Transportation & Mobility

Transportation is a vital resource to all individuals in this city. Not every doctor, food store, and pharmacy is around the corner from us. Without transportation it would be pretty hard right? Well the following links are helpful for individuals with disabilities to get from point A to B like you and me.


Wiley Express Transport
http://www.weexpresstransport.com/Services.html

Wiley Express Transport is a family owned and operated business that serves the following area Dallas, Cedar Hill, Desoto, Duncanville, Lancaster, and Oak Cliff. It is a private medical transportation for those individuals whom have Medicaid. The company will even handle the individuals Medicaid billing paperwork. Their hours of operation are Monday through Saturday 5am to 10pm. Their toll free number is (888) 600- 5935.

TRAX
http://www.atcog.org/trax.htm

TRAX is a program that serves people in non-urban areas. TRAX is funded by the Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration. They take people to the grocery store, to and from work, to pay pills, doctor's appointments, to the bank and to various other places that one might need to go. TRAX also provides accommodations for individuals with special needs and has ADA accessible vehicles.

Hoston Independent School District Connect

http://www.houstonisd.org/portal/site/Transportation/menuitem.1ac571c4b25f445d37ffc96de041f76a/?vgnextoid=34a4885f50602110VgnVCM10000028147fa6RCRD&vgnextchannel=98ba210fa27ee010VgnVCM10000028147fa6RCRD

Hoston Independent School provides transportation services specified by the Admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee. It also provides frequently asked questions and other important questions that parents need to know for their children to be successfully transported to and from school.  This site also gives student, parents and district responsibility that must be followed for a safe transport.

Independent Living

Independent living is often defined in terms of living on one's own, being employed in a job fitting one's capabilities, and having an active social life. The following resources will benefit the individual with special needs to learn theses independent living skills.

Texas State Independent Living Council
http://www.txsilc.org/


The Texas State Independent Living Council (SILC) is an non-profit organization whose mission statement is to assure that Texans with disabilities have access to quality independent living services by providing a framework for service delievery. The main purpose of this organization is to develop, with the help of Rehabiliation and Blind services, the State Plan for Independent Living. The independent delivery system is composed of twenty-three centers for independent living and at a minimum they are required to provide individual and systems advocay, cross-disability peer counseling, information and referral and also independent living skills training. The centers may also offer other services such as equipment loans, assistive technology and employment assistance. The links to all the centers can be found at this website.

College Living Experience

http://www.experiencecle.com/independent_living_skills.aspx

 

Through College Living Experience individuals with special needs experience independent living in their own pace. Young adults with Autism, Asperger’s, Learning Disabilities, Traumatic Brain injury, Cerebral Palsy and other special needs can successfully transition to independent adulthood with tailored support. Students may live by themselves, but they are not alone. A resident staff member that lives in or near the apartments along with other staff is there to help and assist in provide social activities, academic support, remembering to taking medication and other daily living areas. Also, CLE provides information regularly to the parents on how their child is progressing towards their independent living such as laundry, pay bills and even to know what bad milk smells like. Students with special needs can learn to become independent adults through CLE.

Deaf Action Center
http://www.deafactioncentertexas.org/independentliving.html
Deaf Action Center is services offered to those individuals who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. They provide an Effective Living Choices Program which is an independent living skills program modified specifically for the individual. It focuses on his/her immediate needs, long-term goals and desires, equipping the individual with the resources necessary to live, self-determination, work and make the important decisions that affect one's life. This program incorporates the following:

• Assistive Technology
• Independent Living skills Training
• Community Based Services
• Client Support Services
• Financial Literacy Classes
• Sign Language Classes
• Video Communication Services
• Computer Literacy Classes
• Employment Assistance
• Sign Language Translating and Assistance for Native Users of Foreign Sign Language
• Computer Lab with Internet Access for Client/Consumer Use

Financial & Income Needs

Parents, help is available to you. As the parent or guardian of a child with a disability, you may have many questions about support and assistance available to you. The following resources will help you discover financial assistance and services available in the local area.

