MCPL: Disability Connections

The Disability Resource Center (DRC) of Montgomery County Public Libraries is a countywide information resource for and about people with disabilities, their family members and service providers. In its role as an information service, it has compiled a list of non-profit organizations which serve people with disabilities, their family members and friends of people with disabilities. This list was organized based on the questions the library has received; it is not intended to be comprehensive. If your organization is non-profit and wishes to be listed, contact the webmaster.

Disclaimer: Montgomery County Public Libraries do not endorse or make recommendations with respect to non-profit organizations, their positions, information about research, medication, treatments or products listed through the various websites. These websites are listed primarily for informational purposes only. Website addresses are subject to change.

Adaptive Technology

AbleData
Provides information on assistive technology and disability issues in general.

American Foundation of the Blind Information Center

Family Center on Technology and Disability

Learning Independence through Computers
A non-profit computer resource center that provides opportunities for people with disabilities, their families, professionals, and members of the business community to explore adaptive technology, computer systems, software, and the Internet.

Maryland Technology Assistance Program (MD-TAP)

National Federation for the Blind Technology for the Blind

Trace Center College of Engineering University of Wisconsin-Madison
Founded in 1971, Trace has been a pioneer in the field of technology and disability.

Asperger Syndrome

Asperger Syndrome Parents Support Group
Sponsored by the Jewish Social Service Agency of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. This is a non-sectarian support group for parents of AS and high-functioning autism children (all ages). The group is for parents. JSSA also sponsors a number of activities including: Social Skills Therapy specifically for children with AS/PDD. Parenting Groups, and a variety of workshops on AS, ADHD, effective discipline, etc. For more information, contact: Brina Saklad, LCSW, Jewish Social Service Agency of Metropolitan Washington, (301)-881-3700 or (301)816-2686. All activities are non-sectarian (you do not have to be Jewish to participate).

MAAP Services for the Autism and Asperger Syndrome
A national nonprofit organization which provides information on Asperger Syndrome and related conditions, including Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), High Functioning Autism (HFA), Nonverbal Learning Disability (NLD), Semantic-Pragmatic Disorder, Hyperlexia.

Yale Child Study Center-Autism Group

Attention Deficit Disorders

Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorders
A support network and an information resource for parents and caregivers who have children with attention deficit disorders.

Jewish Social Service Agency
JSSA is a non-sectarian agency that provides counseling and therapy, hospice and home care, elder care, career services, adoption services and services for individuals with disabilities.

The Treatment and Learning Centers
The Treatment and Learning Centers is a non-profit organization which enables children and adults to develop their full potential, to communicate effectively with others, and to achieve educational and vocational success.

Autism

Autism Online, Inc.
Provides information in many languages about ABA and autism. Proceeds are given to various autism research organizations.

Autism Society of America
Promotes lifelong access and opportunities for persons within the autism spectrum and their families, participating members of their communities through advocacy, public awareness, education, and research related to autism.

Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children

Families for Intensive Autism Treatment (FIAT)
10130 Clearspring Road
Damascus, MD 20872
(301) 419-8037 mdfiat@aol.com

Maryland statewide non-profit parent organization dedicated to providing information and support to families implementing behavioral intervention programs for young children with autism or related disorders.

Medline's Autism Page

Respite Services of Montgomery County
Provides occasional, short-term physical and emotional relief to families caring for adults with developmental disabilities, children or adults with developmental disabilities, children with challenging behaviors and frail seniors.

Yale Child Study-Autism Group

Blindness/Low Vision

American Foundation for the Blind
Addresses the critical issues of literacy, independent living, employment, and access through technology those who are blind or visually impaired.

Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind

Low Vision Information Center
A nonprofit organization that helps people with low vision maintain their independence.

Maryland School for the Blind

Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

Metropolitan Washington Ear Radio Reading Service
Provides reading and information services for blind, visually impaired and physically disabled people who cannot effectively read print, see plays, watch television programs and films, or view museum exhibits.

Montgomery County Public Schools Vision Program

National Federation for the Blind
Provides public education about blindness, information and referral services, scholarships, literature and publications about blindness, aids and appliances and other adaptive equipment for the blind, advocacy services and protection of civil rights�

NFB Newsline
Blind persons use NFB Newsline® to read selected local and national newspapers.

Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic
An educational resource, enabling those with print disabilities complete their educations, advance their careers, and gain self-esteem.

Vision Connection
An interactive global Internet portal for people who are partially sighted or blind, the professionals who work with them, the families and friends who support them, and anyone looking for the latest information on vision impairment, its prevention and vision rehabilitation.

Braille

Aurora Ministries/Audio Scripture Ministry
Aurora Ministries, through its Audio Scripture Ministry, seeks to provide the Bible on cassettes to every sight-impaired and print-handicapped person free of charge.

