Important Resources & Links

Assistive Technology

Missouri Assistive Technology Project
Provides the opportunity to increase access to assistive technology for Missouri citizens with all types of disabilities, of all ages.

Freeware Home
Downloadable programs that could be helpful for individuals with various forms of disabilities.

Employment

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Applying Performance and Conduct Standards to Employees with Disabilities.

Job Point
Job Point is Mid-Missouri’s premier employment center and community development corporation. Since 1965, we have been linking people and jobs by providing career planning, skills training and job placement assistance. We specialize in preparing individuals to enter the workforce while meeting a critical need of the business community.

APSE – MO – The Network on Employment
A national organization committed to improving and expanding integrated employment opportunities, services, and outcomes for people with disabilities.

Disability Benefits 101
Disability Benefits 101 (DB101) helps workers, job seekers, students and service providers understand the connections between work and benefits. In addition to the Benefits-to-Work Calculator and the Job-to-Job Calculator, a new calculator called School and Work is now available for youth with disabilites.

A Toolkit of Resources
For independent living specialists vocational rehabilitation counselors, teachers and educators who assist young adults with disabilities in transition planning.

General Medical

Ticket to Work Health Assurance Program 
Enables Missourians with disabilities who have earned income to qualify for Medicaid.

MO HealthNet Provider Manuals
Your complete source for all MO HealthNet related services and support for the State of Missouri. Find everything you need – all from one convenient portal.

US Department of Health and Human Services
Provides information regarding HHS as the federal government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans. They provide essential human services, especially for those who are leaset able to help themselves, with more than 300 programs, covering a wide spectrum of activities.

Legal/Governmental/Non-Profit

Midwest Special Needs Trust
Created in 1989 by state statute, Midwest Special Needs Trust is a non-profit organization established for the purpose of administering special needs trusts. If properly structured and administered, special needs trusts do not affect an individual’s eligibility for benefits such as SSI or Medicaid.

Americans With Disabilities Act Information & Technical Assistance
This site can direct an individual to ADA standards regarding: employment; public transportation; telephone relay service; proposed design guidelines; education; health care; labor and housing.

United Way of Randolph County, Inc.
The United Way has brought together people and resources to build a safety net to help meet the needs of our friends, neighbors, co-workers and families.

Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
This site is an “all in one” webpage for Missouri school issues. Topics include: Curriculum, finance, certification, special education, laws, career opportunities and vocation rehabilitation.

Missouri Department of Mental Health
The three Divisions under this Department are Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Comprehensive Psychiatric Services and Developmental Disabilities. From this site, an individual can also access Network of Care.

Governor’s Council on Disability
Promotes full participation and inclusion of the nearly 1 million Missourians with disabilities in all aspects of community life by educating citizens, businesses, schools, universities and others of their rights and responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Missouri State Senate
Provides information regarding Senators, bill tracking, calendar of bills or you can listen to live debates.

Missouri State Home Page
From this page, you can find anything relevant to Missouri including: Looking up legislators or legislation; Amber Alert warnings; Lottery numbers and Homeland Security.

The Library of Congress Federal Legislative Information
Keeps citizens informed of current and past federal legislation. This site also provides information on the Supreme Court and the legislative process.

Project Vote-Smart
Provides background information on all state and national elected officials. This website includes biographical, issue positions, voting records, campaign finances and interest group ratings.

Legal Services of Missouri
Providing legal services to low income and elderly people in Missouri.

Unfinish3d Pieces
To help improve the lives of individuals and families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder. Providing the support families need through understanding the IEP process, provider resources/funding related to assistive technology/communication devices, provide resources and funding toward family and parenting trainings.

UNFINISH3D PIECES wants to change how people view Autism by spreading awareness and understanding. We want families who are comfortable to share their own personal story with others. By sharing the journey, we believe we can better give a sense of understanding of what families go through, as well as what the individual living with Autism go through on a daily basis. Every story is so different and unique, and because Autism is a spectrum disorder, this will help others understand the truth in the statement, “if you meet one person with Autism, you meet one person with Autism.”

MO-FEAT – Missouri Families for Effective Autism Treatment | Autism Speaks

Disability Specific Sites

Cerebral Palsy Guide
Cerebral palsy is a disability caused by brain damage that restricts normal movement and coordination. Each year, 10,000 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Cerebral Palsy Guide provides free educational materials, financial options, and support to help those affected by this condition.

MO-FEAT – Missouri Families For Effective Autism Treatment
An organization of parents and professionals throughout Missouri with headquarters in St. Louis. Our mission is to provide advocacy, education, support for families and the autism community and to support early diagnosis and effective autism treatment.

Fragile X Syndrome
The Fragile X Research Foundation (FRAXA), whose mission is to accelerate progress toward effective treatments and ultimately a cure for Fragile X, by directly funding the most promising research.

Hydrocephalus Association
Their mission is to provide support, education and advocacy for individuals, families and professionals.

National Organization for Rare Disorders
A site which provides information on a variety of rare disorders, including a rare disease database.

