Related Links

This is a list of groups of links to programs and research related to special education and disability issues. Please note that the NLTS2 study is completed and we no longer are accepting requests to add new links to this website.

NCSER and Government

OSEP National Assessments

All Disabilities

Learning Disabilities

Cognitive Disabilities

Autism and Related Disorders

ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder)

Visual Impairments

Deafness and Hearing Impairments

Speech and Physical Impairments

Emotional Disturbance

Family Supports

Youth Supports

Assistive Technology

Postsecondary Education and Employment

  • America's Career InfoNet America's Career InfoNet (ACINet) is ideal for job seekers, employers, human resource specialists, and workforce development specialists. It provides an extensive online library of career resource materials as well as national contacts for employers. The site also categorizes career information by general outlook, wages, trends, skills and preparation, and state-by-state demographics. For information that is more specifically tailored to disability and career issues, a term-search using "disability" is recommended.
  • Assessing Students with Disabilities: Transition Planning for the IEP (Transition Coalition) This site provides information and resources to persons wanting to do assessment for transition planning. Good assessment is the basis for meaningful planning for students, families, and schools as they consider transition needs and needed transition services in the IEP process. The site also provides a number of useful links to further resources in assessment, transitional services and programs, and self-determination.
  • Association on Higher Education And Disability 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 is a vital resource, promoting excellence through education, communication, and training.
  • Best Practices for Planning for the Transition from School to Adult Life for Youth with Disabilities The purpose of this site is to provide participants with a general working knowledge of best practices in transition planning for students with disabilities. This is also an opportunity to collaborate with others involved in transition planning. This site offers transition service requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act (IDEA), an overview of best practices in planning and implementing transition services, and describes hands-on experience working with exemplary transition practices with respect to the IEP document.
  • Careerjet.com: The Search Engine for Jobs This online job search site references job pages originating from company sites, recruitment agency sites and large specialist recruitment sites. Using a fast and straightforward interface, users can query this database saving them the trouble of going to each site individually. The job offerings themselves are not hosted by Careerjet and users are always redirected to the original job listing.
  • CareerOneStop A federal-state partnership, CareerOneStop is a collection of user-friendly electronic tools offering a unique solution to demands of today's labor market from the perspective of the job seeker, the employer, and the work force community. Tools include America's Job Bank, America's Career InfoNet, and America's Service Locator. Resources include information on options for work and learning, job skills, financial assistance for education/training, and job-search resources and services.
  • Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) Universal Design for Learning Resources and research to assist in the design of learning activities for all learners.
  • Center for Self-Determination This program supports the four principals of self-determination: freedom, authority, support, and responsibility. Their mission is to improve the health and health care of all Americans. This project has focused on increasing the choices for adults in managing their supports. Several states participated in this project and developed tools and practices that support persons with disabilities and promote increased control over the dollars and services that are needed for them to fully participate in their communities. Their Web site offers information, resources, practices, and links to additional self-determination sites.
  • Center for Universal Design Principles for developing products and services that are accessible to everyone.
  • Closing the Gap Information on computer technology in special education and rehabilitation.
  • CollegeView CollegeView is a free online college search service with profiles of 3,500+ colleges and universities, virtual tours, electronic applications, financial aid info, career planning tools, and more.
  • Comprehensive Degree Directory This Web site provides a comprehensive directory of degree programs and prospective career information.
  • Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTAC) DBTACs are regional centers established by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) to provide information, materials, training, and technical assistance to employers, people with disabilities, and others with responsibilities under the ADA. The centers serve as a comprehensive resource on ADA issues in employment, public services, public accommodations, and communications. Each center provides ADA information and assistance by working closely with local businesses, government agencies, and other professional networks on disability, rehabilitation, and related topics.
  • Disability Online (DOL and ETA) The Web site of the disAbility Employment and Initiatives unit at the Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. This site includes grants for individuals with disabilities, success stories, informative articles, related government news, a career center, and more.
  • Disability-Related Resources on the Internet Comprehensive list of Web sites, Usenet discussion groups, and distribution lists.
  • DO-IT: Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology DO-IT is a project supported by the University of Washington assisting youth and adults with disabilities to successfully pursue college and careers. DO-IT provides resources, publications, videotapes, and programs that support and promote the independence, self-determination, and full participation of youth and adults with disabilities.
  • Education-Portal.com This Web site is a guide to undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, career education, and online degree programs.
  • Employer Assistance Referral Network (EARN) EARN is a free, national referral and technical assistance service that connects employers with job placement professionals who can identify qualified candidates with disabilities.
  • Enable: The Person-Centered Planning Learning Site Person-centered planning involves the development of a "toolbox" of methods and resources that enable people with disability labels to choose their own paths to success; the planners simply help them to figure out where they want to go and how best to get there. In this site, you will find: an overview of the person-centered planning process, a self-study course covering the basic process involved, a quiz section to help you focus on areas you may need to cover more thoroughly, a compendium of readings and activities for you to use on your own, and various links and downloadable resources (part of the Program on Employment and Disability at Cornell).
  • Equal Access to Software and Information (EASI) Resources and training on computer access for people with disabilities.
