Government and Legal Services:

• Access Board Welcome to the World Wide Web site of the U.S. Access Board, also known as the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board. The Board, created in 1973, has served the nation as the only independent federal agency whose primary mission is accessibility for people with disabilities.
• Access to Disability Data Data Resources - statistical charts, tables, and surveys. Organizations - description of InfoUse and key resources. Access Issues - Web page design guidelines.
• ADA Consultants / Network Consulting LINKS TO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING ADA RELATED ! ! !
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) "Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities".
• The Administration for Children and Families The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is responsible for federal programs which promote the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and communities.
• Administration on Developmental Disabilities Developmental disabilities are severe, chronic disabilities attributable to mental and/or physical impairment which manifest before age 22 and are likely to continue indefinitely. The major goal of the programs is a partnership with state governments, local communities, and the private sector to assist people with developmental disabilities to reach maximum potential through increased independence, productivity, and community integration. They address all elements of the life cycle: prevention; diagnosis; early intervention; therapy; education; training; employment; and community living and leisure opportunities.
• Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law The Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law is a nonprofit legal advocacy organization based in Washington D.C. Our name honors the federal appeals court judge whose landmark decisions pioneered the field of mental health law, and our advocacy is based on the principle that every individual is entitled to choice and dignity. For many people with mental disabilities, this means something as basic as having a decent place to live, supportive services and equality of opportunity.
• Center on InformationTechnology Accommodation, (CITA) Center for Information Technology Accommodations (CITA) Showcase. GSA’s Center for IT Accommodation (CITA) provides assistive technology solutions to eliminate barriers for people with disabilities. CITA’s Assistive Technology (AT) Showcase displays state-of-the-art assistive technologies and ergonomic solutions. CITA is the governments principal advocate and coordinator for Section 508 implementation that requires agencies to make information technology accessible for people with disabilities. CITA is recognized as the governmentwide policy resource for Section 508.
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services As of July 1, 2001, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) is now the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). It's more than just a new name - it's an increased emphasis on responsiveness to beneficiaries and providers, and quality improvement.
• Civil Rights Filing a complaint, Regulations, Other Resources. Your Rights Under Section 504, Your Rights As A Person with HIV Infection, AIDS, or Related Conditions, Your Rights Under the Age Discrimination Act, Your Rights Under the Community Service Assurance of the Hill-Burton Act, Your Rights Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
• Coalition to Preserve the Fair Housing Act The Coalition has been formed in response to several legislative threats to the Fair Housing Act. Chief among these is H.R. 3206, the "Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1998," which was introduced on February 12, 1998 by Reps. Charles Canady (R-FL), Brian Bilbray (R-CA) and Jane Harman (D-CA). While bills to amend the Fair Housing Act have been offered virtually every year since the passage of the landmark Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, H.R. 3206 represents a dramatic departure from its predecessors in that it embodies a broad attempt to diminish the rights of all people protected by the underlying statute.
• Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program (CSRD) The Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) program, new in 1998, will help raise student achievement by assisting public schools across the country to implement effective, comprehensive school reforms that are based on reliable research and effective practices, and that include an emphasis on basic academics and parental involvement. In establishing the program, Congress and the President recognized the potential for the wider use of proven, research-based models for comprehensive school reform. Building upon and leveraging ongoing efforts to connect higher standards with school improvement at the State and local level through Goals 2000 and Title I, this initiative will help expand the quality and quantity of schoolwide reform efforts that enable all children, particularly low-achieving children, to meet challenging academic standards.
• The Consumer Law Page "The Consumer Law Page presented by the Alexander Law Firm, specialists in consumer product liability, links to Netwide consumer interest resources, contains more than 100 consumer information brochures and articles on such topics of interest as product liability and toxic torts. An excellent and generous commercial site."
• The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) An independent, nonprofit organization of attorneys, advocates and parents established to improve the quality and quantity of legal assistance for parents of children with disabilities.
• Department of Justice ADA Settlements and Consent Agreements.
