A community organization dedicated to promoting inclusion, providing education and resources to the community and supporting individuals with Down syndrome and their families in Bucks County, PA.

The Arc PA

The Arc of Pennsylvania promotes the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively supports their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes.

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The Arc Alliance

The Arc Alliance is an affiliate of The Arc, with nearly 700 state and local chapters nationwide, is the largest national community-based organization advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Based in Eagleville, serving us regionally. 

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ADA National Network

The ADA National Network provides information, guidance and training on how to implement the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in order to support the mission of the ADA to “assure equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities.”

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Bucks County Right to Education Task Force

Provides a public forum that promotes collaboration among parents, educators, community agency professionals to address issues affecting all students receiving Special Education services in order to strengthen and improve programs and supports in Bucks County

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The Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education

CADRE - Supporting the prevention and resolution of disputes through partnership and collaboration.  CADRE's major emphasis is on encouraging the use of mediation, facilitation, and other collaborative processes as strategies for resolving disagreements between parents and schools about children's educational programs and support services. CADRE supports parents, educators, administrators, attorneys and advocates to benefit from the full continuum of dispute resolution options that can prevent and resolve conflict and ultimately lead to informed partnerships that focus on results for children and youth.  The Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education provides IDEA Dispute Resolution Parent Guides available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Hmong, Korean, Russian, Vietnamese, Burmese, Portuguese, Japanese, and Somali.

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Children First (formerly PCCY)​

Children First PA works to improve the lives of our region’s children by developing initiatives and advocating for quality health care, child care, public education and family stability.

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Council for Exceptional Children

The largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the success of children and youth with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. CEC advocates for appropriate governmental policies, sets professional standards, provides professional development, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice.

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Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA)

COPAA’s mission is to protect and enforce the legal and civil rights of students with disabilities and their families.  Our primary goal is to secure high quality educational services and to promote excellence in advocacy.

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Disability Rights PA

DRP provides help to Pennsylvanians with disabilities who are experiencing problems or who have questions related to their disability.  DRP helps people with disabilities in many areas such as abuse and neglect, access to community services, discrimination, ADA compliance issues, education, assistive technology, voting access, and access to Medical Assistance services. We help people with developmental disabilities, physical and sensory disabilities, brain injury, and people in mental health recovery.  The help can include information, referral to other organizations, advocacy and legal action. DRP also provides assistance on legal issues to attorneys and others and provides education and training on a variety of issues to consumers, families, advocates, and professionals.  This site is accessible in multiple languages.

 

Education Law Center

A non-profit legal advocacy and educational organization dedicated to ensuring that all of Pennsylvania's children have access to a quality public education.

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Hispanos Unidos Para Ninos Excepcionales (HUNE)

HUNE is a not for profit organization that provides free bilingual English and Spanish training, technical assistance and individual assistance to families of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and to professionals who work with children. 

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Include Me PA

The mission of the Include Me Program is to provide  on-site, intensive training and technical assistance to school districts, teachers, and families to increase their capacity to educate students with significant disabilities in general education classes and typical preschool settings.

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Liberty Resources

Liberty Resources, Inc. is the Center for Independent Living for the Philadelphia area, which advocates for and works with Persons with Disabilities to ensure their civil rights and equal access to all aspects of life in our community.

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Lives in the Balance

Lives in the Balance advocates for our most vulnerable kids and helps caregivers see them through more accurate, productive lenses and intervene in evidence-based ways that are collaborative, proactive, non-punitive, non-adversarial, non-exclusionary, relationship-building, and communication-enhancing.

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Mission Empower

Serving as a Community Resource Center, Mission Empower provides advocacy, education, and the promotion of inclusion, assisting families and their children with disabilities to enable their children to use their gifts and talents to reach their potential and become productive members of our community.

