California Disability Resources

If anyone close to you suffers from any kind of disability, there are several essential resources in California that can offer the services required for the disabled person or refer him/her to other suitable services as well. So you need not worry much about the availability of disability resources if you live in California. Let us have a look at some of them and how they function.

The Special Education Division of California Department of Education oversees disability education services provided to kids. This division monitors school districts for compliance with IDEA and state special education regulations. The Department of Developmental Services Children and Family Services Branch provides developmental education, and speech, physical, and occupational therapies to toddlers and young kids.

The California Department of Rehabilitation helps a person with disability to live more independent lives by offering him/her education, support, and services to get him/her a job.

The California Department of Mental Health looks after mental illness, mental retardation, and substance abuse. Among its services are advocacy, nursing home screening, psychiatric services, intervention, coordination of treatment, case management, etc. If you are looking for information and referrals about disability issues, you may contact the Office of Protection and Advocacy, which is a resource database for self-advocacy, education and training in disability rights, and individual case advocacy.

Apart from the above, there are many other private disability resources in California that help people with disabilities in various ways. Access to Sailing is an organization that provides therapeutic rehabilitation to disabled children and adults, with the help of interactive sailing outings. It boosts the confidence and self-reliance of a disabled person.

The Arc of California is another institution which also helps reduction of developmental disabilities by providing education, research, and advocacy.

If anyone needs assistive technology in California, the AT Network provides information, referrals, training, and technical help to people who have an interest in and commitment to the practical and effective use of technology by people with disabilities. The Center for Independent Living (CIL) is the first organization in the world to be run by and for people with disabilities. Set up in 1972, CIL supports disabled people in their efforts toward becoming independent. The organization encourages disabled people to make their own choices.

Established in 1979, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) is a national civil rights law and policy center under the direction of people with disabilities and parents who have disabled children. Its objective is to further take forward the civil and human rights of disabled through legal advocacy, training, education, and public policy and legislative development. For those having Down Syndrome, the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles tries to help them through the development and promotion of education, counseling, employment and recreational programs and by creating more public awareness about Down Syndrome to make it more acceptable to people.

Families for Early Autism Treatment (FEAT) is a non-profit organization of parents, family members, and treatment professionals dedicated to help the autism community in northern California. There are several other disability resources in California like Independence Center, Interwork Institute, Learning Disabilities Association of California (LDA-CA), Make-A-Wish Foundation of Los Angeles, Matrix Parent Network and Resource Center, Parents Helping Parents (PHP), Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Aging with a Disability, Resources for Californians (and others) Affected by Physical Disability or Disfigurement, Soulful Child - Yoga for infants and children with special needs, etc.

• Emma Bullock
• 21/03/2009, 4:59 PM
• 0 Comments