Useful Links
There are many World Wide Web (W3) sites that provide valuable
information for and about people with developmental disabilities
and the about disabilities themselves. They range from Special Interest
Groups (SIGs) and family support groups to sites providing
technical information on specific disabilities, treatments and
medication. Several of the 'linked' organizations sponsor conferences and
workshops.
Only a few links (out of thousands) are provided here
in order to get you started. Many of them link to still other
sites. It would be very much appreciated if you would pass along to me
any sites that you think parents, caregivers, service providers,
medical professionals, politicians...you name it... ought to know
about. I'd also like to know about links that are 'broken' or that
you feel are questionable. (Please
E-mail me):
- Community
Living Ontario is the Provincial 'umbrella' organization for our Association
and about 100 more like it throughout Ontario. It represents about 12,000 people with
developmental disabilities in the Province and is in turn a
member of...
- The Canadian
Association for Community Living (CACL).
- The
Autism Society of America The Autism Society of
America Home Page offers a wide range of information and supports
for families of children with autism and for service-providers.
- The National
Association for Dual Diagnosis (NADD) is a source of
information about dual diagnosis - the presence of mental illness
on top of a developmental disability. The organization is actually
an international one, since it has Chapters in Canada and more than
a dozen other countries. The prevelance of mental illness amongst
the developmentally disabled population is estimated by some
experts to be 10 to 30 times that of the general population.
- The American
Association for Mental Retardation (AAMR) is a very large
organization with a large Web site and links to a wealth of
information.
- The Arc of the
United States: A foundation that does a lot of lobbying on
issues affecting people with developmental disabilities. Some good
information here.
- The National
Fragile X Foundation: Good information on this heritable
condition, with links to many others good sites.
(Slow loading and requires 'Medium' or lower Security setting
on Internet Explorer}
- Canadian Down
Syndrome Society: A growing source of information. Working at
building a comprehensive list of links.
- "Mental
Health Aspects of Developmental Disabilities": A peer-reviewed
publication on the diagnosis, treatment, and habilitation needs of
persons with developmental disabilities and mental illness. Aimed
primarily at mental health professionals.
- The
Community Involvement Council is a southwestern-Ontario-based group that's
actually doing something about letting people with
disabilities participate in the maintream.
(Scrolling banner a distraction.)
- "Exceptional
Parent" Magazine is just what it's name says. Features ideas,
tips, resources etc. for the parents (or any caregiver) of
people with disabilities.
- TASH (The Action Starts Here) is
an advocacy group for people with disabilities. As the name implies, there's a lot going
on that professionals and family caregivers need to
know about.
- The Canadian Council on Social Development
(CCSD), itself an excellent source of information on Canadian social issues, especially
poverty, has a new 'page' called the
Disability Research Information Page (I won't tell you what the acronym is). If it's
up to the standard of the rest of the site you wont want to miss it.
- Learning
about Intellectual Disabilites and Health. A new site based in the U.K. Some new ideas
and well worth looking through it. Good family caregiver information.
(Gimmicky - wouldn't be considered 'Accessible'. Slow loading and requires
'Medium' or lower Security setting on Internet Explorer}
- The Accessible Employment Resource Centre
(AERC) is a walk-in center that does just what the name says...provides
the resources to help people with accessibility issues to seek employment.
- jobStart helps to prepare people
with disabilities for employment.
- Wawanosh Enterprises is the
'sheltered' vocational programme offered by Community Living Sarnia-Lambton.
It provides a variety of services and products to local - and distant - companies.
-
Accessibility Ontario. A web site set up by the Ontario Ministry of
Citizenship and Immigration in January of 2004. Accessibility is a lot more
than just 'Handicapped Parking Only' signs.
- The Ontarians with
Disabilities Act Committee has put the accessibility issue on the map in
Ontario.
Missing links? Please let us know.