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NSEAI- National Special Education Advocacy Institute

National group based in Newtown Square, PA offering education advocacy training to professional and parents. NSEAI’s educational mission is to improve the quality and professionalism in the field of education advocacy, by encouraging the development of highly educated and knowledgeable advocates, that improve the educational and functional outcomes of children with disabilities, through the NSEAI Board Certified Education Advocate™ program.

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Office for Dispute Resolution

Providing Resources for parents and educators.  The Office for Dispute Resolution (ODR) provides the resources for families and educational agencies to resolve educational disputes for children served by the early intervention system, students who are gifted (or thought to be gifted), and students with disabilities (or thought to have disabilities).

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PA Consult-Line 1-800-879-2301

The Office for Dispute Resolution, PA - A direct line to a special education specialist who will: Explain federal and state laws relating to special education, describe the options that are available to parents, inform parents of procedural safeguards, identify other agencies and support services, and describe available remedies and how parents can proceed.

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PaTTAN

The PA Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN), in collaboration with the Bureau of Special Education, has created a website of resources for families and general educators supporting complex learners. The mission of the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network is to support the efforts and initiatives of the Bureau of Special Education, and to build the capacity of local educational agencies to serve students who receive special education services.

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Parent Education and Advocacy Leadership Center (PEAL)

The PEAL Center helps families and individuals with disabilities and special health care needs using a variety of strategies across PEAL Projects.  PEAL offers services in six key areas: Outreach, Individual Assistance, Resources, Trainings (Youth and Families), Leadership Development (Youth and Families), Partnerships.

 

Pennsylvania Bar Association

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Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE)

The mission of the department is to academically prepare children and adults to succeed as productive citizens. The department seeks to ensure that the technical support, resources and opportunities are in place for all students, whether children or adults, to receive a high quality education.

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Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education

The Bureau of Special Education works collaboratively with educators, schools, agencies, and other stakeholders across Pennsylvania to ensure students have access to quality and meaningful education supports, services, and opportunities.

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Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council

The Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council is a group of people with disabilities, family members, advocates, and state department representatives who work to create favorable conditions for people with developmental disabilities and their families in the Commonwealth.  Created under a federal act and Governor’s Executive Order, the Council is both a planning group and a funding body.

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Pennsylvania Education for All Coalition (PEAC)

Advocacy group that believes children of all backgrounds and abilities should be successfully educated together in their neighborhood schools within the general education curriculum.

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Pennsylvania Health Law Project

Organization whose mission is to help Pennsylvanians understand and navigate the healthcare system​

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Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Developmental Programs has a website "myodp" dedicated to providing resources

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Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia

The Public Interest Law Center uses high-impact legal strategies to advance the civil, social, and economic rights of communities in the Philadelphia region facing discrimination, inequality, and poverty. We use litigation, community education, advocacy, and organizing to secure access to fundamental resources and services.

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Self Advocates United as 1

Self Advocates United as 1 is a group of people who envision a world where people with developmental disabilities and their families are united to share knowledge, empower others, and use their voices to transform their communities and people’s lives.

 

TASH

TASH is an international leader in disability advocacy. Founded in 1975, TASH advocates for human rights and inclusion for people with significant disabilities and support needs – those most vulnerable to segregation, abuse, neglect and institutionalization. TASH works to advance inclusive communities through advocacy, research, professional development, policy, and information and resources for parents, families and self-advocates. 

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Vision for Equality

The mission of Vision for Equality is “To assist and empower people with disabilities and their families to seek quality and satisfaction in their lives as well as equal access to supports and services… We seek to bring people to full empowerment and to advance the ideal of services that highlight accountability, quality & equal availability for all.”

 

Voice and Vision

Our teams offer people the opportunity to be more informed about available services, connect to appropriate resources, and Voice their experiences and recommendations to improve services. Our Support Services offer people an opportunity to connect to a peer or a volunteer who supports the person

The Yellow Pages for Kids

The Yellow Pages for Kids will teach you how to be a more effective advocate. Learn how to build your team, get educated about your child's disability, find special education advocacy training, locate a parent group, and get legal and advocacy help.

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