BookShare

Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind
Community Braille classes.

JBI International (formerly Jewish Braille Institute of America)
Seeks the integration of Jews who are blind, visually impaired, reading disabled and physically handicapped in the Jewish community and society in general. JBI assists customers who wish to participate in the religious, educational, cultural and communal life of the Jewish people.

Jewish Heritage for the Blind
A non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization under the Internal Revenue Code, provides a multitude of services for the blind and visually impaired across the United States and overseas. One of its main functions is to print and distribute reading materials for children and adults with limited vision in large print and in braille, completely free of charge.

Seedlings Braille Books for Children

Building and Facilities Accessibility

Access Board

Camps

Kamp A-Kom-plish
As an inclusive camp, Kamp A-Kom-Plish promotes the involvement of all children in general camp sessions and Terrific Teen Program. With extra support staff, campers with special needs have the chance to participate in the same activities that other children do.

The League @ Camp Greentop
Established in 1937, Camp Greentop is one of the oldest residential camps specifically designed for children and adults with physical and multiple disabilities.

Captioning Resources

Captioned Media Program
Provide all persons who are deaf or hard of hearing awareness of and equal access to communication and learning through the use of captioned educational media and supportive collateral materials. The CMP also acts as a captioning information and training center.

National Captioning Institute
A nonprofit corporation whose primary purposes are to deliver effective captioning services and encourage, develop, and fund the continuing development of captioning, subtitling, and other media access services for the benefit of people who require additional access to auditory and visual information.

NTID Caption Center

Rochester Institute of Technology/Educational Technology Center

WGBH Boston

Child Care

Locate: Child Care Enhanced Services
The Special Needs Enhanced Service offers free assistance to parents of children with special needs by identifying child care options for them throughout the state of Maryland.

Children with Disabilities

EdLaw

Families Together-National Capital Region: Serving families who have a child with a disability
A non-profit corporation serving families who have a child with a disability, its mission is to strengthen family unity through programs that focus on education and recreation for the entire family.

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

Parent Connection

Wrightslaw
Includes information, articles, cases and newsletters about advocacy for children with disabilities and special education law in the Wrightslaw Advocacy and Law Libraries.

Counseling

Cued Speech

Maryland Cued Speech Association

National Cued Speech Association

Deaf

Alexander Graham Bell Association
Focuses specifically on children with hearing loss but does address topics impacting people of all ages, providing ongoing support and advocacy for parents, professionals and other interested parties.

Cerebral Palsy and Deaf Organization

Deaf Abused Women�s Network

Gallaudet University

Maryland Association for the Deaf
Safeguards, maintains and advances the civic, educational, and social welfare of people who are deaf and hard of hearing in the State of Maryland.

Maryland Relay Service

Maryland School for the Deaf

Metropolitan Washington Deaf Community Center Promotes the welfare of deaf persons, be they social, cultural, civic, and/or recreational

Montgomery County Association of the Deaf

Montgomery County Association for Hearing Impaired Children
A group of parents, professionals, and friends who are dedicated to promoting an environment that will encourage the development and achievement of our children. For more information, contact MCAHIC at P.O. Box 6610, Silver Spring, MD 20916 or Debbie Hartman-phone 301-428-9644; email agiftforu@aol.com

Montgomery County Public Schools, Programs for Students Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

National Association for the Deaf

Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc. (TDI)

TDI is a national advocacy organization focusing its energies and resources to address equal access issues in telecommunications and media for four constituencies in deafness and hearing loss, specifically people who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, late-deafened, or deaf-blind.

Deaf-Blind

American Association for the Deaf-Blind

Metro Washington Association of the Deaf-Blind

National Federation for the Blind-Deaf-Blind Division

Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc. (TDI)
TDI is a national advocacy organization focusing its energies and resources to address equal access issues in telecommunications and media for four constituencies in deafness and hearing loss, specifically people who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, late-deafened, or deaf-blind.

Early Intervention and Children with Disabilities

Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children
Offers behavioral treatment for young children with autism ages 24 months to 5 years. The program immerses the child into learning the language and social skills that most children not disabled with autism learn naturally from their environment.

The Family Works
A community-based nonprofit organization has delivered services to families, child care providers, educational professionals and others who work for the well-being of children.

Maryland Infants and Toddlers Association

Emergency Preparedness

Disability Info
Disability Info provides information of interest to people with disabilities, their families, employers, service providers and other community members

United States Access Board

U.S. Department of Justice

Employer Resources

Employer Assistance and Recruiting Network (EARN) Office of Disability Employment Policy

Employment Resources

Abilities Network
Services are tailored to support each person to live, work, and socialize and to encourage the highest level of participation of each person in his/her community.

