Research Centers and Projects:

• The American Paralysis Association The American Paralysis Association is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to encourage and support research to find a cure for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders. It raises money to fund worldwide research programs. It evaluates and selects these programs utilizing councils of internationally, renowned independent neuroscientists.
• The Archimedes Project "Technology gives disabled individuals the leverage to move their worlds."
• The Assistive Technology Assistive Technology, Inc. is a premier developer of hardware and software solutions for people with physical, cognitive, and speech disabilities. Explore our website to learn more about our augmentative communication devices, speech-generating devices, assessment software, and services.
• The Center for Independent Living, Berkeley, California A national leader in helping people with disabilities live independently and become productive, fully participating members of society.... "Since 1972 we have opened doors for over 140,000 people, who were traditionally viewed only as "patients", to help them leave institutions, set up independent living situations and hold jobs."
• Centers for Independent Living: Nationwide.
• Center for Universal Design A national research, information, and technical assistance center that evaluates, develops, and promotes accessible and universal design in buildings and related products.
• The Council for Disability Rights Advancing rights and enhancing lives of people with disabilities. We offer advice and referrals to all comers. Here are the subjects we're asked about most often. Employment, Social Security Benefits, Special Education, Other Helpful Sites and Internet Resources. Practical info for do-it-yourselfers. The A.D.A. FAQ (for non-lawyers). The CDR Guide to Disability Rights (and dealing with The System). How to take action against structural barriers.
• EMACSPEAK Speech Interface The first full-fledged speech output system that will allow someone who cannot see to work directly on a UNIX system.
• Independent Living Research Utilization at The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research, TIRR A national center for information, training, research, and technical assistance in independent living.
• The Kennedy Krieger Institute A nonprofit resource for children with disabilities --hospital, research center, special education school and community programs. "We at the Kennedy Krieger Institute dedicate ourselves to helping children and adolescents with disorders of the brain achieve their potential and participate as fully as possible in family, school, and community life"
• The Low-Vision Network The world-wide-web interface for the Low Vision Research Group (LVRG), providing an Internet resource for researchers, clinicians, and others with an interest in low vision. Here you can learn about recent and ongoing research in low vision, and find links to FAQs, support groups, discussion groups, and other resources for the low-vision community.
• CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) NCAM develops strategies and technologies to make media accessible to millions of Americans, including people with disabilities, minority language users, and those with low literacy skills.
• The National Arts and Disability Center (NADC) The National Arts and Disability Center (NADC) is an information, resource and training center. The NADC is funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities and supported by the University of California, at Los Angeles. The NADC is dedicated to promoting the full inclusion of children and adults with disabilities into the visual-, performing-, media-, and literary- arts communities. The NADC is the administrative home for The Association for Theatre and Accessibility.
• The National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research To enhance the dissemination efforts of NIDRR-funded research projects and to increase the accessibility of research outcomes for the benefit of their consumers, particularly those from minority backgrounds.
• The National Center on Accessibility (NCA) Located at Indiana University's Bradford Woods, NCA provides technical assistance to organizations of all sizes who are designing and retrofitting their leisure areas and programs for accessibility. The NCA conducts, promotes, and facilitates research on issues essential to accessibility. This research shapes instruction for the nationally renowned NCA education programs conducted at the Center and throughout the United States. The NCA Staff assists organizations in all phases of development, encouraging understanding and involvement, and providing the expertise to assist those designing environments and programs to make them accessible. NCA serves organizations working to make the arts, beaches, sports, national monuments, resorts, amusement parks and playgrounds inclusive to all people.
• The National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC) A library and information center on disability and rehabilitation that collects and disseminates the results of federally funded research projects.
• The Neil Squire Foundation The Neil Squire Foundation is a Canadian non-profit organisation whose purpose is to create opportunities for independence for individuals who have significant physical disabilities. Through direct interaction with these individuals we research, develop, and deliver appropriate innovative services and technology to meet their needs.
• Policy Research Associates, Inc. PRA's special expertise lies in areas such as the relationship between the mental health and criminal justice systems; the housing, treatment and service needs of homeless people with serious mental illness; issues challenging at-risk children, youth and their families; and the causes and impacts of violence.
• Project DO-IT University of Washington The goal of DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology), is to increase the participation of individuals with disabilities in academic programs and careers.
• Project EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information) EASI's mission is to serve as a resource to the education community by providing information and guidance in the area of access-to-information technologies by individuals with disabilities.
