Florida TechNet

Resources for Adults with Disabilities

Minnesota's LD Portal
http://mn.abedisabilities.org (linked with permission)
Over the years, the Minnesota ABE office has provided considerable professional development resources to address the needs of adult learners with disabilities (of all kinds) and specifically the needs of adult educators who serve ABE eligible adults with disabilities. Their supplemental services provider has recently developed a superb, acclaimed, and fully accessible website that provides ABE educators with a comprehensive array of resources, information, teaching strategies, (and other bells and whistles) within this important topic.

Quick Reference Guide
Intake Procedures for Serving with Adults with Disabilities in AE Programs (Quick Reference Guide)

Assistive Technology

Care - Resources for People with Special Needs
http://www.care.com/special-needs-p1162.html
Special Needs Resources and Articles

http://www.tamcec.org/
Technology and Media Division (TAM)
TAM is the official division of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) that works to promote the availability and effective use of technology and media for individuals (children and adults) with disabilities who are gifted.

http://main.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/mag/
Descriptive Video Service
WGBH, 125 Western Avenue, Boston, MA 02134
(617) 300-5400, Fax: (617) 300-1026
This is a national service that makes visual media accessible to people with disabilities.

http://tinyurl.com/ny9pa7
Assistive Technology
This is a full text article of Meeting the Needs of Adults with Learning Disabilities, by Adrienne Riviere, as reprinted in the Summer 1996 issue of LDOnline.

http://www.freedomscientific.com/
Freedom Scientific
Learning Systems Group (LSG), NASA Ames Moffett Complex, Building 23, P.O. Box 215, Moffett Field, CA 94035-0215
(888) 223-3344, Fax: (650) 603-8871
Freedom Scientific's WYNN software helps learning disabled individuals read, write, study and comprehend more easily. The software scans, reads aloud, edits, writes, looks up, etc.

http://www.resna.org/
1700 N Moore St, Suite 1540, Arlington, VA 22209-1903
(703) 524-6686, Fax: (703) 524-6630 TTY: (703) 524-6639
The Technical Assistance Project provides assistance to the Assistive Technology (AT) Act Grantees to reduce barriers and increase access to AT devices and services for consumers with disabilities of all ages. This project will also provides technical assistance in the areas related to universal design, state procurement actions and funding of AT.

http://www.mathtalk.com/
Metroplex Voice Computing, Inc.
P.O. Box 121984, Arlington, TX 76012
Fax: (817)-543-1103
Metroplex provides training, customized programming and workshops/seminars for speech recognition including a voice-activated, on-screen math computing software program designed to not need the keyboard or mouse.

http://www.neo-direct.com/intro.aspxl
AlphaSmart, Inc.
20400 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite 300, Cupertino, CA 95014
(888) 274-0680
AlphaSmart develops and markets technology solutions for the education market. The AlphaSmart word processor is a portable, lightweight word processor that saves information automatically.

http://www.abledata.com/abledata.cfm?pageid=19327&ksectionid=19327
ABLEDATA
This is a federally funded project designed to provide information on assistive technology and rehabilitation. It is sponsored by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), which is part of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) of the U.S. Department of Education. The ABLEDATA database contains information on more than 27,000 assistive technology products including a detailed description of each product including price and company information.

http://www.learningally.org/
Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic National Headquarters:
20 Roszel Road, Princeton, NJ 08540, (609) 452-0606
Florida Unit: 6704 SW 80th Street, Miami, FL 33143
(305) 666-0552, (800) 535-0552 (Florida only)
Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, changed its name in 1995 to recognize and to serve all people with "print disabilities" - those who can't effectively read standard print because of a disability. Today, they serve more than 91,000 members worldwide, distributing 238,543 titles in 2000. More than 70 percent of their membership is recognized with learning disabilities.

http://www.infogrip.com/category_view.asp?option=keyboard
Infogrip, Inc.
1794 E. Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001
(800) 397-0921, Fax: (805) 652-0880
Infogrip, Inc. develops and markets products that provide people with a healthier and more productive way to interact with computers. Infogrip has been providing solutions for over twelve years to the disability, ergonomic, education and graphic design markets.

http://www.abilityhub.com/read/index.htm
Ability Hub
c/o The Gilman Group, L.L.C.P.O. Box 6356, Rutland, VT 05702-6356
(802) 775 1993, Fax: (802) 773 1604
AbilityHub.com's purpose is to help find information on adaptive equipment and alternative methods available for accessing computers. The site was created by Dan J. Gilman who has been in the Assistive Technology field since 1992. He is certified by the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) as an Assistive Technology Practitioner (ATP).