Davis Memorial Goodwill Industries, Inc.
Serves individuals with physical, emotional, or mental disabilities. Training for employment. Must be at least 16 years of age.

Discovering Options
Among the many services it provides, it offers workplace accommodation, retraining or vocational counseling, and job placement assistance.

DORS (Division of Rehabilitative Services, State of MD Department of Education)
Provide career decision making, counseling, vocational training, job placement (including supported employment) and referral.

Excel! Networking Group
Seeks to enhance the self-determination and advancement of people with disabilities in the Washington metropolitan area who will form an active network of members with the goal of developing employment and professional opportunities, promoting education about disability, and reinforcing positive public attitudes about people with disabilities.

HEATH (Clearinghouse of Higher Education)
National clearinghouse on postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities. Also, provides information on educational support services, policies, procedures, adaptations, and opportunities at American campuses, vocational-technical schools, and other postsecondary training entities.

Hire Deaf
Lists job openings.

Icon Community Services
A non-profit organization established in 1985 through a federal, state, and local initiative, it is dedicated to the development of employment opportunities for people with disabilities who have traditionally been excluded from the workforce.

Independence Now
Cathy Raggio, Executive Director 1400 Spring Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910

301-587-4162 (V/TTY) Montgomery County
301-277-2839 (V/TTY) Prince George's County
Maryland Relay: 711 Maryland Residents
1-800-735-2258 (out of State)
301-588-3951 (FAX)

E-mail: agaither@innow.org
E-mail C. Raggio: craggio@innow.org

Jewish Vocational Services

Job Accommodation Network
Free consulting service that provides information about job accommodations, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the employability of people with disabilities.

The Lab School of Washington
Small evening classes for students with learning disabilities with average or above average intelligence who wish to improve skills, upgrade career, or return to college. A variety of courses also include preparation for GED exams.

Montgomery Youth Works
Provides youth with meaningful training and job opportunities aimed at facilitating a successful transition from school to work and to contribute to workforce development in Montgomery County.

Montgomery Works
Provides a One-Stop Online delivery system that simplifies access to workforce-related services.

Operation Job Match
Operation Job Match provides services for persons with many adult-onset physical disabilities and illnesses. Services include career counseling, disability adjustment counseling; resume development assistance, interview and job-search assistance, and information and guidance regarding workplace disability disclosures and requests for job accommodations.

TransCen, Inc.
Not-for-profit organization founded in 1986 to assist at-risk youth and other disenfranchised jobseekers secure integrated employment within the community.

Government

Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Government

DisabilityInfo.gov

Handicap Parking and License Plates

Maryland Motor Vehicles Administration

Hearing Loss

Hearing Exchange

Hearing Loss Association of America

Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc. (TDI)
TDI is a national advocacy organization focusing its energies and resources to address equal access issues in telecommunications and media for four constituencies in deafness and hearing loss, specifically people who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, late-deafened, or deaf-blind.

Health

Health Information Center

Housing

AARP

ADA Standards for Accessible Design

Center for Universal Design

The Department of Housing and Community Affairs
Lists special apartment buildings for the elderly and the disabled.

DisabilityGuide
DisabilityGuide is the Washington, DC metro area's online disability information resource.

Disability Info

Fair Housing Accessibility First

Home-Access
Focuses on strategies to expand housing choices statewide for low-income individuals with developmental and/or physical disabilities.

Infinitec (Infinite Potential through Assistive Technology)

National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification

Wheelchair Accessible Home Clearinghouse

Late Deafened Adults

Hearing Exchange

Hearing Loss Association of America

Late Deafened Adults

Maryland Relay Service

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
Conducts and supports biomedical and behavioral research and research training in the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language.

Self Help for the Hard of Hearing

Washington Area Group for the Hard of Hearing (WAGHOH)
A local, consumer-oriented, nonprofit,and a volunteer organization in the greater Metropolitan Washington Area which promotes Better Communication for Hearing Impaired Persons and offers support to its members through meetings, newsletters, workshops, and community activities. For more information, contact WAGHOH at P.O. Box 6283 Silver Spring, MD 20916, Phone (voice and TTY): 301-460-0906

Law Resources

ADA Information Center for the Mid-Atlantic Region

EdLaw
EDLAW, a nonprofit organization, was established to provide assistance on a systemic level to attorneys who represent parents of children with disabilities.

Fair Housing Accessibility First

Maryland State Law Library

United States Access Board
An independent Federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities, which develops and maintains design criteria for the built environment, transit vehicles, telecommunications equipment, and for electronic and information technology.

