Understanding Your Rights

The DC Department on Disability Services (DDS) provides the residents of DC with information, oversight, and coordination of services for people with disabilities and those who support them, such as service providers and employers. DDS has two Administrations ( Rehabilitation Services Administration & Developmental Disabilities Administration ) that oversee and coordinate services for residents with disabilities through a network of private and non-profit providers.

REHABILITATION SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (RSA) - focuses on employment, ensuring that persons with disabilities achieve a greater quality of life by obtaining and sustaining employment, economic self-sufficiency and independence. RSA’s program is designed to assess, plan, develop, and provide vocational rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities, consistent with their strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, and informed choice, in order to prepare for and engage in gainful employment 34 C.F.R. § 361.1

• The RSA Youth in Transition Services Units provide transition services, as defined by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 amended, to coordinate a set of activities for students designed around an outcome-oriented process that supports their movement from school to post-school activities including post-secondary education, vocational training, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, and independent living. Vocational rehabilitation transition services link students with disabilities, while still in school, with the vocational rehabilitation program to create a continuum of services leading to long-term employment outcomes for eligible students.
• To learn more about RSA’s vocational rehabilitation process for youth with disabilities, refer to the RSA Youth in Transition Toolkit: “Explore the World of Work, Discover Your Career”. It provides the specific steps and activities that youth, schools, and parents need to understand to apply for services and work through the RSA process to receive services and find employment.

DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES ADMINISTRATION (DDA) - public agency responsible for the oversight and coordination of all services and supports provided to qualified persons with intellectual disabilities in the District of Columbia.

• DDA supports individuals with intellectual disabilities to have the most independence and choice and control over their own lives through person-centered service planning and delivery and increased provider capacity. DDA coordinates home and community services for over 2,000 individuals so each person can live and work in the neighborhood of his or her choosing, and promotes health, wellness and a high quality of life through service coordination and monitoring, clinical supports, and a robust quality management program.

As the federally designated Parent Training and Information Center for Washington DC, AJE’s mission is to empower families, youth, and the community to be effective advocates to ensure that children and youth, particularly those who have special needs, receive access to appropriate education and health services.

AJE provides:

• FREE monthly trainings and workshops for parents and professionals in navigating special education systems and supports (including assisting families to prepare for IEP meetings and understanding educational services and parent and student rights); youth leadership and self-advocacy trainings;
• individual assistance and legal representation to address educational issues; assistance with accessing health services for children and youth with special health care needs; referral support for families to obtain housing, child care and other social services;
• legal services for school discipline issues;
• a resource library with information on various disabilities and treatment options

ASAN is proud to announce the release of a comprehensive toolkit to empower people with disabilities and their families to manage their own health care as they transition to adulthood.

Transition to Adulthood: A Health Care Guide for Youth and Families provides people with people with disabilities and their families with information on how to choose a source of health care coverage, create a health care support network, integrate health care transition goals into their educational plans, and manage their health care. It includes useful guides and worksheets for keeping track of health care records, making doctor's appointments, and talking to doctors about health concerns.

The toolkit also includes Model Supported Health Care Decision-Making Legislation and its accompanying Questions and Answers resource. The model legislation, which ASAN developed in collaboration with the Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities, would enable people with intellectual or developmental disabilities to name a trusted person to help communicate with doctors, understand health care information, make informed decisions about health care, and/or carry out daily health-related activities. Advocates can use this model legislation when talking to their state legislators about ways to support people make independent health care decisions.

ASAN's policy brief, The Transition to Adulthood for Youth with ID/DD: A review of research, policy, and next steps, discusses the range of challenges facing youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities as they approach adulthood, including potential loss of health care coverage, barriers to obtaining adult-oriented care, and lack of support in making health care decisions. It outlines several policy recommendations to eliminate these barriers, including expanding access to income-based Medicaid coverage, increased education and awareness of the importance of transition and decision-making supports, and increased research on best practices in transition planning.