http://www.cast.org/
Center for Applied Technology (CAST)
39 Cross Street, Suite 201, Peabody, MA 01960
(978) 531-8555, (978) 538-3110 - TTY, Fax: (978) 531-0192
CAST is an educational, not-for-profit organization, founded in 1984, that uses innovative technology to expand opportunities for all people, including those with disabilities. CAST develops assistive technology and serves as a consultant to various hardware and software manufacturers. Instruction and training services are provided to teachers and other professionals at workshops and presentations nationwide. It also offers a Summer Computer Camp program at its facilities in Massachusetts. Mariner Systems, a service of CAST, adapts Macintosh computer systems to meet individual needs. Each computer system is designed for an individual by a team of professionals. In a collaborative agreement with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Programs (OSEP), CAST has established a National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum to provide a vision of how new curricula, teaching practices and policies can be woven together to create practical approaches for improved access to the general curriculum by students with disabilities.

http://www.ataccess.org/
Alliance for Technology Access (ATA)
The mission of ATA is to connect children and adults with disabilities to technology tools. It now reaches over 300,000 people with disabilities and their families each year. It also provides an extensive resource library.

http://www.closingthegap.com/
Closing The Gap, Inc.
P.O. Box 68, 526 Main Street, Henderson, MN 56044
(507) 248-3294, Fax: (507) 248-3810
Closing The Gap, Inc. is an organization that focuses on computer technology for people with special needs through its bi-monthly newspaper, annual international conference and extensive website. Published six times a year, the Closing The Gap newspaper highlights hardware and software products appropriate for people with special needs, and explains how this technology is being implemented in education, rehabilitation and vocational settings around the world.

http://www.rehabtool.com/
Rehabtool.com
P.O. Box 572190, Houston, TX 77257 (281) 531-6106
This website offers a variety of high-tech assistive and adaptive technology products, augmentative and alternative communication devices, computer access equipment, multilingual speech synthesis and voice recognition software. Visitors to the site can conduct a personal product search or subscribe to their newsletter.

http://www.interactivemetronome.com/IMPublic/Home.aspx
The Interactive Metronome® (IM) is a PC based training technology that facilitates an individual's capacity for motor planning and sequencing.

Attention Deficit Disorder

http://chadd.org/
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (CH.A.D.D.)
8181 Professional Place, Suite 201 Landover, MD 20785
(800) 233-4050, (301) 306-7070, Fax: (301) 306-7090
CHADD is a non-profit, parent-based organization that disseminates information on ADD/ADHD and coordinates more than 500 parent support groups across the country. It also publishes a newsletter, Chadderbox, filled with up-to-date information on ADD issues and a quarterly magazine, Attention, for members.

http://www.add.org/
National Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA)
9930 Johnnycake Ridge Road, Suite 3E, Mentor, OH 44060
(800) 487-2282, (216) 350-9595, Fax: (216) 350-0223
ADDA provides information and support on workplace, education, relationship and parenting issues for individuals with ADD and their families, as well as professionals, educators and counselors. In addition to its fax-on demand system, the organization sponsors an annual conference and has audiotapes of conference sessions. ADDA membership includes its quarterly newsletter FOCUS.

Educational Resources

http://edtherapy.com/
EdTherapy.com
This is an Internet resource for anyone involved with the diagnosis and educational planning of students with learning disabilities. The site provides links to educational resources, assistive technology and catalogs thousands of lesson plans.

http://adulted.about.com/cs/ldassns/?once=true&
The Adult and Continuing Education site serves adult learners and educators with links on a variety of subjects including education associations, courses and schools, events, publications, studies and statistics, learning styles and theory, older adult learners, course design, icebreakers, lesson plans, activities and materials, professional development, training and teaching tips. Also, links are provided to learning disability associations and centers supporting learners and educators.

http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/adulted/links.html#nav2
CyberLiteracy
This is New York's adult education website that provides a variety of resources to enhance adult education programs including adults with learning disabilities.

http://www.makaton.org/
Makaton
MVDP, 31 Firwood Drive, Camberley, Surrey GU15 3QD
England Makaton is a unique language program offering a structured, multi-modal approach for the teaching of communication, language and literacy skills. It is devised for children and adults with a variety of communication and learning disabilities

http://www.jwor.com/
The Language Tune-Up Kit uses the Orton-Gillingham method for children, adults, teens, dyslexics and special education, at-risk, illiterate, and ESL students, and those with learning disabilities.

http://www.awesomelibrary.org/
The Awesome Library
An "awesome library" that has learning activities by age and subject, teaching tips, information on special education - with a specific section on learning disabilities, and more.

