Information is power, and we invite you to browse the following resources for information you can use in your family if you have a child or an adult with a disability, or if you want to help educate our community about ways we can all open doors for people with disabilities.

• Advocacy & Parent Information
  • Missouri First Steps program (entry-point for services for young children with disabilities)
  • MPACT (parent training and information, including sample letters, workshops and information about volunteer parent advocates) 
  • Missouri Developmental Disability Resource Center
  • Parents Helping Parents (search Missouri)
  • Sharing Our Stengths  
  • Wrights Law (information about advocacy and the law)
  • Missouri Dept of Elementary and Secondary Education, Special Education Parent Resources
     
• Organizations with Service Coordinators
  • Missouri First Steps (for children with disabilities)
  • Missouri Vocational Rehab (for adults with disabilities)
  • Albany Regional Office (the local office of Mo Division of Developmental Disabilities)
  • Progressive Community Services  (Buchanan County Senate Bill 40)
     
• Education
  • Missouri Headstart & Early Headstart (An early learning program that serves children with disabilities)
  • Early Head Start ( the local Head Start office, for children ages 18 mo to 3 years)
  • Head Start (local Head Start office, for children ages 3 to 5 years) 
  • St. Joseph School District
  • St. Joseph Parents as Teachers
  • The International Dyslexia Association
     
• Employment
  • St. Joseph Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
     
• National Agencies and Affiliates
  • UCP (National agency web site)
  • Autism Society (nationwide support group)

  • National Down Syndrome Society (national advocate)

• Funding Sources
• Kids Assistive Technology
• Cerner First Hand Foundation
• Midwest Special Needs Trust
   
• State Agencies
  • Albany Regional Center - St. Joseph Branch Office
  • DESE
  • Bureau of Special Health Care Needs (services for children and adults with disabilities, part of Mo Dept of Health and Senior Services)
  • Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
  • Missouri Department of Mental Health
  • Missouri First Steps
  • Vocational Rehabilitation 
  • Social Security Disability Resource Center
• Transportation and Equipment 
  • Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (a Medicaid service)
  • Missouri Developmental Disability Resource Center (comprehensive services and information for Missouri)
  • Missouri Assistive Technology (Missouri resource for device loans, information, conferences, and many other equipment resources)
  • Missouri Swap 'N Shop Equipment Exchange Program
  • Ability Hub (computer accessibility)
  • Accessibility Equipment Manufacturers Association
  • AssistiveTech.net (database of assistive technology (AT) and disability-related information)
  • The Family Center on Technology and Disability
    (information and services)