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Advocacy Center |
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Partners in Education
Partners in Education is the latest addition to Partners in Policymaking's e-learning offerings. The three hour self-directed course was created to help parents of children with developmental disabilities understand and maximize the special education system. The course focuses on a child's right to a free appropriate public education, the laws that protect those rights and offers practical ways that parents can ensure that their children benefit from an inclusive education.
Making Your Case
This three hour self-study course is designed to help people with disabilities and their families create positive change through advocacy. The course helps participants understand the legislative process, the essential elements of good advocacy, identify and research personal issues, then advocate for systems change as individuals and as part of larger community efforts. The course includes opportunities to put what has been learned into practice through a series of interactive exercises.
Partners in Employment
This six-hour self-study course is designed to help people with developmental disabilities find meaningful jobs and plan a career. In this course, participants will create a resume or portfolio of their strengths, skills, and interests; learn how to network and identify potential employers; prepare for an interview; and understand the hiring process.
Partners in Time
This eight-hour self-study was created to help people with developmental disabilities, their parents, family members and friends, educators and service providers understand the history of society's treatment of people with disabilities from ancient times through the present. The course focuses on the way that people with disabilities lived, learned and worked throughout history and growth of the Disability Rights Movement. The course also introduces some of the individuals and groups whose efforts resulted in new ways of thinking about people with disabilities and their rights
A final course on Supported Living and Self-Determination will be available in late 2006.
Assistive Technology Act of 2004
Putting Technology into the Hands of Individuals with Disabilities
UPDATED: October 7, 2004
Millions of Americans with disabilities depend on assistive technology such as wheelchairs, communication tools, and other resources that help accommodate the challenges of living with a disability. Federal funding provided under the Assistive Technology Act has helped states establish systems to help individuals with disabilities gain access to assistive technology. Now, by refocusing the Act on direct aid to individuals, these funds will ensure even more individuals with disabilities have access to the technology they need.
Following is a summary of how the Assistive Technology Act of 2004 will renew federal assistive technology aid to states and help put technology into the hands of those who need it:
- Update the purpose of the Assistive Technology Act to reflect the priority of increasing access to needed devices for individuals with disabilities.
- Require states to spend the bulk of state grants on direct services for individuals with disabilities. Under the Assistive Technology Act of 2004, states would be required to use a majority of federal funds to directly help individuals.
- Create greater accountability for how states use assistive technology grants. The bill requires states to submit an application with detailed descriptions of planned activities and measurable goals relating to education, employment, telecommunication or information technology, and community living.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the program on a continual basis. The bill includes detailed criteria for the Department’s annual report to Congress to determine the effectiveness of the program.
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