• Pulsar Just Imagine: You are paralyzed and can move nothing but your face. Or you have some form of cognitive impairment/mental retardation. Pulsar has solutions for these problems.
• Stanford School of Medicine A robust research program has long been a defining element of the School of Medicine. On a per-person basis, our faculty receive more NIH funding than any other medical school. Our combination of scientists who pursue basic research questions and clinicians closely involved in patient care leads to innovative, fruitful collaboration. Similarly, our close ties with other departments at Stanford University result in unique joint research programs.
• State of the States in Developmental Disabilities Established in 1982 to investigate the determinants of public spending for mental retardation/developmental disabilities (MR/DD) services, the project maintains a 20-year longitudinal record of revenue, spending, and programmatic trends in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Analysis of the rich detail of the data base reveals the impact over time of federal and state fiscal policy, and illustrates important service delivery trends in the states in community living, public and private residential institutions, family support, supported employment, supported living, Medicaid Waivers, demographics, and related areas.
• Residential Services for Persons with Developmental Disabilities: Status and Trends Through 2002 (PDF) The National Residential Information Systems Project (RISP) on Residential Services of the Research and Training Center on Community Living began in 1977. It has operated on a nearly continuous basis since then. This project gathers and reports statistics on persons with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities (MR/DD) receiving residential services, both state-operated and nonstate-operated, Medicaid-funded and non-Medicaid funded programs in the United States, including residential services operated specifically for persons with MR/DD, as well as persons with MR/DD who are living in nursing homes, and state psychiatric facilities. This particular report provides such statistics for the year ending June 30, 2002, as well as comparative statistics from earlier years.
• THE RICK HANSEN INSTITUTE the "Rick Hansen Institute" was founded by Rick Hansen in partnership with the University of British Columbia. Our mission is to find a cure for paralysis and to improve lifestyle for persons with disabilities. The site also tells of Rick's historic journey around the world in a wheelchair including an interactive map. MOST IMPORTANT: we give out millions of dollars in research and rehabilitation grants.
• SAY Text-to-speech interface using ASCII/phenomes.
• Science, Engineering, and Math (SEM) Program at the Alfred du Pont Institute University of Delaware The SEM project strives to eliminate the attitudinal, physical, and curriculum barriers that cause individuals with disabilities to be under represented in SEM through a wide range of activities and research. This SEM model aims to help K-12 students, their families and teachers, college students, faculty, and employers. Most of all, we want to get people involved.
• State of the States in Developmental Disabilities Established in 1982 to investigate the determinants of public spending for mental retardation/developmental disabilities (MR/DD) services, the project maintains a 20-year longitudinal record of revenue, spending, and programmatic trends in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Analysis of the rich detail of the data base reveals the impact over time of federal and state fiscal policy, and illustrates important service delivery trends in the states in community living, public and private residential institutions, family support, supported employment, supported living, Medicaid Waivers, demographics, and related areas.
• Trace Research and Development Center The Trace Center is an interdisciplinary research, development and resource center on technology and disability at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. The mission of the Center is: "To advance the ability of people with disabilities to achieve their life objectives through the use of communication, computer and information technologies."
• United Leukodystrophy Foundation (ULF) incorporated in 1982, is a nonprofit, voluntary health organization dedicated to providing patients and their families with information about their disease and assistance in identifying sources of medical care, social services, and genetic counseling; establishing a communication network among families; increasing public awareness and acting as an information source for health care providers; and promoting and supporting research into causes, treatments, and prevention of the leukodystrophies. Leukodystrophies are a group of genetic nervous system disorders affecting the myelin sheath, which insulates the axon through which nerve impulses are conducted. The ULF is supported solely by donations.
• U.S. National Library of Medicine Huge site with many links.
• WGBH Descriptive Video Services Making television and movies more accessible to people who are blind or have low vision! Discover how you can experience television and Hollywood movies on video like you never have before with DVS!
• World Institute on Disability (WID) The World Institute on Disability is a non-profit public policy center dedicated to the promotion of independence and full inclusion in society of people with disabilities. Founded in 1983 by leaders of the Independent Living/Civil Rights Movement for people with disabilities, WID is committed to bringing policy into action.
• W3C Disabilities Page As with any new interface, challenges... sometimes barriers, are presented to people with disabilities. This site is devoted by the W3C to focus on the developments and issues as they relate to implementing accessibility to the Web for people with disabilities.