  • FAFSA on the Web—U.S. Department of Education At this Web site, you will be able to fill out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid online, ask questions, and track the progress of your application. This Web site is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
  • FastWeb Free scholarship and college searches, plus financial aid tools and more!
  • Federal Student Financial Assistance Resources and training on computer access for people with disabilities.
  • HEATH Resource Center: Online Clearinghouse on Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Disabilities This website includes both practical information and research reports related specifically to students with disabilities in postsecondary education. Some topics and reports address issues concerning students with specific types of disabilities (i.e., psychiatric disabilities, hearing or visual impairments, brain injury, etc.).
  • Interagency and Community Systems (Transition Coalition) This helpful resource site is packed full of valuable and timely information concerning adolescents and young adults planning for a high quality adult life. Come learn about topics such as education, health and human services, juvenile justice, employment, and social security at this site, which includes great links and easy to understand explanations.
  • ISEEK ISEEK, the Internet System for Education and Employment Knowledge, is a Web-based gateway to Minnesota career, employment, education, and business development information and services. The four central areas in this site are: explore careers, plan your education, find a job, and grow your business. Although the site is specific to Minnesota, it can be a useful starting point for those in other areas to conceptualize and organize similar searches. Similarly, the site focuses on general employment and career issues, and the disability-specific information is more focused on community resources and disability studies courses.
  • The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a free consulting service from the Office of Disability Policy, U.S. Department of Labor that provides information about job accommodations, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the employability of people with disabilities. JAN represents the most comprehensive resource for job accommodations available. The site provides portals for specific audiences, and offers free publications on a wide range of accommodation ideas and resources, organized by both disability and setting. Listings include term definitions, specific strategies, examples of how accommodations have been implemented, and further resources.
  • Jobs for the Future A national non-profit organization that conducts research, provides technical assistance, and proposes policy innovation on interrelated work and learning.
  • Labor Market Information This California Department of Labor site can serve as a model for discussing local work force investment partners interested in planning and implementing regional career ladder programs. The California Cooperative Occupational Information System (CCOIS) is a partnership of state and local agencies that produces local occupational and labor market information. It includes links to labor market information by geography and publics/groups as well as career information.
  • LD In Depth: College & College Prep This is the postsecondary education area of the LD Online Web site. LD Online is a Web site on learning disabilities for parents, teachers, and other professionals. The postsecondary strand has articles written by leading experts, research findings reported by top researchers, and the latest news in the field of learning disabilities.
  • Mobility International USA Although the majority of postsecondary institutions do not offer support for students with disabilities to study abroad, there are resources for those who dream of doing so. MIUSA works to: educate people with disabilities and related organizations about international exchange opportunities; increase the participation of people with disabilities in the full range of international volunteer, study, work and research programs; advise international exchange organizations about the Americans with Disabilities Act; and facilitate partnerships between people with disabilities, disability-related organizations and international exchange organizations.
  • Monster.com This site includes job search engines, articles, and advice on such things are writing résumés and going to interviews. It also has a useful list of job profiles that include descriptions of duties and qualifications covering many jobs, from actors to zookeepers. MonsterTRAK.com, an area of this site dedicated to college students, includes further job search capabilities and preparation resources, including scholarships and a "major-to-career converter." By registering (at no cost) on the site, job-seekers can also post their résumé, request daily e-mails of job listings in areas of their choice, and/or post a networking profile that can be viewed by prospective employers. See also Monster.com Career Advice.
  • MSN Career Advice Careerbuilder.com provides job search capabilities as well as information on changing jobs, workplace issues, training and certifications, interviewing, and work/life balance.
  • Reference Points is administered by PACER Center as a technical assistance activity of the TATRA Project. The TATRA Project is funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration.
  • disABLEDperson Inc. The mission of this organization is to reduce the high unemployment rate amongst individuals and veterans with disabilities by providing an opportunity for employers to post jobs on their web site. Job seekers can also post their resumes and conduct job searches.
  • PROMOTES EMPLOYMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES What Can You Do? The Campaign for Disability Employment is a website that promotes positive employment outcomes for people with disabilities by encouraging employers and others to recognize the value and talent they bring to the workplace. The website also includes winning videos from a contest put on by The Campaign for Disability Employment this summer.
  • Workforce3 One Unveils a New Disability and Employoment Resource Web page Workforce3 One recently unveiled a new Disability and Employment Resource web page to provide employment-related resources for the workforce system. The purposes of this page are to disseminate promising practices to promote the positive employment outcomes of people with disabilities and expand the capacity of the One-Stop Career Center system to serve customers with disabilities.
  • Tools for America's Job Seekers Challenge The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced the results of its "Tools for Job Seekers Challenge". Recommendations from the public regarding its favorite online job seeking tools have been tallied and the top-rated sites in each of 6 categories - general job boards, niche tools, career tools, career exploration tools, web 2.0 and "other."
  • Going to Work: Real People, Real Jobs The Institute for Community Inclusion's Real People, Real Jobs website is a growing catalogue of success stories about individuals working in paid jobs in their communities. Through the use of innovative, front-line employment support practices, these individuals are earning money, forming networks, and contributing to their communities. Learn more about these people and the promising practices that led to their success.

Other Educational Organizations