Resources for Adults with Learning Disabilities

Assistive Technology | ADD | Educational Resources | ESOL and Learning Disabilities
General Information | Inspirational | Organizations | Publications
Research and Training Centers | Resource Centers | Specific Learning Disabilities | Web Connections

Assistive Technology

http://www.premier-programming.com/   
Premier Programming Solutions offers many adaptive software applications (some for free) among them Scan to Read, Text Cloner and DocRead.

http://www.tamcec.org
Technology and Media Division (TAM)
TAM is the official division of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) that works to promote the availability and effective use of technology and media for individuals (children and adults) with disabilities who are gifted.

http://main.wgbh.org/wgbh/access/
Descriptive Video Service
WGBH, 125 Western Avenue, Boston, MA 02134
(617) 300-5400, Fax: (617) 300-1026
This is a national service that makes visual media accessible to people with disabilities.

http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/technology/nalldc_guide.html
Assistive Technology
This is a full text article of Meeting the Needs of Adults with Learning Disabilities, by Adrienne Riviere, as reprinted in the Summer 1996 issue of LDOnline.

http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/technology/tfl_mystery.html
Assistive Technology
This is a full text article as reprinted with permission in LDOnline of Taking the Mystery Out of Assistive Technology from Learning Disabilities and Assistive Technology: An Emerging Way to Touch the Future.

http://www.wynn.arkenstone.org/
Freedom Scientific
Learning Systems Group (LSG), NASA Ames Moffett Complex, Building 23, P.O. Box 215, Moffett Field, CA 94035-0215
(888) 223-3344, Fax: (650) 603-8871
Freedom Scientific's WYNN software helps learning disabled individuals read, write, study and comprehend more easily. The software scans, reads aloud, edits, writes, looks up, etc.

http://www.resna.org/
1700 N Moore St, Suite 1540, Arlington, VA 22209-1903
(703) 524-6686, Fax: (703) 524-6630 TTY: (703) 524-6639
The Technical Assistance Project provides assistance to the Assistive Technology (AT) Act Grantees to reduce barriers and increase access to AT devices and services for consumers with disabilities of all ages. This project will also provides technical assistance in the areas related to universal design, state procurement actions and funding of AT.

http://www.mathtalk.com/
Metroplex Voice Computing, Inc.
P.O. Box 121984, Arlington, TX 76012
Fax: (817)-543-1103
Metroplex provides training, customized programming and workshops/seminars for speech recognition including a voice-activated, on-screen math computing software program designed to not need the keyboard or mouse.

http://www.edc.org/spk2wrt
Speaking to Write
This is a speech recognition software forum sponsored by the Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), together with the Communication Enhancement Center at Children's Hospital, Boston. This three-year project was launched to explore the use of speech recognition software for writing by secondary students with disabilities.

http://www.alphasmart.com/
AlphaSmart, Inc.
20400 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite 300, Cupertino, CA 95014
(888) 274-0680
AlphaSmart develops and markets technology solutions for the education market. The AlphaSmart word processor is a portable, lightweight word processor that saves information automatically.

http://www.abledata.com
ABLEDATA
This is a federally funded project designed to provide information on assistive technology and rehabilitation. It is sponsored by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), which is part of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) of the U.S. Department of Education. The ABLEDATA database contains information on more than 27,000 assistive technology products including a detailed description of each product including price and company information.

http://www.cac.org/
Computer Access Center
P.O. Box 5336, Santa Monica, CA 90409-5336
(310) 338-1597, Fax: (310) 338-9318
The Computer Access Center is a nonprofit organization serving children and adults with disabilities. It was developed to help parents and professionals have easy access to, and an increased awareness, understanding and implementation of assistive technology for individuals with disabilities.

http://www.rfbd.org/
Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic National Headquarters:
20 Roszel Road, Princeton, NJ 08540, (609) 452-0606
Florida Unit: 6704 SW 80th Street, Miami, FL 33143
(305) 666-0552, (800) 535-0552 (Florida only)
Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, changed its name in 1995 to recognize and to serve all people with "print disabilities" - those who can't effectively read standard print because of a disability. Today, they serve more than 91,000 members worldwide, distributing 238,543 titles in 2000. More than 70 percent of their membership is recognized with learning disabilities.