U.S. Department of Justice Americans with Disabilities Act

Wrightslaw
Includes information, articles, cases and newsletters about advocacy for children with disabilities and special education law in the Wrightslaw Advocacy and Law Libraries.

Learning Disabilities

LD Online

Learning Disabilities Association of Montgomery County, MD, Inc.

Learning Disabilities Association of America

National Information Center on Handicapped Children and Youth

Wrightslaw
Includes information, articles, cases and newsletters about advocacy for children with disabilities and special education law in the Wrightslaw Advocacy and Law Libraries.

Mental Health

Mental Health Association of Montgomery County
Promotes mental health and wellness, and supports those with mental illness, by sponsoring and implementing advocacy, education and community service programs.

Mental Retardation

The ARC

Down Syndrome Network of Montgomery County, Maryland
An organization of families with a child with Down Syndrome, adults with Down Syndrome, medical professionals and others who serve people with Down Syndrome, and government service providers. Offers social and networking opportunities for parents; supports new and expectant parents of babies with Down Syndrome; provides speakers on related topics.

Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council

National Information Center on Handicapped Children and Youth

The Resource Network
Provides resources throughout the state of Maryland on developmental disabilities for consumers, families, and professionals throughout the state of Maryland.

Occupational Therapy

Physical Disabilities

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association

Cerebral Palsy and Deaf Organization

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Maryland Parkinsons Disease Center

Spinal Cord Injury Network

United Cerebral Palsy of Prince George's and Montgomery Counties, Inc.

Physical Therapy

Postsecondary Education

The George Washington University HEATH Resource Center-
A national clearinghouse on postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities.

Reading in Alternative Formats

Assistive Media
Provides audio access to reading materials for anyone with a reading access barrier.

Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

Newsline

Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic

Recordings for Recovery
Founded as a non-profit music Library in 1958, it acts as a lending library of music tapes starting from the 1900's to the present for people with disabilities or persons who are homebound.

Talking Pages
A non-profit web-based lending library that lends audio books to those who have macular degeneration or other vision problems.

Recreation

Black Rock Center for the Arts Special Needs Education Schedule
Offers Visual Arts and Dance classes for children and adults.

The Department of Recreation
Offers a wide variety of energizing and enjoyable programs specifically designed for adults at least 55 years of age who wish to maintain healthy and fulfilling lives.

Seniors

Arts for the Aging
Provides artistic outreach services to psychologically and physically impaired seniors in senior day care centers and not-for-profit nursing homes in the Washington, DC area.

Aging and Disability Services, Department of Health and Human Services

Websites for Seniors
Selected websites on many topics including health, housing, elder law, insurance, and more.

Senior and Disabled Transportation (see Transportation)

Sensory Integration

Sign Language

American Sign Language Browser

Area Sign Language Classes

ASL Dinner, Washington DC Metro

ASL Fingerspelling Quiz

ASL Fingerspelling/Games

Speech Therapy

Sports

Achilles Track Club
Enables people with all disabilities to participate in mainstream athletics, to promote personal achievement, enhanced self esteem, and the lowering of barriers between people.

Disabled Sports USA
A national nonprofit, 501(c)(3), organization established in 1967 by disabled Vietnam veterans to serve the war injured. DS/USA now offers nationwide sports rehabilitation programs to anyone with a permanent physical disability.

USA Deaf Sports Federation
Recognized as the only national athletic association to coordinate the participation of American deaf and hard of hearing individuals in international competition, the USADSF has been affiliated with the Comit� International des Sports des Sourds (CISS) since 1948 and hosted the World Games for the Deaf in 1965, 1975, 1985. The USADSF is also affiliated with the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

Telephone Communications

Maryland Relay
A public service provided by the State enables people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf/Blind, or Speech Disabled to communicate by TTY (text telephone) with any standard telephone user.

Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc. (TDI)
TDI is a national advocacy organization focusing its energies and resources to address equal access issues in telecommunications and media for four constituencies in deafness and hearing loss, specifically people who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, late-deafened, or deaf-blind.

Theatre Access

Arena Stage

Bethesda Academy of Performing Arts (BAPA)
Deaf Access Company

Accessibility Theatre Program at BAPA

Insight Cinema

Cultural Access Program
Lists upcoming interpreted theatre performances for deaf and hard of hearing people.

Kennedy Center

Metropolitan Washington Ear Radio Reading Service

Transportation Services for Seniors & Persons with Disabilities

Architectural Barriers Act of 1968

DisabilityGuide

Disability Info

Montgomery Transportation Options for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities

WMATA
A user-friendly service for senior citizens and persons with disabilities

Tutoring

The Kingsbury Center

The Lab School of Washington

Learning Disabilities Association of Montgomery County
See under Education, Tutor Referral List