All narrative for the website descriptions has been provided by the corresponding organization.
Disability Related Information in Maine
Adaptive Equipment or Assistive Technology:
Maine CITE (Maine Consumer Information and Technology Training Exchange) Statewide program designed to help make assistive and universally designed technology more available to Maine children and adults with disabilities
Brain Injury Resources:
Brain Injury Information Network:
BIIN is working to develop and implement an integrated collaborative information system that will increase the understanding of brain injury, promote promising practices, share information between partners and ensure that individuals and their families are full participants in planning and service delivery.
BIIN is working to develop and implement an integrated collaborative information system that will increase the understanding of brain injury, promote promising practices, share information between partners and ensure that individuals and their families are full participants in planning and service delivery.
Disability Advocacy:
Disability Rights Center
Maine’s federally funded protection and advocacy agency for people with disabilities. DRC provides information about rights and service systems, referrals to appropriate services, representation of individuals at meetings and hearings, legal representation of individuals or groups, training on rights and advocacy skills, and works toward broad systems change.
Maine Association of Interdependent Neighborhoods A coalition of low-income individuals and organizations working together to gain control of their living conditions.
Maine Center on Economic Policy Advances public policies that help Maine people prosper in a strong, fair and sustainable economy through high-quality research, analysis, citizen education, and coalition building
Maine Civil Liberties Union Advances and preserves civil liberties of Maine people through litigation, advocacy, public education and lobbying
Maine Equal Justice Partners Advocates on behalf of low-income people in the areas of health care, food assistance, income supports, employment, and education and training by providing a voice for low-income people through representation in the courts, the Legislature, and administrative agencies; legal policy research and analysis; and education and training about their legal rights and opportunities to participate in public policy reform
Maine Human Rights Commission Enforces Maine anti-discrimination laws by investigating complaints of unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, education, access to public accommodations, extension of credit, and offensive names
Speaking Up For Us Work to support local and statewide self-advocacy organizations to network with each other and with national organizations
Arts:
VSA arts of Maine Provides arts, educational and cultural opportunities for children and adults with disabilities in Maine
Blind/Visual Impairments:
The Iris Network: Purpose is to empower persons with vision loss to attain their self-determined level of independence and integration into the community; to provide rehabilitation, training, education and other related services for individuals, their families and other support systems; and to be a resource regarding issues related to vision loss within the state of Maine
Cerebral Palsy:
United Cerebral Palsy of Northeastern Maine: Advancing the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with disabilities who have multiple needs. UCP supports children and adults with disabilities to overcome challenges, achieve goals, and lead productive, fulfilling lives. This private, non-profit agency based in Bangor addresses the specific needs of people with disabilities through a range of services: early childhood education/intervention; day habilitation services; case management; residential services; respite care; and behavioral health services.
Children’s Resources/Services:
Maine Children’s Alliance: Provides a strong, powerful voice for children, youth and families and leadership to create or change policy on their behalf
Deaf/Hard of Hearing:
Maine Center on Deafness: MCD serves people in Maine who are D/deaf, late-deafened or hard-of-hearing (D/HoH/LD) by: providing equipment, information, and resources; advocating for civil rights, social equity, and community inclusion; and helping the general public to better understand and appreciate D/HoH/LD culture and communication.
Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: Provide and support comprehensive educational programming aligned with state performance standards, affording opportunities for all deaf and hard of hearing students to excel in positive learning environments where they are challenged and inspired to achieve their maximum potential.
Education:
STRIVE: Provides assistance to young adults (ages 15-24) with disabilities in improving fundamental academic skills, developing leadership potential, improving economic opportunities through continuing education, enhancing or upgrading work skills, integrating literary and social skills into occupational/vocational opportunities, fostering career opportunities through education and training, and promoting peer support for parents and siblings of this young population
University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies: Offers education in Disability Studies through classroom, on-line, workshop and conference settings; contributes to and advances the knowledge base in disability studies, community services, and scholarship, and dissemination through on-going research and evaluation; and enhances the capacity of individuals, communities, organizations, and state systems to create services and supports for individuals with disabilities, which reflect current and emerging best practices of inclusion, interdependence, self-determination, cultural competence, and respect for the inherent abilities of each person to contribute to society
Employment:
Maine’s CHOICES Comprehensive Employment Opportunities Project: Project to create more opportunities for people with disabilities who want to enter the workplace, and enhance the experience of those who are part of the workforce.