ESOL and Learning Disabilities

http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/
National Center for ESL Literacy Education (NCLE)
4646 40th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20016-1859
(202) 362-0700, ext. 200, Fax: (202) 363-7204
The National Center for ESL Literacy Education's (NCLE) Resource Collections bring together information and resources on topics of interest to those working in the field of adult ESL. The purpose of the collections is to provide an overview of the reports, articles, organizations and other resources that are currently available on specific topics. A portion of the website is devoted to methods, research and resources for adult ESL students with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities and Adult ESL addresses a myriad of topics on the general subject.

http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/digests/LD2.html
This is a full-text article of ESOL Instruction with Adults with Disabilities by Robin Schwartz and Lynda Terrill as appearing in ERIC Digest, June 2000.

General Information

http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/specific.htm
Specific Diagnoses Card Catalog
This Card Catalog can help you find information about specific disabilities. Click the drawer with the first letter of the disability about which you want to learn and you will find a variety of resources.

http://www.ldonline.org/calendar/Id-calendar.html
Public Broadcasting System
This is the LDOnline newsletter's calendar of learning disabilities events scheduled to take place throughout the country and Canada. Dates and contact information are included.

http://www.ldonline.org/indepth/adult/index.html
This is LDOnline's newsletter devoted entirely to learning disabilities and the adult entitled, LD In Depth, Adult Issues. Learning disabilities are often thought of as a children's issue. Research has shown that learning disabilities do not disappear when one leaves school and that they can occur across an individual's lifespan. It offers an assortment of articles that examine adult issues in the field of learning disabilities.

Inspirational

http://www.cyberwink.com/ld/default.html
Don Winkler has learned to master his learning differences, which include dyslexia, dysgraphia and dysphasia. In Don's Own Words has speeches and In The News has articles that will give you insights into how he did it, and how others might do the same. Don is a national spokesperson in educating people about learning differences. He is a board member of the International Dyslexia Association.

http://accessability.co.in/community/
Utilizing the power of technology, this site focuses on learning disabled individuals overcoming all types of barriers including education, employment and social issues.

http://www.ldpride.net/
Inspired by Deaf Pride, this site has been developed as an interactive community resource for youth and adults with learning disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

Organizations

http://www.ahead.org/
Association on Higher Education & Disability (AHEAD)
P.O. Box 21192, Columbus, OH 43221
The Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) is an international, multicultural organization of professionals committed to full participation in higher education for persons with disabilities. The association has numerous training programs, workshops, publications and conferences.

http://home.sandiego.edu/~ammer/proforg%20folder/cld.html
Council for Learning Disabilities (CLD)
P.O. Box 40303, Overland Park, KS 66204
CLD is dedicated to working with individuals who have learning disabilities. Their publication, Learning Disability Quarterly, focuses on research with an applied focus.

http://www.interdys.org/
International Dyslexia Association (IDA)
8600 LaSalle Rd., Chester Bldg., Baltimore, MD 21286-2044
IDA is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and treatment of dyslexia.

http://www.floridaliteracy.org/
Florida Literacy Coalition
934 North Magnolia Avenue, Suite 104, Orlando FL, 32803-3854
The Florida Literacy Coalition encompasses a network of over 200 literacy providers. They provide current information to prospective adult students and volunteers about literacy programs available throughout the state and provide current and relevant information and resources to those who provide literacy instruction: volunteer adult literacy tutors, teachers and parents. The website contains helpful information about learning disabilities.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/index.shtml
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
NIMH Public Inquiries: 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 8184, MSC 9663, Bethesda, MD 20892-9663
Fax: (301) 443-4279
The mission of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is to conduct research on mind, brain and behavior including research regarding brain activity and its relationship to learning disorders. In addition to a very thorough website, NIMH produces a booklet entitled Learning Disabilities, which provides information on the role of research, treatment options, strategies for coping and sources of information and support.

http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/teaching/ldteach/
The Hello Friend/Ennis William Cosby Foundation
This non-profit foundation celebrates the life and fulfills the goals and dreams of Ennis William Cosby. Resources, newsletters and support services for individuals with learning differences are the focus.

http://www.ldanatl.org/
Learning Disabilities Association (LDA)
4156 Library Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15234-1349
LDA is the largest national non-profit, volunteer organization focused on advocating for individuals with learning disabilities and the only national organization devoted to defining and finding solutions for the broad spectrum of learning disabilities. The site is loaded with information about learning disabilities, resources and education.

http://www.chadd.org/index.html
Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
8181 Professional Place, Suite 201, Landover, MD 20785
(800) 233-4050, (301) 306-7070, Fax: (301)-306-7090
CHADD has an informative website about learning disabilities and a good list of resources. The organization's primary focus is representing individuals and families dealing with ADHD for education, advocacy and support.

http://www.ncld.org/
National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD)
381 Park Avenue, South, Suite 1420, New York, NY 10019
(212) 545-7510, (888) 575-7373, Fax: (212) 545-9665
The mission of the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) is to increase opportunities for all individuals with learning disabilities by increasing public awareness and understanding of learning disabilities, conducting educational programs and services that promote research-based knowledge and providing national leadership in shaping public policy.

