Helpful Links
We try not to make too many assumptions about people, but since you are reading this we assume you have access to an internet connection and that your share many of our interests and needs. Accordingly, we have put together a small collection of links to other web sites that we have found to be helpful. We will update this from time to time so come back and see what new resources we have found. Conversely, if you are wondering we haven't included a link to that site that you have found to be very helpful, please fill out the form at the bottom of this page and we will look into it.
Please note that these links are not in any particular order--importance, alphabetic or otherwise.
National/Regional Links
ADAPT A disclaimer here. DRAC sponsors a state chapter of ADAPT. ADAPT is a national organization of activists with disabilities who are committed to providing persons with disabilities a choice of where they want to live and in particular a choice about not being confined to a nursing home. Their web page will give information about two important pieces of legislation we are trying to get passed. MiCASSA will allow individuals who qualify for Medicaid funding of a nursing home stay to get up to roughly an equivalent amount of funding to pay for community attendant services. These attendants can be used for assistance in all activities of living, including work. These attendants can be hired, fired and managed by the individual with a disability or by others he/she has designated to do so on his/her behalf. Money Follows the Person allows nursing home money to follow an individual into the community. Better yet, it will allow the Federal Government to pay 100% of the costs of supporting an individual in the community for one year, after which there will be the regular Medicaid Match. This web site will also provide information about upcoming actions/protests which occur around the country and give pictorial and verbal essays on past actions. There is nothing quite like joining with 400 other activists from around the country to make your voice heard and get the juices flowing.
Capitol Advantage's Congress.org On Congress.org, visitors can take advantage of the full suite of tools, services and content that Capitol Advantage has spent nearly two decades developing and mastering. Use our ZIP code search engine to sort through pages of biographical information on national and local elected officials or candidates for office. Similar functionality is available for locating local media, bills and legislation, rules and regulations open for public comment, and much more. Type in your nine-digit zip code and find out who your local, state and federal representatives are. Don't know your nine digit zip code? Type in your address and it will do the rest. Click to email your government leaders. If you like a more personal touch compose your message, then say you want it sent as a letter. The program will compose your letter for you, including all the right salutations. Print your letter off and send it in. Need to look up an agency? Find a bureaucrat? This web page helps here too. This is an invaluable resource for someone who wants input with elected and bureaucratic officials.
Thomas Allows you to look up Congressional bills, track their progress, download them and track your Senators' and Representative's votes.
National Organization on Disability (NOD) A federal organization, NOD analyzes a number of federal agencies and polices with regard to their policies, procedures and attitudes towards people with disabilities. They also recommend new laws or changes to existing laws and policies. NOD advocated for the ADA and has advocated for actions that will strengthen and restore the ADA. They have a surprising willingness to take on other federal agencies. They have also addressed employment issues, marketing to people with disabilities, disaster preparedness and persons with disabilities, education, housing access, transportation access, assistive technology access and education, among many other topics.
The Ragged Edge Magazine Mouth Magazine Think you are part of the solution and not part of the problem? The Ragged Edge and Mouth Magazine are sure to get you to think again. Caustic, cutting, and often right on target, these magazines don't spare anyone who tries to say the disability lies with the person, that people with disabilities need to be "fixed" or that people with disabilities need to be "prevented." Equally hazed are all who try to elicit sympathy for people with disabilities, particularly in hopes of raising money. If you believe that disability lies in community attitudes and barriers and in particular with "helping professionals" you have found a home. The Ragged Edge is printed online, Mouth is only available in print, though their web site has a sample magazine.
Rocky Mountain ADA & IT Center Provides a wealth of information and technical assistance on ADA and Information Technology for persons with disabilities, advocates, businesses, architects and local and state government leaders. Want to know anything about the ADA or IT? This is the place.
American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) The nation's larges cross-disability membership and advocacy organization. AAPD provides strong advocacy for our needs and civil rights at the national level, provides benefits for their members and sponsors a great email newsletter (JFA or Justice for All) that provides timely updates on the challenges we are facing from our nation's capitol.
Steve Gold's Treasured Nuggets of Information Steve Gold is an outstanding attorney whose mission is enforcing the ADA, getting and keeping people out of nursing homes and insuring that ADAPT members don't spend any longer in jail than is absolutely necessary. Over the years Mr. Gold has acquired many inside pieces of information that are invaluable in our fight to enforce the ADA, keep people out of nursing homes and preserve our precious civil rights. This web site contains a searchable archive of these nuggets, as well as an invitation to have Mr. Gold email these nuggets to you as he comes across them.
State/Local Links
Utah State Web page Access online services, look up an agency or go to the legislature's web page. From the legislature's web page, look up your Senator and Representative. Email them. Track the progress of legislation and download proposed bills. During the session avail yourself of live feeds.
Utah State Directory Look up the direct line phone number, department and email address of any state employee. This allows you to do either an alphabetic or phonetic search.
Disability Law Center The Disability Law Center is an organization designated by the Governor, but not under his control, to protect the rights of persons with disabilities. Calling in with a legal/civil rights question that involves your disability will get you free advice, sometimes documents and forms to review and if your issue involves one of their systems change goals you may be able to join a class action suit or get full individual legal representation. The Disability Law Center has also begun holding some free legal clinics that are worth checking out. Their web site has a place where you can order helpful publications covering a wide range of issues or submit a question that you would like advice on.
Accessible Homes Foundation The Accessible Homes Foundation promotes the development of accessible homes. Their web page list the criteria for an accessible homes and list developers who have indicated a willingness to develop accessible homes.
Access Utah is basically a much more comprehensive version of this page. They have numerous links for disability resources at the local and national level, covering everything from health care to housing to advocacy.
Crossroads Urban Center Unfortunately, unemployment among persons with disabilities is intolerably high. Attitudinal barriers, Medicaid and other benefit disincentives (yes, they still exist), all combine to force many persons with disabilities into poverty. Therefore, we share many common interests and have shared many common battles with the Crossroads Urban Center. In fact, DRAC got our start as an offshoot of the Crossroads Urban Center. For true grassroots organizing and activism on poverty and housing issues its hard to find the equal of Crossroads Urban Center.
Brain Injury Association of Utah: Need information about brain injury support groups, how the brain operates, rehabilitation hows and wheres? The Brain Injury website has all this and more--everything you need to know about brain injuries, recovery from brain injuries and the services that the Brain Injury Association provides.
UTA Plan a trip, find routes and schedules. We don't always agree with the UTA, but they are still the only game in town when it comes to public transportation. The "plan a trip" function is particularly helpful with directions for pedestrian travel to the nearest bus stop, which buses to get on and where and what to transfer to and pedestrian directions from the last stop to your actual destination. Tell the trip planner when you want to leave or when you need to arrive and it will tell you when you need to be at the bus stop.