http://www.infogrip.com/category_view.asp?option=keyboard
Infogrip, Inc.
1794 E. Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001
(800) 397-0921, Fax: (805) 652-0880
Infogrip, Inc. develops and markets products that provide people with a healthier and more productive way to interact with computers. Infogrip has been providing solutions for over twelve years to the disability, ergonomic, education and graphic design markets.

http://www.abilityhub.com/read/index.htm
Ability Hub
c/o The Gilman Group, L.L.C.P.O. Box 6356, Rutland, VT 05702-6356
(802) 775 1993, Fax: (802) 773 1604
AbilityHub.com's purpose is to help find information on adaptive equipment and alternative methods available for accessing computers. The site was created by Dan J. Gilman who has been in the Assistive Technology field since 1992. He is certified by the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) as an Assistive Technology Practitioner (ATP).

http://www.assistivetech.com/
Assistive Technology Incorporated
World Headquarters, 7 Wells Avenue, Newton, MA 02459
(800) 793-9227, (617) 641-9000, Fax: (617) 641-9191
Assistive Technology, Inc. serves the disability and special education markets by providing innovative software and hardware solutions for people with special needs and for the professionals who work with them. ATI's products include Gemini and Freestyle™ AAC device/computers, the LINK™, the "smart" keyboard that talks, and Stages and EvaluWare™ software.

http://www.cast.org/
Center for Applied Technology (CAST)
39 Cross Street, Suite 201, Peabody, MA 01960
(978) 531-8555, (978) 538-3110 - TTY, Fax: (978) 531-0192
CAST is an educational, not-for-profit organization, founded in 1984, that uses innovative technology to expand opportunities for all people, including those with disabilities. CAST develops assistive technology and serves as a consultant to various hardware and software manufacturers. Instruction and training services are provided to teachers and other professionals at workshops and presentations nationwide. It also offers a Summer Computer Camp program at its facilities in Massachusetts. Mariner Systems, a service of CAST, adapts Macintosh computer systems to meet individual needs. Each computer system is designed for an individual by a team of professionals. In a collaborative agreement with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Programs (OSEP), CAST has established a National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum to provide a vision of how new curricula, teaching practices and policies can be woven together to create practical approaches for improved access to the general curriculum by students with disabilities.

http://www.ataccess.org/
Alliance for Technology Access (ATA)
The mission of ATA is to connect children and adults with disabilities to technology tools. It now reaches over 300,000 people with disabilities and their families each year. It also provides an extensive resource library.

http://www.closingthegap.com/
Closing The Gap, Inc.
P.O. Box 68, 526 Main Street, Henderson, MN 56044
(507) 248-3294, Fax: (507) 248-3810
Closing The Gap, Inc. is an organization that focuses on computer technology for people with special needs through its bi-monthly newspaper, annual international conference and extensive website. Published six times a year, the Closing The Gap newspaper highlights hardware and software products appropriate for people with special needs, and explains how this technology is being implemented in education, rehabilitation and vocational settings around the world.

http://www.rehabtool.com/
Rehabtool.com
P.O. Box 572190, Houston, TX 77257 (281) 531-6106
This website offers a variety of high-tech assistive and adaptive technology products, augmentative and alternative communication devices, computer access equipment, multilingual speech synthesis and voice recognition software. Visitors to the site can conduct a personal product search or subscribe to their newsletter.

http://www.premier-programming.com/
Premier Programming Solutions
12800 Escanaba Drive, Suite D - Dewitt, MI 48820
(517) 668-8188, Fax: (517) 668-2417
Premier Programming Solutions has over 15 years of experience in software development that assists individuals with disabilities. Featured on the website currently is the Complete Reading System. This program is full voicing, reads all menu items, existing text files from other applications, or scans and reads new materials with their award winning OCR.

http://www.interactivemetronome.com/home/index.asp
The Interactive Metronome® (IM) is a PC based training technology that facilitates an individual's capacity for motor planning and sequencing.

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Attention Deficit Disorder

http://www.chadd.org
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (CH.A.D.D.)
8181 Professional Place, Suite 201 Landover, MD 20785
(800) 233-4050, (301) 306-7070, Fax: (301) 306-7090
CHADD is a non-profit, parent-based organization that disseminates information on ADD/ADHD and coordinates more than 500 parent support groups across the country. It also publishes a newsletter, Chadderbox, filled with up-to-date information on ADD issues and a quarterly magazine, Attention, for members.

http://www.add.org
National Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA)
9930 Johnnycake Ridge Road, Suite 3E, Mentor, OH 44060
(800) 487-2282, (216) 350-9595, Fax: (216) 350-0223
ADDA provides information and support on workplace, education, relationship and parenting issues for individuals with ADD and their families, as well as professionals, educators and counselors. In addition to its fax-on demand system, the organization sponsors an annual conference and has audiotapes of conference sessions. ADDA membership includes its quarterly newsletter FOCUS.