Publications

http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/special_education
Suite101.com, Inc.
This is an online publishing company engaged in the creation, operation and maintenance of Internet-based publishing communities of readers and writers. Suite101.com was one of the first websites to engage real people ("Contributing Editors") rather than software (search engines) to find, review and publish links to the best content that the Internet has to offer. Each of the 1,500 interactive topic sites not only features articles but also discussion boards and comprehensive lists of recommended websites. The site also features a full suite of member services, including chat rooms, personal start pages and websites, web-based email and more.

http://www.larcpublishing.com/
LARC Publishing
P.O. Box 801, Milford, NH 03055
(603) 880-7691
Brody Reading: The Brody Method offers a useful tool and extensive multi-sensory practice to help readers break the barrier of challenging words. A manual explains how to use the method developmentally grades 3 - 6, remedially grades 3 - adult with dyslexia, learning disabilities and ESL.

http://www.education-world.com/a_issues/issues090.shtml
Education World/School Issues
Education World is an extensive online publication. The Special Education heading connects you to articles such as the Oprah Spotlights Learning Disabilities Documentary..

http://www.hopkins.k12.mn.us/servicesdepartments/special-services
Learning Disabilities Research and Resource Site
This site is dedicated to the advancement of practical knowledge and understanding about the world of learning disabilities. There is extensive coverage of basic information, research, support and assessment.

http://www.mindpub.com/art349.htm
Mind Publications
Article by Vijai P. Sharma, Ph.D, entitled Adults Too Have Learning Disabilities.

http://www.samgoldstein.com/node/34
This is an article by Sam Goldstein, Ph.D. entitled Emotional Problems in Adults with Learning Disabilities: An Often Unseen but Not Insignificant Problem.

http://www.ahea.org/conference/proceedings/2000.pdf
This is an article by Sandra Johnson M.Ed., M.A., entitled, Casac Adults With Learning Disabilities: A Developmental Perspective.

http://www.nifl.gov/programs/learningtoachieve/learningtoachieve.html
National Resources for Adults with Learning Disabilities
This was produced as a collaborative effort between the HEATH Resource Center and the National Adult Literacy and Learning Disabilities Center.

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/index.html?src=mr
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, Switzer Bldg., Washington, DC
20202-3583
OSERS provides information, research and resources about special learning needs. Published quarterly.

http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=About_CEC
The IDEA Practices
This website distributes a monthly email newsletter, IDEAnews. This newsletter includes: IDEA-related news briefs, upcoming conferences and events, new product and resource announcements, what's new on the IDEA Practices website and other information.

Research and Training Centers

http://people.rit.edu/easi/
Learning Disabilities Research & Training Center
The University of Georgia, Roosevelt Warm Springs for Rehabilitation This center publishes the National Informational Resource Guide with topics for adolescents and adults with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder.

http://idea.uoregon.edu:16080/~ncite/
National Center to Improve the Tools of Educators (NCITE)
805 Lincoln Street, Eugene, OR 97401
The center advances the quality and effectiveness of technology, media and materials for individuals with disabilities. It includes an extensive Table of Contents with both US mail addresses/telephone numbers and Internet access.

http://www.nichcy.org/Pages/Home.aspx
National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities
1825 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20009
Tel: (800) 695-0285
Fax: (202) 884-8441
Provides general information, resources, publications and contacts for children and adults with learning disabilities.

http://www.edu.uwo.ca/Inclusive_Education/
The Center for Inclusive Education
Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario
1137 Western Road, London, Ontario, N6G 1G7, Canada
The Center for Communicative and Cognitive Disabilities (CCCD) is a Canadian university-based center of specialization established to improve educational opportunities for students with communication exceptionalities. CCCD is dedicated to assisting students with language and learning disabilities, deafness and physical challenges to participate fully in society. The website includes links to research, assistive technology and curriculum resources.

http://www.greatschools.net/content/specialNeeds.page?fromSchwab=1
Schwab Learning Center
1650 South Amphlett Boulevard, Suite 300, San Mateo, CA 94402
Site provides information on learning disabilities and resources including books, multimedia and websites. Schwab conducts studies to understand how LD impacts the child, the parent and the family. They have combined their experience with their research in this website to empower parents.

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Florida Literacy Conference May 9-11, 2012 more info

Resources for Adults with Disabilities

Florida Literacy Conference
May 9-11, 2012
more info