210

The National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems, Inc. (NAPAS)- is the voluntary national membership association of protection & advocacy systems and client assistance programs. It assumes leadership in promoting and strengthening the role and performance of its members in providing quality legally based advocacy services. NAPAS has a vision of a society where people with disabilities exercise self-determination and choice and have equality of opportunity and full participation. NAPAS believes this vision will be realized through the enactment and vigorous enforcement of laws protecting civil and human rights. Phone: 202-408-9514 or email info@napas.org

Education- A -Must Inc- has been in existence and servicing the communities needs since 1996. We began by helping one child and have grown to over 500 to date. Contact info@education-a-must.com Tel. (603) 437-6286.

Parent to Parent- is based on the philosophy that parents, who themselves have experienced the joys and frustrations of parenting a child with special needs, can offer new parents a valuable resource. It is a program designed to put parents in touch on a one to one basis with a trained support parent who has a child with a similar or related disability. Eight offices located throughout NYS. Contact: Parent to Parent of New York State P.O. Box 1296 Tupper Lake NY 12986 Tel: (866) 727-6970 Email: info@parenttoparentnys.org

The Advocacy Center- is a non-profit organization located in New York State that educates, supports, and advocates with people who have disabilities, their families, and circles of support.The vision of the Advocacy Center states:That people with disabilities, with their families and circles of support, are able to live a life of freedom, responsibility, and belonging. That people with disabilities experience: educational and vocational success, successful transition to life after high school, meaningful relationships, freedom to pursue individual goals, access to financial resources, meaningful employment, access to all areas of community life and adequate housing. Contact: The Advocacy Center 277 Alexander Street, Suite 500 Rochester, NY 14607 (716) 546-1700; (800) 650-4967 (in NY) E-mail: info@advocacycenter.com

Mayerslaw- Gary Mayerson left his longstanding position as a Partner of a well known Manhattan law firm in order to launch his own practice dedicated to representing children and adolescents diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorders and other disabilities.Today, Gary and his staff assist families across the nation who are attempting to secure for their children appropriate placements and services including 1:1 Applied Behavior Analysis, Supported Inclusion, Speech and Language Therapy/Augmentive Communication, Occupational Therapy/Physical Therapy, Assistive Technology and preparation for gainful employment. Gary is a member of the New York, New Jersey and Florida Bars, and has been specially admitted to practice in many jurisdictions, both at the State and Federal levels.Contact info: Gary Mayerson 330 W. 38th St., Suite 600, New York, NY 10018 Tel; (212) 265-7200 Fax (212) 265-1735

Reed Martin- is an attorney with over 35 years experience in special education law and is recognized as one of the nation's leading experts. View Reed's complete bio and how he got his start in civil rights. Reed has litigated under Section 504 and the ADA as well as the IDEA. He has also successfully pursued Section 504 complaints through the Office for Civil Rights in several regions. He has had cases in several Circuit Courts of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court on issues of attorneys' fees, the IEP, least restrictive environment, extended school year, related services, school health services, parental reimbursement, and private school placement. He has represented children with autism, Down Syndrome, learning disabilities, AD/HD, health problems, hearing impairment, behavior problems, emotional disturbance, visual impairment, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, and mobility impairment Contact info: Reed Martin P. O. Box 4003, Morgantown, WV 26504 Telephone: (304) 598-3406, Fax (304) 598-3512

Wright's Law- Pete Wright is an attorney who represents children with special needs.Pete struggled with learning disabilities, including dyslexia, dysgraphia and ADHD. His determination to help children grew out of his own educational experiences. To learn about Pete, read Three Generations at the Supreme Court and The Untold Story. Pam Wright is a psychotherapist with training in psychology and clinical social work. She is editor of The Special Ed Advocate.

Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities- people can get reliable information and support. Your state Yellow Pages includes many resources - government programs, grassroots organizations, and parent support groups. We are adding evaluators, educational consultants, academic tutors, advocates, attorneys, and others who help parents get services for their children.The Yellow Pages are a free service.

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. Contact: The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) 1110 North Glebe Road, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22201 Voice phone: 703/620-3660 TTY: 866/915-5000FAX: 703/264-9494 E-mail: service@cec.sped.org

The DRM Regional Resources Directory- A directory of organizations and agencies that serve New York State residents with disabilities.

ONLINE PETITION- for Accessible restrooms on AIRPLANES: Rasha Kawar, a beautiful, bright nine-year old who has cerebral palsy, flew to Israel last year and back on a trip with her family. Like anyone on a long-distance flight, she needed to use the restroom. However, the restrooms were too small to accommodate her wheelchair making it exceedingly difficult for her. At its heart, this is a question of human dignity. An accessible restroom is not too much, and there are many people like Rasha who needs one, people with disabilities, parents with small children, older people who need assistance, people of large size and others... To make this needed change on airplanes, Rasha has started her own international petition online. Please sign this petition today!

GRANTS FOR INDIVIDUALS: is a web page that lists many resources related to grants and scholarships that are available for disabled students. There are general grants/scholarships, and specific grants/scholarships available based on the disability of the student and/or the subject area that the student is studying in.

Making the No Child Left Behind Act Work for Children Who Struggle to Learn: A Parent's Guide.

The Self-Help Group Sourcebook: Your Guide to Community & Online Self-Help Support Groups, 7th Edition - published Fall, 2002, by American Self-Help Group Clearinghouse, St. Clare's Health Services, Denville, NJ, IBSN: 1-930683-00-6. This 448-page guide provides information on over 1,100 national, international, model, and online "self-help" support groups for most any disorder, illness, disability, addiction, parenting concern, bereavement situation, caregiver issue, abuse history, or other stressful life situation. Includes chapters on: how to start a community mutual aid self-help group; finding and forming online groups; local self-help group clearinghouses worldwide; understanding the value and dynamics of groups; reviews of empirical research studies done of self-help groups (compiled by Drs. Kyrouz, Humphreys, & Loomis at Stanford School of Medicine), and a listing of over 300 additional national toll-free specialty helplines. Has both a keyword index, and a separate index for group names. Foreword by the late Dr. Alfred Katz, U.C.L.A. departments of Medicine, Public Health, and Social Welfare. The updated introduction by Dr. Phyllis Silverman, Dept. of Psychiatry, Harvard University. Sprinkled throughout the book are pertinent quotes and comments related to mutual aid groups. For a keyword-searchable database of these groups, just go to the American Self-Help Group Clearinghouse website.