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Educational Resources

http://www.lindamoodbell.com/gander/
Gander Educational Publishing/Lindamood-Bell Products
416 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(800) 233-1819, Fax: (805) 541-8756
Gander's goal is to provide educational products and materials that are unique to the field of educational publishing. Their products are designed to develop sensory-cognitive processing as the foundation for language, literacy and math skills. They publish unique products for treating dyslexia, hyperlexia, reading comprehension, following directions, critical thinking, reading, spelling, writing and math.

http://www.disabilityresources.org/
The Disability Resource
12200 Academy NE, Suite 1212, Albuquerque, NM 87111
(800) 695-4042, Fax: (800) 695-1196
The Disability Resource provides valuable information and resources to people with disabilities and the people who care for them through book offers, parent chat line, newsletter, etc.

http://www.edtherapy.com/
EdTherapy.com
This is an Internet resource for anyone involved with the diagnosis and educational planning of students with learning disabilities. The site provides links to educational resources, assistive technology and catalogs thousands of lesson plans.

http://adulted.about.com/cs/ldassns/?once=true&
The Adult and Continuing Education site serves adult learners and educators with links on a variety of subjects including education associations, courses and schools, events, publications, studies and statistics, learning styles and theory, older adult learners, course design, icebreakers, lesson plans, activities and materials, professional development, training and teaching tips. Also, links are provided to learning disability associations and centers supporting learners and educators.

http://www.tomatis.com/English/index.htm
The Tomatis Method is based on teaching individuals how to listen better and improve reading skills by listening to the sounds. Site covers success of using this method with persons with dyslexia.

http://www.makaton.org
Makaton
MVDP, 31 Firwood Drive, Camberley, Surrey GU15 3QD
England Makaton is a unique language program offering a structured, multi-modal approach for the teaching of communication, language and literacy skills. It is devised for children and adults with a variety of communication and learning disabilities

http://www.jwor.com
The Language Tune-Up Kit uses the Orton-Gillingham method for children, adults, teens, dyslexics and special education, at-risk, illiterate, and ESL students, and those with learning disabilities.

http://www.awesomelibrary.org
The Awesome Library
An "awesome library" that has learning activities by age and subject, teaching tips, information on special education - with a specific section on learning disabilities, and more.

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ESOL and Learning Disabilities

http://www.cal.org/caela/
National Center for ESL Literacy Education (NCLE)
4646 40th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20016-1859
(202) 362-0700, ext. 200, Fax: (202) 363-7204
The National Center for ESL Literacy Education's (NCLE) Resource Collections bring together information and resources on topics of interest to those working in the field of adult ESL. The purpose of the collections is to provide an overview of the reports, articles, organizations and other resources that are currently available on specific topics. A portion of the website is devoted to methods, research and resources for adult ESL students with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities and Adult ESL addresses a myriad of topics on the general subject.

http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/digests/ld2.html
This is a full-text article of ESOL Instruction with Adults with Disabilities by Robin Schwartz and Lynda Terrill as appearing in ERIC Digest, June 2000.

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General Information

http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/specific.htm
Specific Diagnoses Card Catalog
This Card Catalog can help you find information about specific disabilities. Click the drawer with the first letter of the disability about which you want to learn and you will find a variety of resources.

http://www.pbs.org/als/   
Public Broadcasting System
Access a variety of distance learning resources that pertain to adult literacy providers and adults with learning disabilities. This web address links you directly to a videoconference entitled, Assessing and Accommodating Adults with Learning Disabilities, held in 1999 that can be found in the archives.

http://www.ldonline.org/ld_calendar/ld-calendar.html
Public Broadcasting System
This is the LDOnline newsletter's calendar of learning disabilities events scheduled to take place throughout the country and Canada. Dates and contact information are included.

http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/adult/index.html
This is LDOnline's newsletter devoted entirely to learning disabilities and the adult entitled, LD In Depth, Adult Issues. Learning disabilities are often thought of as a children's issue. Research has shown that learning disabilities do not disappear when one leaves school and that they can occur across an individual's lifespan. It offers an assortment of articles that examine adult issues in the field of learning disabilities.

