Independence Resources

MDA

People you meet through MDA activities can be a great source of tips and referrals for your independence questions. In addition, Quest has published many stories on all the topics mentioned in these articles. For a list and online links to those articles and their resource lists, see “Quest Stories by Topic” at www.mda.org/publications/Quest/q_topic.aspx.

ATTENDANT CARE

Talk to your local Center for Independent Living (CIL), which can be located through the Independent Living Research Utilization project directory. www.ilru.org

Avoiding Attendants From Hell: A Practical Guide to Finding, Hiring & Keeping Personal Care Attendants, by June Price, Science & Humanities Press, 1998

Caregivers and Personal Assistants, by Alfred H. DeGraff, Saratoga Access Publications, 2002

DAILY RESPONSIBILITIES

American Association of People with Disabilities
(800) 840-8844
www.aapd-dc.org

Bob Lovering, Counselor
Associated Rehabilitation Counseling Services
(602) 971-2867
arcsphx@mindspring.com
www.mindspring.com/~arcsphx

Enabling Romance: A Guide to Love, Sex and Relationships for the Disabled (And the People Who Care About Them), by Ken Kroll and Erica Levy Klein, No Limits Communications, 2001

Women With Physical Disabilities: Achieving and Maintaining Health and Well-Being, by Danuta M. Krotoski, Margaret A. Nosek, and Margaret A. Turk, Paul Brookes Publishing, 1996

EDUCATION

HEATH Resource Center
(800) 544-3284
www.heath.gwu.edu/ResourceGuides.htm

State departments of Vocational Rehabilitation or Education

Trade Schools, Colleges & Universities
(250) 766-2589
www.trade-schools.net

EMPLOYMENT (OR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE)

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Disability and Aging
(866) 226-1819
www.cms.hhs.gov/medicaid/consumerag.asp

Federal Employment of People with Disabilities
(202) 606-1800
www.opm.gov/disability

Job Accommodation Network
(800) 526-7234
www.jan.wvu.edu

Job-Hunting for the So-Called Handicapped or People Who Have Disabilities, by Richard Nelson Bolles and Dale S. Brown, Ten Speed Press, 2001

Medicaid Buy-In
(877) 267-2323, press 5
www.ssa.gov/work/ResourcesToolkit/Health/newbuyin.html
Or call your state Medicaid or Social Security office

Office of Disability Employment Policy
(866) 633-7365
www.dol.gov/odep
Has information about starting a business.

Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS)
(800) 772-1213
www.ssa.gov/online/ssa-545.html
Lets you set aside money toward a goal such as college expenses, supplies to start a small business or transportation, without threatening Social Security benefits.

Social Security’s Ticket to Work Program
(866) 968-7842
www.yourtickettowork.com

HOUSING

Affordable Living Focus from Fannie Mae
(800) 732-6643 (Fannie Mae’s Consumer Resource Center)
www.efanniemae.com/hcd/single_family/mortgage_products/persons_disabilities.html

Assisted Living Federation of America
(703) 691-8100
www.alfa.org

Assisted Living Info
(800) 536-2657
www.assistedlivinginfo.com

Association for Community Living
(413) 732-0531
www.theassn.org

National Center for Assisted Living
(202) 842-4444
www.ncal.org

Section 8 Made Simple: Using the Housing Choice Voucher Program to Assist People With Disabilities, by Ann O’Hara and Emily Cooper, Technical Assistance Collaborative, 2003
(617) 266-5657
www.tacinc.org/cms/viewPage.aspx?pageId=37 (Free .pdf download)

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
(202) 708-1112
www.hud.gov/groups/disabilities.aspx

KNOWING YOUR RIGHTS

Access Board
(800) 872-2253
www.access-board.gov
Also known as the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board.

ADAPT
(303) 733-9324
www.adapt.org
An advocacy organization promoting supported communities for people with disabilities.

Americans with Disabilities Act Mediation Program
(U.S. Department of Justice)
(888) 528-1609
www.ada.gov/mediate.htm

Disabled Rights: American Disability Policy and the Fight for Equality, by Jacqueline Vaughn Switzer, Georgetown University Press, 2003

Independent Living Research Utilization project (ILRU)
Directory of Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILC)
(713) 520-0232
www.ilru.org/Directory/SILC.html

National Council on Disability
(202) 272-2004
www.ncd.gov

National Council on Independent Living
(877) 525-3400
www.ncil.org

U.S. Department of Justice Disability Rights Section
(800) 514-0301
www.usdoj.gov/crt/activity.html#drs or www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/misc/disability/disrits.htm

TRANSITION

Family Village
(608) 263-5973
www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/sp/trans.html
Links to a large volume of transition-related resources.

Healthy and Ready to Work National Center
(202) 884-8650
www.hrtw.org
Resources to help youth with special health care needs transition to adulthood with health care, funding, employment and maximum independence.

The Road Ahead: Transition to Adult Life for Persons With Disabilities, ed. by Keith Storey, Paul Bates and Dawn Hunter, Training Resource Network, 2002

University of Washington
Adolescent Health Transition Project
(206) 685-1358
http://depts.washington.edu/healthtr
Free downloadable transition publications, including: Health History Summary for Teens, Adolescent Autonomy Checklist, an adolescent transition resource notebook and more (some in Spanish).

TRANSPORTATION

Call your State Department of Transportation and local Center for Independent Living (CIL) to find out about local accessible transportation options.

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