• The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Provides information on VA programs, veterans benefits, VA facilities worldwide, and VA medical automation software. The VA WWW serves several major constituencies including the veteran and his/her dependents, Veterans Service Organizations, the military, the general public, and VA employees around the world. Internet mail is also available which allows veterans to make specific inquiries and receive official responses from VA staff. In addition to providing the full Federal Benefits Manual for Veterans and Dependents, press releases and announcements of interest to veterans, a listing of current job opportunities with the VA, many of the most requested benefit application and information forms are now available to through this Server.
• Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs) Ten regional DBTACs answer technical questions, make referrals, and disseminate federally-approved information and materials. In addition, the DBTACs perform a wide range of activities to promote public awareness of the ADA. The DBTACs provide ADA training and technical assistance to covered individuals and entities in order to facilitate employment for individuals with disabilities and accessibility in public accommodations and government services.
• DisabilityInfo.gov DisabilityInfo.gov is a comprehensive online resource designed to provide people with disabilities with the information they need to know quickly and easily. With just a few clicks, the site provides access to disability-related information and programs available across the government on numerous subjects, including civil rights, community life, education, employment, housing, health, income support, technology and transportation.
• Disabilities Rights Office (DRO) Home page at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on the World Wide Web. Your FCC works hard to make sure that people with disabilities, such as individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, or those with speech or vision or other disability, get the same chance as everyone else to telecommunicate. The DRO, housed in the FCC's Consumer Information Bureau, provides technical assistance to consumers, to business and other entities on their rights and responsibilities to provide disability access and protect consumers with disabilities.
• FCC Disabilities Rights Office (DRO) Welcome to the Disabilities Rights Office (DRO) home page at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on the World Wide Web. Your FCC works hard to make sure that people with disabilities--such as a hearing, visual, speech, or other disability--get the same opportunities as everyone else to telecommunicate. The DRO, housed in the FCC's Consumer Information Bureau, provides technical assistance to consumers, businesses, and government agencies on their rights and responsibilities to facilitate disability access in the foundations and frontiers of telecommunications.
• Federal Resources for Educational Excellence Makes hundreds of Internet-based education resources supported by agencies across the U.S. Federal government easier to find. Search the resources or see them listed by subject, or for an overview of what's here, visit the site map. The FREE working group will be adding new resources and seeking to improve those here. Your suggestions about what should be added or developed -- or resources or features on this site that can be improved -- are invited!
• FindLaw Law Crawler
• Government Printing Office Access
• Governor's Commission on Disability The Commission’s goal is to remove the barriers, architectural or attitudinal, which bar persons with disabilities from participating in the mainstream of society. In order to lead full and productive lives, persons with disabilities need employment, housing, education, recreation and other opportunities now available to persons without disabilities. The Commission’s office in Concord receives over 1,000 information and referral requests per month. It responds with straight answers to persons with disabilities, service providers, legislators, and state and local officials. In an effort to eliminate barriers, the Commission provides information about the many services, laws, and regulations that affect citizens with disabilities. The Commission also publishes a weekly newspaper column, "Beyond the Barriers", and a newsletter, THE BLUE SHEET, highlighting issues of interest to persons with disabilities and their advocates.
• Health Care and the FCC This page is intended to be a resource for health care providers and others interested in FCC policy that impacts health care.
• Homeless, HUD If you are homeless, help is available! HUD, along with many other federal agencies, funds programs to help the homeless. These programs are managed by local organizations that we call "homeless assistance agencies." They provide a range of services, including shelter, food, counseling, and jobs skills programs.
• HUDCLIPS Providing clients with fast, easy access to information and resources has always been a number one priority at HUD. And now, in the information age, we are delighted to offer HUDCLIPS on the Web! This new information service offers HUD clients FREE access to HUD's official repository of policies, procedures, announcements, and other materials. HUDCLIPS (HUD Client Information and Policy System) contains full text searchable databases of the following: ALL HUD handbooks, ALL HUD notices, ALL Mortgagee, Preservation, and Title I letters, United States Code Titles 12 and 42, Code of Federal Regulations Title 24, Housing Waivers, OGC Preservation Documents, Federal Register notices, HUD Forms in PDF and GIF format, and more!!!
