Resources for Students with Disabilities

Accessibility Information

Government Resources

 DisabilityInfo.gov provides quick and easy access to comprehensive information about disability programs, services, laws and benefits.

• Social Security Disability Programs

• Department of Education Resources:

Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education, has a variety of resources available to help blind and visually impaired students fund their education beyond high school.

• Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities 
  • Estudiantes con discapacidades preparandose para la educación postsecundaria: Conozca sus derechos y responsabilidades (Spanish version)
• We have Braille versions of the following Federal Student Aid Documents available in our office:
  • My Future, My Way: First Steps Toward College - A Workbook for Middle and Junior High Students
  • College Preparation Checklist
  • Do You Need Money for College? Federal Student Aid at a Glance 2011-12
  • Direct Loan Basics for Parents
  • Direct Loan Basics for Students
  • Funding Education Beyond High School: The Guide to Federal Student Aid:2011-2012

IRS in American Sign Language (ASL)  - This is  the official YouTube channel of the Internal Revenue Service. This channel will feature videos produced by the IRS on various tax administration topics in American Sign Language (ASL).

Another federal law that applies to the education of students with disabilities is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). That law is administered by the Office of Special Education Programs in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in the U.S. Department of Education. The IDEA and its Individualized Education Program (IEP) provisions do not apply to postsecondary schools.

• The White House

Statewide Resources for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

• Louisiana Rehabilitation Services' Vocational Rehabilitation Program  provides comprehensive rehabilitation services that go far beyond those found in routine job training programs. This frequently includes work evaluation and job readiness services; assessment for and provision of assistive technology, such as customized computer interfaces for persons with physical or sensory disabilities; job counseling services, and medical and therapeutic services
• The Advocacy Center is Louisiana's protection and advocacy system. Federal law requires that a protection and advocacy system operate in every state to protect the rights of persons with mental or physical disabilities. The organization is a tax-exempt, private non-profit corporation organized in 1978 and governed by a volunteer Board of Directors.
• The Betty and Leonard Phillips Deaf Action Center promotes the independence of the deaf, the hard of hearing and the multi-handicapped deaf in Louisiana

General Resources:

• The HEATH Resource Center of The George Washington University, Graduate School of Education and Human Development, is an online clearinghouse on postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities
• The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy has posted a series of videos which address various topics that will help young people with disabilities navigate the job search process. The videos star young professionals that either have disabilities themselves or work with college students with disabilities. These videos are intended to provide you with real-life information and personal experiences.
• The Lighthouse for the Blind (New Orleans) - The Lighthouse for the Blind is a not for profit organization dedicated to serving the blind and visually impaired community by providing quality products, services, and opportunities for independence.
• Through the Looking Glass (TLG) is a nationally recognized center that has pioneered research, training, and services for families in which a child, parent or grandparent has a disability or medical issue. TLG is a disability community based nonprofit organization, which emerged from the independent living movement, and was founded in 1982 in Berkeley, California. Their mission is "To create, demonstrate and encourage non-pathological and empowering resources and model early intervention services for families with disability issues in parent or child which integrate expertise derived from personal disability experience and disability culture."
• Bookshare's Free Online Library for Students with Disabilities
• AAPD Internships Offer Students with Disabilities Opportunity for Resume Building
• The Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University providesinformation, training, and technical assistance for parents and professionals to meet the needs of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Our mission is to improve the quality of education afforded to deaf and hard of hearing students from birth to age 21 throughout the United States
• Hearing Aids and Other Assistive Devices: Where to Get Assistance  - Please notify your counselor if you have to purchase any of these devices as we can include the cost of anything not covered by insurance or any other government program.

Emergency Preparation Resources

In an effort to better inform the community the Northeast Texas Public Health District has compiled 18 Emergency Preparedness Topics and formatted the information to be friendly to deaf, blind, and limited sight populations. The information is in video and downloadable document format for public use.There is no charge for use of the materials posted on this website.

American Association on Health and Disability - The mission of the American Association on Health and Disability (AAHD) is to support health promotion and wellness initiatives for children and adults with disabilities. One section on their website is dedication to Emergency Preparedness

Catholic Charities of New Orleans' Deaf Action Center is a community service program for people who are deaf, deaf-blind or hard of hearing. Check out their  YouTube page for videos in American Sign Language detailing what to do in case of weather-related emergencies like flash floods, tornadoes and hurricanes.

University Resources

• Disability Services
• Podcast Library

Outside Scholarship Programs

• General Resources
  •   General Disability Scholarships
  • Financial Aid for Students with Disabilities
• Learning Disability
  • Anne Ford Scholarship  -The Anne Ford Scholarship is a $10,000 award given to a high school senior with an identified learning disability (LD) who is pursuing an undergraduate degree. The ideal candidate is a high school senior who has faced the challenges of having a learning disability; is committed to completing a college degree and setting career goals; has demonstrated perseverance; embraces new opportunities; has a well-rounded perspective shaped by experiences in school, in the community, and with family and friends; understands how LD affects his/her life and recognizes the importance of self-advocacy; believes in contributing to society in a way that increases the opportunities for individuals with learning disabilities; and will feel comfortable serving as a role model for others who struggle with LD.
  • The Transition and Communication Consortium on Learning and Disabilities (TACCLD) Scholarship Program
  • The Foundation for Science and Disability Scholarship Program -
• Hearing Loss/Deafness
  • The Alexander Graham Bell College Scholarship Program
  • The Ethel Louise Armstrong Foundation Scholarship Program - The vision of the Ethel Louise Armstrong Foundation, Inc. (ELA) is to change the face of disability on the planet. In order to accomplish this vision, ELA&rsquos mission is to promote, through scholarships, the presence of women with disabilities of higher education. 
•  Visual Loss/ Blindness
  • The National Federation for the Blind - scholarships are available for students who are legally blind. The application deadline is March 31.
  • American Foundation for the Blind -The deadline for applying for AFB's 2011 scholarships was April 30, 2011
    • Other Scholarships and Grants
  • The Jewish Guild for the Blind has created an annual scholarship program for college bound high school students who are legally blind . Applications will be accepted from students at the end of their junior year, with recipients selected and scholarships awarded the following academic year. The Guild Scholar Program will award 12 to15 scholarships of up to $15,000 each.
     

"An eight-time W.C. Handy "Best Blues Instrument - Piano" award nominee, Henry Butler knows no limitations. Although blinded by glaucoma since birth, Butler is also a world class photographer with his work displayed at exhibitions throughout the United States. Playing piano since the age of six, Butler is a master of musical diversity. Combining the percussive jazz piano playing of McCoy Tyner and the New Orleans style playing of Professor Longhair through his classically trained wizardry, Butler continues to craft a sound uniquely his own. A rich amalgam of jazz, Caribbean, classical, pop, blues and R&B influences, his music is as excitingly eclectic as that of his New Orleans birthplace. "
 

Updated April 7, 2012