School Transition Resources
Development of a Person Centered Transition Planning from Cornell University Transition and Person-Centered Planning Education Site
Parent Brief, “Person-Centered Planning: A Tool for Transition” is a National Center on Secondary Education and Transition “how-to” for person-centered planning for a child or adolescent with a disability. There are many steps in this process but the first step emphasized is to choose a facilitator–someone who is “a good listener, will discover the capacities within the individual and within the community, and be a community builder.”
School Age Advocacy. This website offers a wide range of topics related to disability advocacy, including requirements for transition, as well as more information on all Federal laws and regulations supporting students with special needs. It is written specifically for families.
Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PADD) program of the Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities assists with problems experienced by individuals and their families regarding developmental disabilities services.
Parent Training Information Centers (PTIC) offer parent advocacy training, information and workshops. There are four centers in NYS. Contact information can be found at NYS Parent Network.
NYS Parent Centers provide parents with training, up-to-date information, referral services, and assistance in transition.
Employment Transition Resources
The New York State Department of Labor operates disability employment programs throughout the state in regional One-Stop Career Centers, through their Disability Employment Initiative and Disability Program Navigator. They engage in Workforce Investment Boards, and forging partnerships including collaborations between government, non-profit, and private sectors (e.g., local businesses, disability service providers, community organizations, training and education agencies, BOCES, students, etc.). Get more information and/or locate the center in your region (27)
Work at Home Job: A website with Work at Home resources and job listings for people with disabilities
Adult Career and Continuing Education Services: Vocational Rehabilitation, or ACCES-VR, (formerly known as Vocational Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities -VESID) provides employment and independent living services for adults with disabilities that begins in the last few years of high school so they can make a seamless transition from special education school age services to adult services. They provide services directly and through a network of nonprofit service providers.
Independent Living Centers (ILCs) are resource centers that assist New Yorkers with disabilities to live integrated and self-directed lives — “living, learning, and earning” — and help to remove barriers to full participation in their community. ACCES-VR administers funding for 39 Independent Living Centers (ILCS) throughout the state. ILCs are not-for-profit organizations, governed by a majority of people with disabilities and staffed primarily by people with disabilities.
OPWDD Employment First Platform: OPWDD has joined a national movement called Employment First, which states that all people, including people with developmental disabilities, are capable of using their talents to contribute to their communities through employment.
Ticket to Work Program provides most people receiving Social Security benefits (beneficiaries) more choices for receiving employment services. The Social Security Administration (SSA) issues tickets to eligible beneficiaries who work with an Employment Network (EN) of their choice to obtain employment services, vocational rehabilitation services, or other support services necessary to achieve a vocational (work) goal. The EN coordinates and provides appropriate services to help a person find and maintain employment. Visit their website for more information on the Ticket to Work, Workforce Incentives, and Employment Networks in New York State.
Job Accommodation Network (JAN): A free consulting service funded by the U.S. Department of Labor that provides information and advice to employers and people with disabilities on reasonable accommodations in the workplace. 800-526-7234 (Voice); 877-781-9403 (TTY).
Family Village Living Disability Employment Resources: Online employment resources for people with disabilities.
Ability Jobs: A resume bank to promote employment of people with disabilities.
Northeast ADA Technical Assistance Center: Funded by the U.S. Department of Education through the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), the center provides resources and technical assistance on the ADA. 800-949-4232.