Resources

Welcome to Our Resources Page

This page offers a collection of helpful tools, guides, and links designed to support individuals with disabilities, as well as the professionals, families, and organizations that serve them. Whether you're looking for information on employment, education, accessibility, or community support, you'll find a variety of resources to assist you.

If you notice a broken link, please contact untwise@unt.edu. We appreciate your input!

Accessibility & Accommodations

Accessibility Technology & Tools in Microsoft Office - This page is a catalog of accessible technology and tools from Microsoft Office.
Accessibility Resources & Training in Microsoft Office - This page is a catalog of accessible resources and training from Microsoft Office.
Microsoft Office Accessibility Videos - Microsoft Office videos on how to support people with disabilities by creating accessible digital experiences.
Essential Components of Web Accessibility - This page shows how web accessibility depends on several components working together, and how improvements in specific components could substantially improve web accessibility.
NCRTM Accessibility Resources - This page includes helpful resources from the NCRTM, federal agencies and leading accessibility experts.
Olympic Failure: A Case for Making the Web Accessible - A webpage that describes a ground-breaking web accessibility court case out of Sydney, Australia. Through the discussion of this case, the webpage provides helpful tips about accessibility laws and how to create accessible websites.
Accessibility Stories: Michelle - UNT DAIR Graduate Michelle Boyd discusses online accessibility in this video.
Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation - A website that offers tips on reasonable accommodations for persons with psychiatric disabilities.
Technology and Autism - This page has the latest information and resources involving assistive technology and autism.
Institute for Community Inclusion: Bridging the Digital Divide - This website is a report of a project undertaken by the Institute for Community Inclusion to encourage more people to use the Internet.
AbleNet - A website that offers a variety of assistive technology devices.
Arkansas ICAN - This website is a statewide program designed to provide assistive technology to Arkansas residents.
CATEA - A website that leads to the Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access. An organization dedicated to the improved mobility, activity, and health of people with disabilities.
Don Johnston Inc. - A website that specializes in assistive technology directed at helping people learn to read and write.
Google Chrome Accessibilty Extensions - This article lists several useful extensions that can be added to the Google Chrome browser to improve accessibility for special needs individuals.
Selvas BLV - This website offers assistive technology for people who are blind or have vision loss, including hand-held magnifiers and Braille note takers.
HITEC - This website leads to a company that provides amplified phones.
LATAN - This website leads to the Louisiana Assistive Technology Action Network.
NMTAP - This website leads to the New Mexico Technology Assistance Program.
Pointing Magnifier Download - Follow this link to download a cursor which will magnify selected portions of a computer screen.
Rehab Tool - A website that offers a variety of assistive technology devices.
RESNA - This website leads to the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America.
Section 508 - A website devoted to Section 508, a government enactment which concerns the development of assistive technologies.
Texas Technology Access Program - This website goes to a statewide program to provide assistive technology for Texans with disabilities.
Deaf Network of Texas - The Deaf Network of Texas is the largest Deaf Community Resources & Newsletter in Texas & surrounding states.
Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT) - PEAT is a multi-faceted initiative promoting the employment, retention, and career advancement of people with disabilities through the development, adoption, and promotion of accessible technology.
NADTC - This website aims to promote the availability and accessibility of transportation options for older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers.
Job Accommodation Network (JAN) - This website leads to an organization that provides free guidance on workplace accommodation for persons who are disabled.
AMC Movie Theatres - Certain AMC Movie Theaters offer Autism Accommodated viewings to offer improved social inclusion, “Movie Showings for Guests & Families Living with Autism or Other Special Needs.”
Royal Caribean Cruises - Royal Caribbean Cruises offers an Autism Certified Cruise to help ASD Families assistance with social integration skills.

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Disability Rights & Legal

ADA National Network - This page contains information, guidance, and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Criminal Justice Guidance - This document issued by the US Justice Department titled “Examples and Resources to Support Criminal Justice Entities in Compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)” is intended to facilitate criminal justice entities' compliance with the ADA during interactions with individuals with mental health disabilities or intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD).
Americans with Disabilities Act - The home page of the Americans with Disabilities Act. On this page, the provisions of the act are included in their entirety.
Entering the World of Work: What Youth with Mental Health Needs Should Know About Accommodations - This website is an article angled toward youth with mental disabilities who are planning to enter the workforce.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) - The official website for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which seeks to eliminate employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability.
Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) - Official website of the Office of Disability Employment Policy, which seeks to ensure that people with disabilities are fully integrated into the workforce.
Disability Discrimination - This website has a description of what constitutes disability discrimination.
Disability Discrimination Information - This website has a description of disability discrimination which includes examples of discrimination, laws pertaining to discrimination, and accommodations an employer can make to avoid discrimination.
Disability Scoop - This website is a news source for developmental disability news.
People-First Language Style Guide - This Journalist-Oriented style guide contains recommendations for using language related to people with disabilities.

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Education & Academic Planning

Think College - Think College is a national organization committed to advancing and enhancing inclusive higher education opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Campus Tours - This website offers virtual campus tours of many colleges and universities.
University of North Texas: Office of Disability Access - This website is the homepage for UNT's Office of Disability Access where you can learn more and apply for services.
We Connect Now - A website that offers information and support for college students who have disabilities.
Going to College - This website contains information about living college life with a disability. It's designed for high school students and provides video clips, activities and additional resources that can help you get a head start in planning for college.
How to Study - This website contains studying tips.

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Employment & Jobs

Employment First: The Texas Initiative - This webinar provides an overview of the 83rd Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 1226 which established Employment-First Policy for the State of Texas. This legislation set Texas on a new path designed to establish a statewide priority to support people with a disabilities to obtain work in a typical community job setting or in a small business of their own.
Employment First: A National Initiative - This webinar provides an overview of the Employment First initiative to include people with disabilities as contributing members of the workforce and examines national trends associated with the implementation of the initiative.
Association of People Supporting EmploymentFirst (APSE) - This website leads to a national organization that focuses entirely on integrated employment and career advancement for people with disabilities.
Getting Hired - This is a website that lists employers who are committed to hiring applicants who have disabilities.
Do2Learn: Job Tips - JobTIPS is an online student program, offers real world examples and assistance to teens and adults transitioning to the workplace. It provides learning resources, guided exercises, graphic organizers, role-playing scenario cards, prescreening tests, video tutorials, and visual prompts to help individuals with any learning style get and keep a job.
The Campaign for Disability Employment - The Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE) is a collaborative effort funded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). It brings together several disability and business organizations to promote the hiring, retention, and advancement of individuals with disabilities in America's workforce.

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Career Development & Transition

O-Net Online - This website leads to a job exploration tool that includes descriptions of a wide variety of occupations.
Texas Career Check - Texas Career Check is an easy to use tool which allows users to collect career information and job data by researching occupation titles, career clusters, Foundation High School Program endorsement areas, or keywords. They can also research any college or university in the U.S. by searching institution names, states or programs of study.
Disability Starter Kits - This website is a resource offered by the Social Security Administration that provides information for people with disabilities who are applying for benefits for the first time.
Going to College - This website is a resource for teenagers with disabilities. It includes information on how to select the proper college, as well as how to plan for the transition.
Youth as Self Advocates (YASA) - This website leads to an organization that encourages the practice of self-advocacy among youth with disabilities.
Texas Parent to Parent - Texas Parent to Parent (TxP2P) is committed to improving the lives of Texas children who have disabilities, chronic illness, and/or special health care needs. TxP2P empowers families to be strong advocates through parent-to-parent support, resource referral, and education.
U.S. Department of Labor Division of Youth Services - The Employment and Training Administration's Division of Youth Services is primarily responsible for coordinating all youth-related workforce activities, providing leadership, policy direction, program administration, technical assistance and guidance, and support activities for youth programs authorized under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998.

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Disability & Health-Related Topics

DiGeorge Syndrome - In-depth information from the Mayo Clinic about DiGeorge Syndrome.
Kristin Farmer Autism Center - This website leads to the autism center of the University of North Texas. The center uses applied, behavior-based techniques to positively impact individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Organization for Autism Research (OAR) - This website leads to an organization which focuses on applied research pertaining to Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Training for First Responders - “Autism First Responder Training Video” developed by the Autism Society of Central Texas. The video had interviews with parents of children with autism (including the Whittingtons) describing their concerns about unknowing first responders dealing with their children. Narration pointed out that the very behavior which ordinarily indicates guilty conduct, such not looking at the officer in the eye, seemingly ignoring the questions and even walking or running away, could be very normal for a person with autism.
ADHD Factsheets - The ADHD Factsheet comes from the Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD).
American Foundation for the Blind - This website leads to an organization focused on expanding possibilities for people who are blind or have low vision.
If you Are Blind or Have Low Vision: Social Security Administration - This leads to an article that describes what services the Social Security Administration offers to people who are blind or have low vision.
National Federation of the Blind - The largest membership organization of people who are blind in the United States.
Social Security Administration: Special Rules for People Who Are Blind - This website leads to an article that further explains what services the Social Security Administration offers to people who are blind or have low vision.
APH Connect Center - This website provides resources to help adults who are losing their sight.
CareGiver - A website designed for caregivers of persons with mental or physical disabilities.
Dual Diagnosis Skills Training Manual - This manual is designed to guide the reader in their development of skills appropriate to working with clients with Dual diagnosis (coexisting mental health and substance use issues).
Each Mind Matters film: Ending the Stigma of Mental Illness - This website leads to a film that explores the stigma of mental illness through the eyes of a few of the millions of Californians who have mental illnesses.
National Alliance on Mental Illness - This website leads to the nation's largest mental health organization, dedicated to improving the lives of Americans who are mentally ill.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) - This website leads to an organization that seeks to prevent and cure mental illness by the use of research-based practices.
National Research and Training Center (NRTC) - This website provides a series of tools to assist in the growth and self-determination of people with psychiatric disabilities.
Using Medicaid to Support Working-Age Adults with Serious Mental Illness in the Community - This website is a handbook that explains how Medicaid can be used to support working-age people with mental disabilities.
Extraordinary Ventures (EV) - Based in the university town of Chapel Hill, NC, Extraordinary Ventures, Inc. (EV) is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization that creates and nurtures self-sustaining small businesses designed around the skills of the young adults with autism and developmental disabilities that serve as its workforce.
The Austin Asperger's Support Group - this is a meetup support group.
What Tomorrow May Hold: Asperger's from a Teen's View - Book titled: What Tomorrow May Hold: Asperger's from a Teen's View. Available on Amazon.

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Ethics & Disclosure

Release Authorization - This is an example of a release authorization form.

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Independent Living & Person-Centered Practices

Life On the Road With Visual Impairments - This is a great resource for individuals with visual impairments.
Money Geek - This page has financial tools and resources for people with disabilities.
Independent Living Experience (ILE) - Independent Living Experience (ILE) is a customized support service for adults desiring a life of independence. Their team of dedicated professionals works directly with each adult to help them become their own self-determined advocate with the necessary skills to be successful within their living, working, and social environments.
Person Centered Planning - "A person centered plan can help those involved with the focus person see the total person, recognize his or her desires and interests, and discover completely new ways of thinking about the future of the person." — Beth Mount & Kay Zwernik, 1988

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Employers & Workplace

Employer Practices - The Rehabilitation and Research & Training Center on Employer Practices Related to Employment Outcomes among Individuals with Disabilities (Employer Practices -RRTC) provides information summarizing the research that was presented at the October 2013 State of the Science Conference; along with research briefs, links to papers, and links to online tools and resources.
Employers Assistance and Research Network (EARN) - This website leads to an organization that provides resources to help employers recruit and retain persons who are disabled.
Employment Status of People with Disabilites - This website is a Bureau of Labor Statistics report on the employment status of people who are disabled.
TalentScout - TalentScout is a valuable resource for government agencies that are working to implement President Obama's initiative (EO 13548) to hire 100,000 people with disabilities into the federal government workforce, and for federal government contractors who need to bring their companies in compliance with the new 503 regulations on employment of people with disabilities.
Task Analysis -
- Blank Task Analysis
- Task Analysis form instructions
Cue Cards PDF
Disability and Disclosure PDF
Emergency Card PDF
Entering the World of Work PDF
Exploring the "You" in Work PDF
Financial Information PDF
Instructional Considerations for VAT in Texas PDF
Preparing for the Job Search PDF
Soft Skills for Work Success PDF
Soft Skills to Pay the Bills - Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success PDF
Transportation PDF

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Benefits & Financial

The Red Book 2016 - The Red Book serves as a general reference source about the employment-related provisions of Social Security Disability Insurance and the Supplemental Security Income Programs for educators, advocates, rehabilitation professionals, and counselors who serve people with disabilities.
Disability Planner: Social Security Protection if you Become Disabled - This website leads to a tool provided by the Social Security Administration which details the process of applying for, receiving, and understanding your social security benefits.
HCBS Toolkit - This toolkit provides advocates with detailed information about the HCBS Settings Rule and provides action steps for advocates to impact implementation of the new rules in their states. The toolkit contains three documents:
1. The Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Settings Rules: What You Should Know;
2. Home and Community-Based Services Regulations Q&A: Settings Presumed to be Institution & the Heightened Scrutiny Process, and
3. The Home and Community-Based Settings Rules: How to Advocate for Truly Integrated Community Settings (unabridged and abridged)
Social Security Online - This website is the official website of the U.S. Social Security Administration.
Work Incentives for SSI and SSDI Recipients - This website provides a general overview of work incentives for those who receive Social Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSI).
Work Incentives for SSI and SSDI Recipients - This website leads to a factsheet on the WIPA Act.
Invoice Examples - These are example Word invoices and Excel invoices that meet the standards for TWS-VRS billing. You may use these examples to model your billing statements after or create your own. Please always check with TWC and other billing entities to ensure your invoice meets minimum standards.

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Forms & Documentation

TWC Vocational Rehabilitation Service Forms - This page contains the Vocational Rehabilitation Service Forms for TWC CRPs.
Sample Policy
Release Authorization - This is an example of a Release Authorization form

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Veterans

Benefits.gov - A website designed to help people determine which government benefits they should apply for.
Mesothelioma + Asbestos Awareness Center - This website offers free mesothelioma resources and support to veterans and their families who have been affected by a mesothelioma diagnosis. The prevalence of asbestos use in the military in the past is the major reason why 1/3 of all mesothelioma patients are veterans.
Veteran Readiness and Employment - This page is an article on vocational rehabilitation and employment for veterans who are disabled.
Paralyzed Veterans of America - Paralyzed Veterans of America is an advocacy organization for veterans who have been paralyzed during service.
United States Department of Veteran's Affairs - This leads to the homepage for the US Department of Veteran's Affairs.

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Entrepreneurship & Special Programs

The Abilities Fund - This website leads to an organization devoted to the entrepreneurship and economic advancement of persons with disabilities.

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