Health Care:
Consumers for Affordable Health Care: Work to promote the message in the legislature and throughout the state that every person in the state of Maine should have access to high quality
Housing:
Coastal Enterprises Inc. Increases affordable housing opportunities for people with lower incomes by creating, constructing, rehabilitating and managing affordable housing; helping people build assets through homeownership; providing housing education and counseling; and developing targeted programs and housing advocacy networks to support Maine people
Independent Living/Community Involvement:
Ability Maine: On-line news magazine and resource guide for people with disabilities
Access Maine: A collection of many useful links, short "tip sheets" that offer helpful hints, and toolkits on various topics to assist Mainers with disabilities, their families, and providers
Alpha One: Provides independent living services through information and referral, outreach, advocacy, one-to-one and group peer support, consumer directed personal assistance services, assistive technology financing, access design, independent living skills instruction, adaptive driver assessment, and Alpha One Medical wholly owned subsidiary
Maine Association of Interdependent Neighborhoods: A coalition of low-income individuals and organizations working together to gain control of their living conditions
Maine Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC): A federally mandated council whose membership is composed of no less than 51% of people with disabilities; The council is responsible for developing, monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the implementation of the State Plan for Independent Living and communicating with the State Rehabilitation Council about activities that address the common needs of specific disability populations and issues under federal laws
Legal Services:
Maine Civil Liberties Union: Purpose is to advance and preserve civil liberties of Maine people through litigation, advocacy, public education and lobbying
Maine Equal Justice Partners Advocates on behalf of low-income people in the areas of health care, food assistance, income supports, employment, and education and training by providing a voice for low-income people through representation in the courts, the Legislature, and administrative agencies; legal policy research and analysis; and education and training about their legal rights and opportunities to participate in public policy reform
Pine Tree Legal Assistance: Provides free legal services to low-income residents of Maine.
Volunteer Lawyers Project: Coordinates the volunteer efforts of Maine attorneys and community volunteers to help low-income people access the civil justice system
Learning Disabilities:
Learning Disabilities Association of Maine: Provides information about learning and attention disabilities, special education law, and the American with Disabilities Act, referrals to community and national resources and outreach, face-to-face, telephone and e-mail consultation, on-site and by mail lending resource media center with thousands of items for members, parent and adult leadership and mentoring groups, professional development for schools, employers ,and community providers, and parent involvement assistance for schools aimed at increasing positive student outcomes
Mental Health:
National Alliance on Mental Illness, Maine Chapter: Provides peer and family support, an information help line, respite care for caregivers of adults, training and education, a state-wide resource directory, individual assistance with concerns and problems, and oversight of policy-making that affects mental health and substance use services
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis Society, Maine Chapter Serves approximately 3000 people in Maine who have MS and their families. They offer information and referral, educational programs, social programs, self help groups, peer support, some financial assistance and care management
Parent Resources
Autism Society of Maine: The Autism Society of Maine is a nonprofit organization that reaches out to the entire state. It serves individuals with autism and their families, professionals, and communities by providing education, advocacy, referrals, and resource development like current information in support of informed choice of treatments and services..
GEAR Parent Network Family support network focusing on the emotional, behavioral, mental and social health of all children, youth and their families. G.E.A.R. empowers parents to make effective life decisions based on their family’s individual strengths and needs by providing safe avenues for emotional support, problem solving, sharing common experiences, seeking knowledge about community resources and advocacy and accessing information and education related to their children’s issues.
Maine Parent Federation Through their projects, individuals can receive information about: specific disabilities, parenting issues, education, services, support groups and other resources available to assist families and professionals within the home, school and community. MPF also offers one-on-one telephone support, a lending library of books and videos and parent workshops. A home visiting program is in Kennebec and Somerset counties.
Mainely Parents: Dedicated to helping parents help themselves and their families by strengthening parent/child relationships through parent to parent support, education and advocacy
Parent Resource Center: Provide empowerment for parents to reach their full potential through support, education and a sense of community thereby reducing the incidence of child abuse and neglect with services which enhance and strengthen the quality of family life and help parents to become the primary advocates for their children
Southern Maine Parent Awareness: Provides parents with a better understanding of special education and their child’s needs through information about special education and disabilities; referrals to community resources; individualized telephone and email consultation; individualized family conferences; assistance in preparing for ECT/IEP meetings; parent-to-parent connections; and workshops on topics of special interest Pervasive Development Disorder/Autism Spectrum Disorder
Recreation
Northeast Passage: Nationally recognized leader in the provision of innovative therapeutic recreation services. Northeast Passage delivers disability-related health promotion and adapted sports programs throughout New England. Northeast Passage is a program of the University of New Hampshire’s College of Health and Human Services and is an affiliate of Disabled Sports USA.