• Disability benefits (guides, programs, applications, etc.)
• Civil rights (ADA information, accessibility guidelines, employment rights, complaint procedures, etc.)
• Community life (history of the independent living movement, personal care assistance services, sports and leisure activities, etc.)
• Education (IDEA and IEP information, teaching materials and strategies, classroom supports, college prep, etc.)
• Emergency preparedness (inclusive emergency planning, disaster recovery assistance, emergency service accessibility, etc.)
• Employment (career planning, workforce development, internship programs, hiring and recruiting information, etc.)
• Health care (disability and condition information, services and providers, caregiving options, financial assistance, etc.)
• Housing (housing laws, home buying guides, supportive housing options, home modification, etc.)
• Technology (accessible technology guidelines and standards, assistive information technology, assistive educational technology, financial assistance, etc.)
• Transportation (laws, travel guides, providers, vehicle modification, safety and complaint procedures, etc.)

Mortgage Calculator's "Fair and Affordable Housing: The Activist's Blueprint for Action" is a resource guide designed to help those fighting for fair and affordable housing in their communities have an even greater impact. The guide includes links to:

• National housing organization websites, research, and publications
• Brief summaries of housing laws and executive orders
• Options for reporting housing discrimination
• And more

Sponsored by Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities, The Jenny Hatch Justice Project (JHJP) supports the right of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities to make decisions about their lives. JHJP provides access to:

• Recent research publications on independent living services and alternatives to guardianship
• Informative brochures on decision-making
• A sample training program
• Legal, educational, and transition resources

AskJAN.org is an online resource center designed to provide employers, people with disabilities, their family members, service providers, educators, and others with technical assistance on job accommodations and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The site offers a number of ways to find this information, including:

• Search
• Information by Disability
• Information by Topic
• Site Map

WE SUPPORT NATIONALLY:

• RESEARCH related to Autism and related neuro-developmental disorders,
• PUBLIC AWARENESS about incidence of disorders and effective treatment,
• ACCURATE INFORMATION dissemination of up to date, research based information to families, educators and medical professionals, and
• EDUCATION of parents, advocates, clinicians, educators, lawyers and the community as to best practices and appropriate treatment. Promoting a collaborative, cross training approach.

THIS IS DONE THROUGH:

• BEING A SOURCE of accurate, up to date, research based information,
• TRAINING families, educators and clinicians and lawyers, through community training programs,
• SUPPORTING community programs that promote awareness about disabilities and support families and individuals with disabilities,
• PROMOTING INDEPENDENCE through education advocacy, self advocacy, independent living and home and community based services for children and adults with Autism and related neuro-developmental disorders,
• FUNDING of research that addresses the quality of life for parents and their children with Autism, and
• SPONSORING quality Special Education Advocacy trainings through NSEAI, which provides on-site, on-line training, and conferences.

Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities is an advocacy organization that is an independent catalyst for change in the lives of people of all ages with developmental disabilities. Quality Trust advocates, monitors, provides legal education, training, and family navigation to residents of the District of Columbia.

This guide, written by the Arc of Northern Virginia, will help you answer the following questions:

• Who’s in charge of key life decisions.
• Whether your adult child is eligible for government support.
• What kind of jobs and day support programs are available.
• Which recreational activities are best.
• How he or she will get around.
• Where they’ll live.

One in five Americans has a severe hearing loss, yet may not be aware of the special tax deductions and credits allowed by the Internal Revenue Service. Knowing about these deductions and credits can help you know which receipts and paperwork to save so you can claim them on your taxes.

This webpage offers a series of educative articles, compiled by Five 9 Call Center Software, on hearing impairment and accessibility issues. These articles provide specific information about:

• The history of telecommunications devices
• Telephone relay services
• Using a TTY system
• Accessing 9-1-1 emergency services
• Ongoing efforts to improve telecommunication
• Overcoming isolation through social media
• Making distance learning courses more inclusive
• The challenges of communicating in the workplace
• Accessibility and the Americans with Disabilities Act

This webpage also offers informative resources related to hearing impairment. These resources include:

• Webpages devoted to deaf culture
• Reviews of assistive technology products
• A database of closed-captioned, educational DVDs

The U.S. International Council on Disabilities (USICD) is a non-profit that promotes the inclusion of disability perspectives in U.S. foreign policy and aid and provides opportunities for domestic disability rights organizations to interface with their international counterparts.

Are You Between The Ages Of 18-26 With A Disability Who Wants To Help Other People With Disabilities? Are You Looking For Services To Help You Solve Everyday Issues? Do You Want To Learn About Advocacy?

Come discuss issues that affect you and others like yourself. The DCCIL Youth Peer Support and Group will provide you with an outlet to talk about issues that not only affect you, but others with disabilities. Connect with others and make a difference together.