• Medicaid Medicaid is a jointly-funded, Federal-State health insurance program for certain low-income and needy people. It covers approximately 36 million individuals including children, the aged, blind, and/or disabled, and people who are eligible to receive federally assisted income maintenance payments.
• MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY
• National Archives and Records Administration Contains: Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Register, Privacy Act Issuances, Public Laws, United States Government Manual, Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, U.S. Congress Information, GPO Access Search Page.
• National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems Federally mandated system in each state and territory which provides protection of the rights of persons with disabilities through legally based advocacy. P&As were established to address public outcry in response to the abuse, neglect and lack of programming in institutions for persons with disabilities. Congress has created distinct statutory programs to address the needs of different populations of persons with disabilities.
• National Council on Disability (NCD) NCD is an independent federal agency making recommendations to the President and Congress on issues affecting 54 million Americans with disabilities. NCD's overall purpose is to promote policies, programs, practices, and procedures that guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability; and to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and inclusion and integration into all aspects of society.
• The National Library of Medicine Welcome to the National Library of Medicine's World Wide Web site. Every significant program of the Library is represented, from medical history to biotechnology. We hope that the resources of the world's largest biomedical library will find ever wider useful application around the nation and around the world.
• National Women’s Health Information Center (NWHIC) Welcome to the National Women's Health Information Center. This web site and toll-free call center were created to provide FREE, reliable health information for women everywhere. Browse our database for great resources or take a look through our Special Sections on topic areas like heart disease, disabilities and pregnancy. We're constantly updating our site so please check back often.
• Oklahoma Disability Law Center, Inc. The Mission of the Oklahoma Disability Law Center, Inc. is to protect, promote and expand the rights of people with disabilities and mental illness.
• People with Disabilities in the Federal Government Welcome to the People with Disabilities web page at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. We want to assist you in finding a Federal career so we have assembled links to all of the important information you need in finding a job. We have built this site to educate and inform human resources professionals, employees, managers, and people with disabilities.
• The President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID) The President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID), formerly The President's Committee on Mental Retardation (PCMR), is a federal advisory committee, established by presidential executive order to advise the President of the United States and the Secretary of The Department of Health and Human Services on issues concerning citizens with intellectual disabilities, coordinate activities between different federal agencies and assess the impact of their policies upon the lives of citizens with intellectual disabilities and their families.
• Project Vote Smart Project Vote Smart tracks the performance of over 13,000 political leaders. President, Congress, Governors, State Legislatures President, Congress, Governors, State Legislatures, Candidates and Elected Officials: Issue Positions, About Project Vote Smart/Membership/Internships, Voting Records, Voter's Research Hotline 1-800-622-SMART, Performance Evaluations, Free Publications and Reports, Campaign Finances, Political Reporters' Resources, Biographies, Other Political Links.
• Redlands Partners Oklahoma's Developmental Disabilities Network
• Social Security Administration Social Security Online, the Official Web Site of the Social Security Administration.
• Social Security and Supplemental Security Income The Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability programs are the largest of several Federal programs that provide assistance to people with disabilities. While these two programs are different in many ways, both are administered by the Social Security Administration and only individuals who have a disability and meet medical criteria may qualify for benefits under either program.
• The Special Ed Advocate At The Special Ed Advocate Wrightslaw web site, you'll find articles, cases, newsletters, and other essential information about special education law and advocacy. The Special Ed Advocate has grown into an essential reference base for parents, attorneys, educators, and advocates. Parents, educators, experts, and attorneys come here for up-to-date information about effective advocacy for children with disabilities.
• THOMAS--US Gongress on the Internet
• Ticket-to-Work and Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act Information Page.
• University of West Virginia ADA Document Center This website contains copies of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), ADA regulations, technical assistance manuals prepared by the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the United States Department of Justice(DOJ), and other technical assistance documents sponsored by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) and reviewed by EEOC or DOJ.
• U.S. Access Board (The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board) Welcome to the World Wide Web site of the U.S. Access Board, also known as the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board. The Board, created in 1973, has served the nation as the only independent federal agency whose primary mission is accessibility for people with disabilities.