1. Be An Angel

http://www.beanangel.org/support_finance.html

Be An Angel benefits parents with children with multiple disabilities and profound

deafness. This organization provides contact information of government programs and nonprofit organizations that can financially assist parents with caring for their children in the Houston, Texas area. They have been around for 25 years helping parents. They also provide newsletters with programs for those parents who can not access the World Wide Web.  One of their resources posted on the web is Texas Department of Insurance; which can assist parents whom are having problems with insurance for their child.

2. Great Schools

http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/support/help-parents-kids-with-ld-ad-hd.gs?content=694

This link is mostly for children with Learning Disabilities that aren't covered by traditional health insurances and financial aid is available for college. This website lists options to consider such as health insurance coverage, supplemental security income (SSI) which benefits families with a low income. They also offer a Flexible Spending Plan (FSP) benefit that helps pay for diagnostic or treatment services; and there is also a second type of flexible spending plan for dependent care. There is a lot of beneficial information that helps parents know how they can pay for their child's services.

3. Disabled Children's Relief Fund

http://www.dcrf.com/ordereze/default.aspx


The Disabled Children's Relief Fund is a non-profit organization that provides children who are disabled with assisantace to purchase the equipment that they need. They focus their attention on helping children thoughout the United States that do not have adequate health care services, especially those who are physically challenged. Applications may be submitted by parents, individual child or by a non profit organization for a small group of children. This website is a great resource for parents who do not have the insurance necessary to purchase the equipment necessary for their children.

Postseconday Education

Postsecondary Education are goals given to individuals with disabilities to continue their education after high school. We all know that students that complete postsecondary education typically earn more money than those that have just a high school diploma. The following resources are for teachers to help guide theses student to a better future.

1. Dare to Dream
http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/dream_adults.pdf

Dare to Dream is an informal assessment for teachers to help the student plan their future dreams. It is a great person-centered planning for it provides many frame works that pertain to the students’ interest and needs for their future education. For example, page 29 “What Job Do I Want To Have,” explores job options and career guidance by a counselor. In addition, on page 37, “Education for Work,” explains why postsecondary is necessary for obtain a job in the future.  It is a brainstorming process that includes teachers and students to figure out what postsecondary goals must be meant.
2. Wrights Law
http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/sec504.transition.ocr.pdf

The Wrights Law website is a great resource for teachers looking for information to give out to their students. The information that is provided is from the Office of Civil Rights in the Office of Education. It is written in an easy to read format, with questions that are easily addressed. Teachers can use this information to help their students understand their rights and responsibilities that they are entitled to.  This website also explains the obligations of a postsecondary school to provide academic adjustments, which includes auxiliary aids and services to ensure that the school does not discriminate on the basis of disability.

3. National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2)

http://www.nlts2.org/

NLTS2 helps teachers define the secondary school experiences for students with disabilities. This includes any related services to postsecondary education. Teachers can benefit from this website by identifying factors in students' secondary school and post school experiences that contribute to more positive outcomes.

Vocational Education/Training

Working training programs emerged in the 1940's, this emphasis skilled development and jobs within the communities. Vocational education for students with disabilities was provided in 1968, government offered companies money to support theses services. The following links will help individuals with disabilities and educators in this department.

1. Vocational Training Council
http://www.vtc.edu.hk/vtc/web/template/text.jsp?fldr_id=196
The Vocational Training Council (VTC) provides vocational training and supportive services to individuals with disabilities through its Vocational Training for People with Disabilities. Their objective is to evaluate the physical, psychological, educational and vocational capabilities. VTC also guides them to formulate individual goals and the means of achieving such goals.
2. Life Focus Center
http://lifefocuscenter.org/
Life Focus Center is integrated with the community to offer individuals with disabilities broad range of positive development. For instance, it assists them on self-worth and personal growth development with a community or job. The organization helps individuals at all ages from child to adult.
3. Article: Preparing Students with Disabilities for School-to- Work
This article is great to read and share, it starts off explaining the quality of life; how having a job is great pride to all including individuals with disabilities. It informs the public the mandated laws schools should provide and five major skill areas students with disabilities should acquire before entering the work force. This is a great guideline broken down from ages to how vocational education can be accomplished.
http://www.nasponline.org/resources/principals/Transition%20Planning%20WEB.pdf