Special Olympics Maine: Provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community
National Theatre Workshop for the Handicapped, Maine Campus: www.ntwh.org/index.php?globalnav=about§ionnav=maine
State Agencies/Public Instrumentalities
Maine Department of Education, Special Services: http://maine.gov/education/speced/index.htm
Maine Department of Health and Human Services,
Bureau of Medical Services: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/bms/"
Children’s Mental Health Services: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/cshn/
Bureau of Elderly & Adult Services"http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/beas/
Maine Department of Labor, Bureau of Rehabilitation Services: http://www.state.me.us/rehab
Maine Mental Health Services
www.maine.gov/dhhs/health.shtml#mentalhealth
Maine State Housing Authority
www.mainehousing.org
National Links
ABILITYAwareness is a non-profit organization dedicated to building a world of inclusion for people with health conditions and disabilities. ABILITY Build is a hallmark program which engages volunteers with health conditions and disabilities to build accessible low-income homes. www.ABILITYAwareness.org
The ABILITYJobs website includes the largest stand-alone resume bank for people with disabilities. ABILITYJobs helps companies fulfill their affirmative action compliance requirements and is committed to expanding awareness about this job site to as many companies as possible. www.ABILITYJobs.com
ABILITYMagazine is the largest magazine in the U.S. covering disability issues. It is an award-winning publication, distributed by Time-Warner, with a combined online and print readership of more than one million. For nearly 20 years, their mission has been to provide new insights into individual levels of ability. From Diabetes to Spinal Cord Injury and celebrity interviews to CEO profiles, ABILITY covers the latest on Health, Environmental Protection, Assistive Technology, Employment, Sports, Travel, Universal Design, Mental Health and much more. Their writers include MDs, PhDs, JDs, best-selling authors, U.S. Senators and advocates. Cover interviews consist of Movie Stars, TV Celebrities, U.S. Presidents, First Ladies and more.www.ABILITYMagazine.com
Access-Able Travel Source: www.access-able.com
National Coalition for Disability Rightswww.ncdr.org/
Administration on Developmental Disabilities: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/add/
American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: www.aamr.org
American Bar Association Commission on Mental & Physical Disability Law: www.abanet.org/disability
American Foundation for the Blind: www.afb.org
Americans with Disabilities Act Technical Assistance Center: www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm
Associations of University Centers on Disabilities: http://www.aucd.org/
Autism Speaks: This organization funds research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increases awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocates for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.
Brain Injury Association of America: This national organization serves and represents individuals, families and professionals who are touched by a life-altering, often devastating, traumatic brain injury (TBI). The BIAA provides information, education and support to assist the 3.17 million Americans currently living with traumatic brain injury and their families.
Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy: http://www.disabilitypolicycenter.org/
Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: www.chadd.org
DifferentNeedz is the first and only dedicated website that allows the special needs community to buy and sell gently used medical equipment, therapy devices, adaptive toys and more online. DifferentNeedz.com provides an avenue for special needs individuals, families, institutions and foundations to acquire quality necessities for daily life at significantly reduced prices.
www.Different Needz.com
The Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation provides an orientation about national public policy work with and on behalf of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families
Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation
Disability World: www.disabilityworld.org
Independence Association: http://www.independenceassociation.org/
Learning Disabilities Association of America: www.ldanatl.org
Multiple Sclerosis Foundation: www.msfacts.org
National Attention Deficit Disorder Association: www.add.org
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities: http://www.nacdd.org/
National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems: www.napas.org
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/
National Center on Secondary Education and Transition: www.ncset.org
National Consortium of people with Disabilities: www.c-c-d.org
National Council on Independent Living: www.ncil.org
National Down Syndrome Society: www.ndss.org
National Federation of the Blind: www.nfb.org
National Mental Health Association: www.nmha.org
National Multiple Sclerosis Society: www.nmss.org
National Organization on Disabilities: http://www.nod.org
National Theatre Workshop for the Handicapped: www.ntwh.org/
Pacer Center: www.pacer.org
Self Advocates Becoming Empowered: www.sabeusa.org
Special Olympics: www.specialolympics.org
Though the Looking Glass: www.lookingglass.org
Trips, Inc. Special Adventures: www.tripsinc.com
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: http://www.eeoc.gov/
World Association of Persons with Disabilities: www.wapd.org