• U.S. Census Bureau Disability Data.
• U.S. Department of Education Our aim for this award-winning web site, which is hosted by our National Library of Education (NLE), is to provide you with information about the offices and programs of the U.S. Department of Education (ED), education initiatives of the President and the Secretary, the full text of ED reports and publications, links to organizations we support, and more. News, FAQs & Guides, Money Matters, Secretary's Initiatives, People and Offices, Programs and Services, Publications and Products, Search!, Picks o' the Month.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services The Department of Health and Human Services is the United States government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. The Department includes more than 300 programs, covering a wide spectrum of activities. Some highlights include: Medical and social science research. Preventing outbreak of infectious disease, including immunization services. Assuring food and drug safety. Medicare (health insurance for elderly and disabled Americans) and Medicaid (health insurance for low-income people). Financial assistance for low-income families (AFDC). Child support enforcement. Improving maternal and infant health. Head Start (pre-school education and services). Preventing child abuse and domestic violence. Substance abuse treatment and prevention. Services for older Americans, including home-delivered meals.
• US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Our job at HUD is to help people find homes and to help our Nation's communities develop and thrive.
• U.S. Department of Justice Home Page Locating Department of Justice Information: Search the Justice Department WWW Server, Justice Department Organizations - By organizational structure, Justice Department Organizations - Alphabetically by organization name, Topical index, Justice Department Issues, News, Topics of Interest, Justice Department Press Releases, Other Justice Department Information Sources, Justice Department Gopher Server, Other Federal Government Information Sources, Other Federal Government WWW servers, Other Criminal Justice Information Sources, Other Criminal Justice WWW servers.
• U.S. Department of Justice Americans with Disabilities Act ADA HOME PAGE The ADA was signed into law on July 26, 1990. It contains requirements for new construction, for alterations or renovations to buildings and facilities, and for improving access to existing facilities of private companies providing goods or services to the public. It also requires that State and local governments provide access to programs offered to the public. The ADA also covers effective communication with people with disabilities, eligibility criteria that may restrict or prevent access, and requires reasonable modifications of policies and practices that may be discriminatory.
• U. S. Department of Transportation Accessibility Homepage It is the policy of the U.S. Department of Transportation to provide access to all of its programs, services and information to people with disabilities that is comparable to the level of access provided to others. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and related Departmental regulations, have made this a requirement since 1978. With the passage of recent amendments to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, we must also ensure that the Department's electronic and information technology (EIT) meets specific accessibility standards for people with disabilities, including both employees and the customers we serve, whenever we develop, procure, maintain or use EIT.
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission "The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC's) mission is to ensure equality of opportunity by vigorously enforcing federal legislation prohibiting discrimination in employment. It uses investigation, conciliation, litigation, coordination, regulation in the federal sector, and education, policy research, and provision of technical assistance to achieve this end." Includes: Facts About Employment Discrimination, Filing a Charge, Enforcement and Litigation, Technical Assistance Program, Related Sites.
• The United States House of Representatives
• The United States Senate
• The U.S. House of Representatives Internet Law Library U.S. Code (searchable) The United States Code contains the text of current public laws enacted by Congress.
• The U.S. House of Representatives Internet Law Library Code of Federal Regulations (searchable) The Code of Federal Regulations contains the text of public regulations issued by the agencies of the Federal government. Proposed regulations and regulations issued so recently that they are not yet in the Code of Federal Regulations database, may be found in the Federal Register.
• U.S. National Library Services (NLS) for the Blind and Physically Handicapped The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, provides the free loan of recorded and braille books and magazines, music scores in braille and large print, and specially designed playback equipment to residents of the United States who are unable to read or use standard print materials because of visual or physical impairment.
• Work and Disability in the United States 1998 Chartbook What percentage of people with a disability are employed?
• The Work Site Our Mission is to promote the employment of Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities by... Designing policies that make work pay. Promoting research and program innovation. Educating the public about programs and services that facilitate entry into the workforce. Partnering with other public and private groups to remove employment barriers for people with disabilities.