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Inspirational

http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Spa/7262/
Tera Kirk created this website at the age of 18 in 1998. She has NLD syndrome and wanted to create this page to help others understand what Nonverbal Learning Disabilities are, how people with NLD think and perceive things.

http://www.cyberwink.com/ld/default.html
Don Winkler has learned to master his learning differences, which include dyslexia, dysgraphia and dysphasia. In Don's Own Words has speeches and In The News has articles that will give you insights into how he did it, and how others might do the same. Don is a national spokesperson in educating people about learning differences. He is a board member of the International Dyslexia Association.

http://www.abilityforum.com
Utilizing the power of technology, this site focuses on learning disabled individuals overcoming all types of barriers including education, employment and social issues.

http://www.ideallives.com/
Ideal Lives Project
416 Frances St., Enid, OK, 73703
Lisa Simmons is the founder of the Ideal Lives Project and author of The Internet Resource Guide for Parents and Disability Professionals. Her goal is to bring parents, educators and disability professionals together by empowering them with information.

http://www.ldpride.net/
Inspired by Deaf Pride, this site has been developed as an interactive community resource for youth and adults with learning disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

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Organizations

http://www.ahead.org
Association on Higher Education & Disability (AHEAD)
P.O. Box 21192, Columbus, OH 43221
The Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) is an international, multicultural organization of professionals committed to full participation in higher education for persons with disabilities. The association has numerous training programs, workshops, publications and conferences.

http://home.sandiego.edu/~ammer/proforg%20folder/cld.html
Council for Learning Disabilities (CLD)
P.O. Box 40303, Overland Park, KS 66204
CLD is dedicated to working with individuals who have learning disabilities. Their publication, Learning Disability Quarterly, focuses on research with an applied focus.

http://www.interdys.org
International Dyslexia Association (IDA)
8600 LaSalle Rd., Chester Bldg., Baltimore, MD 21286-2044
IDA is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and treatment of dyslexia.

http://www.floridaliteracy.org/
Florida Literacy Coalition
934 North Magnolia Avenue, Suite 104, Orlando FL, 32803-3854
The Florida Literacy Coalition encompasses a network of over 200 literacy providers. They provide current information to prospective adult students and volunteers about literacy programs available throughout the state and provide current and relevant information and resources to those who provide literacy instruction: volunteer adult literacy tutors, teachers and parents. The website contains helpful information about learning disabilities.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/learndis.htm
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
NIMH Public Inquiries: 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 8184, MSC 9663, Bethesda, MD 20892-9663
Fax: (301) 443-4279
The mission of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is to conduct research on mind, brain and behavior including research regarding brain activity and its relationship to learning disorders. In addition to a very thorough website, NIMH produces a booklet entitled Learning Disabilities, which provides information on the role of research, treatment options, strategies for coping and sources of information and support.

http://www.hellofriend.org/learning/learning.html
The Hello Friend/Ennis William Cosby Foundation
This non-profit foundation celebrates the life and fulfills the goals and dreams of Ennis William Cosby. Resources, newsletters and support services for individuals with learning differences are the focus.

http://www.ldanatl.org/
Learning Disabilities Association (LDA)
4156 Library Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15234-1349
LDA is the largest national non-profit, volunteer organization focused on advocating for individuals with learning disabilities and the only national organization devoted to defining and finding solutions for the broad spectrum of learning disabilities. The site is loaded with information about learning disabilities, resources and education.

http://www.chadd.org/index.html
Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
8181 Professional Place, Suite 201, Landover, MD 20785
(800) 233-4050, (301) 306-7070, Fax: (301)-306-7090
CHADD has an informative website about learning disabilities and a good list of resources. The organization's primary focus is representing individuals and families dealing with ADHD for education, advocacy and support.

http://www.ncld.org/
National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD)
381 Park Avenue, South, Suite 1420, New York, NY 10019
(212) 545-7510, (888) 575-7373, Fax: (212) 545-9665
The mission of the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) is to increase opportunities for all individuals with learning disabilities by increasing public awareness and understanding of learning disabilities, conducting educational programs and services that promote research-based knowledge and providing national leadership in shaping public policy.

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