Prader-Willi Syndrome
Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (USA) is an organization of families and professionals working together to promote and fund research, provide education, and offer support to enhance the quality of life of those impacted by Prader-Willi syndrome.

Sensory Resources
Resources for raising children with sensory motor, developmental, and social emotional changes.

Tourette Syndrome
Official website of the national Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA), offering resources and referrals to help people cope with the problems associated with TS.

Other Resources

College of Direct Support
Web-based courses designed for direct support professionals (DSPs) and others who support individuals with disabilities.

National Core Indicators
NCI is a voluntary effort by public developmental disabilities agencies to measure and track their own performance.

American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Formerly AAMR)
AAIDD is the professional association run by and for professionals who support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Association on Aging with Developmental Disabilities
Develops, links, and supports opportunities and services for older adults with developmental disabilities.

CARF
CARF reviews and grants accreditation services nationally and internationally on request of a facility or program. Our standards are rigorous, so those services that meet them are among the best available.

The Council for Exceptional Children
An international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. CEC advocates for appropriate governmental policies, sets professional standards, provides continual professional development, advocates for newly and historically underserved individuals with exceptionalities, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice.

disABILITY Information and Resources
Links to disability resources on the internet.

 RxAssist – Patient Assistance Programs

Missouri Family – To – Family Resource Center
Missouri Family to Family is one network that provides three levels of support. Whether you want to become more informed, get connected or find ways to volunteer, we offer a network of support options to get you started and support you throughout your journey. Linking you to information, parent to parent support, peer support & volunteer opportunities.

Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
Dedicated to improving results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities ages birth through 21 by providing leadership and financial support to assist states and local districts.

Picture Recipes
A collection of picture recipes.

Quality Mall
A place where you can find lots of free information about person-centered supports for people with developmental disabilities.

Missouri Department of Social Services – Food Stamps

Vendors and Commercial Sites

SafeLink Wireless
SafeLink is a Lifeline-supported service, a government benefit program. Only eligible consumers may enroll in Lifeline. Lifeline service is non-transferable and limited to one per household. Documentation of income or program participation may be required for enrollment.

Advocacy

The Harvard Law School Project on Disability
The Harvard Law School Project on Disability (HPOD) works to promote the human rights of people with disabilities worldwide.

Missouri Protection and Advocacy Services
The Missouri Protection and Advocacy is a federally mandated system in the state of Missouri which provides protection of the rights of persons with disabilities through legally-based advocacy.

Missouri Parents ACT (MPACT)
MPACT is a statewide parent training and information center that serves parents of children with all disabilities. Their mission is to ensure that all children with special needs receive an education which allows them to achieve their personal goals.

Financial Assistance for Individuals/Families

The Medicine Program
This is a patient advocacy organization helping individuals and families all across America get access to up to 2,500 prescription medications available today for free or nearly free of charge through Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs).

Partnership for Prescription Assistance
The Partnership for Prescription Assistance brings together America’s pharmaceutical companies, doctors, other healthcare providers, patient advocacy organizations and community groups to help qualifying patients without prescription drug coverage get free or low-cost medicines through the public or private program that’s right for them.

UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation
The foundation provides financial assistance toward the family’s share of the cost of medical services.

Missouri Department of Social Services – Food Stamps
Food stamp application form, instructions and manual.

Missouri Department of Social Services – HealthNet
HealthNet application form, instructions and manual.

Our Favorite Books, Movies and Documentaries About People Who Have Developmental Disabilities

Fiction Books

  • The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon
  • Freak the Mighty, by Rodman Philbrick
  • Being There, by Jerzy Kosinski
  • The Story of Beautiful Girl, by Rachel Simon
  • Forrest Gump, by Winston Groom

Non-Fiction Books

  • The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic, by Darby Penney, Peter Stastny, Lisa Rinzler (Photographer)
  • The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, by Jean-Dominique Bauby
  • Riding the Bus with My Sister, by Rachel Simon
  • Hands of My Father: A Hearing Boy, His Deaf Parents, and the Language of Love, by Myron Uhlberg
  • Nobody Nowhere, by Donna Williams

Movies

  • Adam
  • Being There
  • Benny and Joon
  • Elephant Man
  • Forrest Gump
  • I Am Sam
  • Mary and Max
  • Mask
  • My Left Foot
  • My Louisiana Sky
  • Nell
  • Radio
  • Rain Man
  • Riding the Bus with My Sister
  • Simon Birch
  • Temple Grandin
  • The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
  • The Mighty
  • The Other Sister
  • What’s Eating Gilbert Grape

Documentaries

  • Educating Peter
  • Graduating Peter
  • Lives Worth Living
  • Loving Lampposts
  • Murderball
  • My Classic Life as an Artist: A Portrait of Larry Bissonnette
  • Normal People Scare Me
  • Unforgotten: 25 Years After Willowbrook
  • Where’s Molly?
  • When Billy Broke His Head
  • Willowbrook: The Last Great Disgrace
  • Wretches and Jabberers