National Organizations
The following national organizations provide useful information and resources to help Iowans with disabilities and their families.
Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities: www.c-c-d.org
A coalition of approximately 100 national disability organizations working together to advocate for national public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society.
National Organization on Disability: www.nod.org
The organization’s mission is to expand the participation and contribution of America’s 54 million men, women and children with disabilities in all aspects of life. By raising disability awareness through programs and information, together we can close the participation gap.
Families USA: www.familiesusa.org
A national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to the achievement of high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.
American Association of People with Disabilities: www.aapd-dc.org
AAPD is the largest national nonprofit cross-disability member organization in the United States, dedicated to ensuring economic self-sufficiency and political empowerment for the more than 56 million Americans with disabilities.
ADA Watch: www.adawatch.org
The ADA Watch is a coalition of 75 national disability organizations and more than 300 state and local organizations dedicated to protecting the civil rights granted under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
ADAPT: www.adapt.org
ADAPT is an organization of people with a variety of disabilities who are steadfast in their advocacy efforts to make the community the place of entitlement instead of institutions. Find out everything you wanted to know about MiCASA at this site.
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law — Action Alerts: www.bazelon.org/takeaction/alerts/index.htm
Legal advocacy for the civil rights and human dignity of people with mental disability.
Disability Rights and Education Defense Fund: www.dredf.org
A national law and policy center dedicated to protecting and advancing the civil rights of people with disabilities.
Justice For All E-Mail Network Web Page: www.jfanow.org
A network was formed to defend and advance disability rights and programs in the 104th Congress. One JFA goal is to work with national and state organizations of people with disabilities to get the word out from Washington, D.C., to the grass roots.
Monday Morning in Washington, DC: www.thearclink.org/mmwdc
The Inclusion Research Institute of Washington, D.C., publishes the “free” weekly report on issues and events of importance to parents, children, and individuals with disabilities.
National Center for Learning Disabilities – IDEA Watch: www.ncld.org/content/view/274/321
A Web site devoted to monitoring the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
National Coalition of Parent Centers: www.nationalparentcenters.org
The National Coalition of Parent Centers provides information on Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRC’s) throughout the country. Parent Centers serve families of children with physical, cognitive learning and emotional disabilities.
The Arc: www.thearc.org
The Arc is an organization devoted to promoting and improving supports and services for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Arc offers Capitol Insider, an online publication with updated weekly news and information from the capitol that can be found in the site’s Public Policy section.
Other resources: