Community Resources

Research shows in order to have a successfully transition from high school to postsecondary education and the world of work, youth with disabilities and their families need to be intentional about planning activities that help youth reach their goals. Students need to be exposed to career exploration and planning. The Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) can help in this process. The …

Was one of your New Year’s resolutions to find a job?  Or perhaps to redouble your efforts to find a job if you were already looking?  If so, there are several job search websites to help you fulfill your resolution.  Designed specifically to connect people with disabilities with employers who want to hire them, they usually offer other related services …

Founded in 1948, Learning Ally’s original mission was to enable blinded World War II veterans to attend college, but over time it has expanded to serve a complete spectrum of individuals for whom reading is a barrier to learning.  Today Learning Ally serves more than 200,000 K-12, college and graduate students, as well as veterans and working professionals. Learning Ally …

Once you’ve established the goal of getting a degree, what are the best first steps to take? What type of degree do you need for the type of job you want?  How do you pick the right school for you?  How can you pay for it?  How do you manage your disability while you are in school?  There is a …

Now there’s an easy way to find affordable housing with the specific accessibility features you need.  Socialserve.com is a free, online, searchable database that lists places for rent or for sale.  It’s also disability-friendly and multilingual.  You can specify search criteria  such as entry ramps, low vanity,  roll-in shower, what language the landlord speaks, price, Section 8, distance to public …

Unfortunately, there’s even more people in that situation than before.  The good news is the Bay Area has a variety of medical clinics available for people of limited means. If you live in Berkeley, you might first look into the Berkeley Free Clinic.  They provide general medical and dental services and some tests.  If you don’t live in Berkeley, or …

It’s free and it’s online and it’s designed specifically for people with developmental disabilities.  Partners in Employment offers a course on the practical skills needed to find meaningful employment.  It covers things like how the hiring process might be different for people with developmental disabilities, how to evaluate a job offer to make sure it fits with your skills and …

There are more grants and scholarships out there for people with disabilities–and relatives of the people with disabilities–than you might think, and unlike loans, you don’t have to re-pay them.  We’re talking free money here! A good place to start is StudentGrants.org, where you’ll find a good overview of disability-related educational funding sources.  The University of Washington has also compiled …

Ever thought about starting your own business?  I suspect most of us have at least toyed with the idea at one time or another.  Self-employment can sometimes be a particularly good option for people with disabilities because it allows more flexibility in setting your own working conditions (like hours and pace) and reduces transportation needs.  But there’s a lot to …

Having experienced unprecedented growth in the past few years, the Lions Center for the Blind was in need of a new venue.  Their newly inhabited facility in downtown Oakland will  allow them to expand their services to meet that demand.  Situated on the northwest corner of 21st and Broadway, just 2 blocks from the 19th Street BART station, the new …