DisabilityInfo.gov: Education: Educator Resources: Special Education

This Tool Kit explains how universal design can be applied to teaching and assessing students. In a classroom using a universally designed curriculum one might find books on tape, interactive software, magnifiers or highlighted materials.

Report from the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education.

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Information about assistive technology and the IEP from DakotaLink, the South Dakota program for Assistive Technology, through the Division of Rehabilitation Services, Department of Human Services.

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Provides information on assistive technology applications that help students with disabilities (including physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities) learn in elementary classrooms.

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Guide from the U.S. Department of Education on ADHD, including diagnosis, treatment options, legal requirements and ways to improve life at school and home for children diagnosed with ADHD.

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Web site from the U.S. Department of Education offers resources and information regarding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a law which ensures services to children with disabilities throughout the nation.

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Works to improve services to children and youth with emotional and behavioral problems.

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CSEF addresses fiscal policy questions related to the delivery and support of special education services throughout the United States.

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A guide for volunteers, advocates, self-advocates, and professionals to promote the inclusion of people with cognitive, intellectual and developmental disabilities into the fabric and mainstream of community life.

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Information about Department of Education grants and funding to improve elementary and secondary schools and meet the special needs of students.

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Provides a wide array of support to parents and individuals, school districts and states in three main areas: special education, vocational rehabilitation and research in order to improve results and outcomes for people with disabilities (including physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities) of all ages.

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DDRCs are located within research universities and/or are affiliated with major medical centers, and represent the world's largest concentration of scientific expertise in the fields of intellectual and developmental disabilities.

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Identifies and meets the technical assistance needs of elementary and middle schools to improve educational outcomes for children with disabilities.

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Executive Order establishing the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education.

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Assists educators, parents and state and local educational agencies in implementing the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regarding IEPs for children with disabilities.

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Provides students with disabilities the opportunity to explore exciting careers in science, mathematics and technology.

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Training manual for the High School/High Tech program, which provides careers in technology for youth with disabilities. Document is in .pdf format.

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Developed by Gallaudet University, History Through Deaf Eyes is a traveling social history exhibition aligning nearly 200 years of United States history with the experiences of deaf people.

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Information and resources about the IDEA from the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY).

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List of organizations that provide a variety of direct services to persons who are blind and visually impaired, including advocacy and advisory services, information and referral, counseling and employment programs, assistive devices and publications in special format.

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Provides national leadership in significantly increasing the academic achievement of deaf and hard of hearing students (birth to age 21) so that they may fully benefit from the promises of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

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List of selective sources of information on library services for adults and children with disabilities.

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Information regarding efforts by the Library of Congress to make their resources accessible for people with disabilities.

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List of resources that contain guidelines for an accessible user interface for digital talking books.

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Information from the U.S. Department of Education regarding what families and schools need to know about modified academic achievement standards under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This information can be downloaded in .pdf form here.

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Touch the Invisible Sky is a 60-page book with color images of nebulae, stars, galaxies and some of the telescopes that captured the original pictures. Each image is embossed with lines, bumps and other textures. These raised patterns translate colors, shapes and other intricate details of the cosmic objects, allowing visually impaired people to experience them.

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Sampling of educational materials NASA has developed for those who teach students with disabilities.

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Association dedicated to improving educational services and outcomes for our children and youth with disabilities and their families.

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Committed to enhancing the nation's capacity to recruit, prepare and retain well-qualified, diverse educators and related service personnel for children with disabilities.

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A central source for information on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) as it relates to children with disabilities and effective educational practices.

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Answers to frequently asked questions that the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities receives, including information on rare disorders and how to implement an inclusion model into a classroom setting.

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Contains a wealth of information about children with deaf-blindness.

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A free national library service providing recorded and braille materials to people who are blind or have physical disabilities.

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Listing of periodicals available to people who are blind or have physical disabilities in the following formats: braille, cassette, computer disk, electronic braille, electronic text, large print and Moon type.

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Information on steps to disable style sheets attached to any Web document and replace them with your choice of font face, size and color.

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Provides schools with capacity-building information and technical assistance for identifying, adapting and sustaining effective school-wide disciplinary practices.

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Includes an easy-to-read review of educational research relating to effective practices in teaching children with disabilities, as well as connections to more detailed resources to assist in moving the research into practice.

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Answers to frequently asked questions from OSERS.

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Links to projects funded by OSEP of the U.S. Department of Education, including assistive technology, captioning and video description, educational reform and literacy programs.

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Research and evaluations, noteworthy practices and links regarding mental illness and intellectual disabilities in adult education.

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Established by President George W. Bush in 2001, the Commission worked to collect information and study issues related to federal, state and local special education programs with the goal of recommending policies for improving the education performance of students with disabilities. The Commission delivered its report to President Bush on July 1, 2002 and ceased to exist 30 days thereafter.

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Information for parents and educators on children with intellectual and other developmental disabilities, including cerebral palsy and autism spectrum disorders.

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Links to information on No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the U.S. Department of Education's budget and strategic plan.

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Background information and resources from the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) designed to facilitate the successful inclusion of students with disabilities in charter schools.

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The Tool Kit on Teaching and Assessing Students with Disabilities assists states in raising the achievement of all students with disabilities.

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The latest news and updates from OSERS.

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An international nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a society where people with disabilities (including physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities) can learn through, participate in and enjoy the arts.

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Hundreds of articles, cases, newsletters and resources about special education law and advocacy.

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