Tech4POD Resources

This website introduces, connects, and coordinates technologies and practices for families, teachers, educators, state schools, etc. Access to webinars, information databases, and lists of grants funded by OSEP is provided.

This website provides extensive information related to assistive technologies (ATs) for children with disabilities. Viewers can access fact sheets and reviews for different ATs, newsletters, organizations, meeting transcripts, and more.

This website was created by a family with a child with special needs. It includes various resources, including multiple resource listings.

David Pogue meets with innovative engineers and computer scientists working to create thought-controlled video games, robotic exoskeletons, and virtual reality that seamlessly integrates with the real world.

Amos Winter and his team at MIT built the Leveraged Freedom Chair, a cheap lever-powered wheelchair whose design and development put the user first.

Scott Belkner has Cerebral Palsy, but for him it is not a disability. Things just take him a little bit longer sometimes.

This site has a comprehensive list of summer camps, programs, and articles for children with ADHD.

This site shares information on how to use the iPad®, iPhone®, iPod Touch® and Android® devices with people with special needs. This site includes app lists, how-to's, success stories, community feedback, and a review system for particular apps.

Camp Mak-A-Dream is a camp designed for children, teens and young adults affected by cancer.

CHADD is a non-profit organization serving individuals with ADHD and their families by providing education, advocacy, and support.

This site offers a wide range of products for children with special needs, including hearing, mobility and communication devices.

This site provides families the tools for making informed decisions, advocating, and building partnerships with professionals for all children and youth with special health care needs and/or disabilities.

Got-Autism offers a wide selection of the best therapeutic, educational, and sensory solutions for children and young adults on the autism spectrum, including ABA tools, PECS, social skills, occupational and speech therapy aids, games, toys, personal care, books and DVDs.

This site provides a summer camp directory and guide for kids, teens and youth with and without special needs.

National Dance Institute is a non-profit arts education organization that seeks to engage and motivate children toward excellence.

The NICHCY provides information regarding disabilities, programs and services, laws on disability, and research-based information on effectice practices for children with disabilities.

This site provides information for parents of children with disabilities.

This site serves as a resource for parents of children with any special need.

This site provides a network of resources for children with different illnesses, including 30 camps and programs worldwide.

This site provides a variety of seating systems, wheelchairs, standing supports, transportation aides and toilet and bath accessories for children with disabilities.

This site has therapy materials to help children improve skills in listening, paying attention, communicating, reading, and social interaction.

The Arc is a national community-based organization that advocates for and serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

The IDA is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping individuals with dyslexia, their families and the communities that support them.

The MAGIC Foundation is a non-profit organization created to provide support services for the families of children affected with a wide variety of chronic and/or critical disorders, syndromes and diseases that affect a child's growth.

This site provides a list of resources for parents of children with special needs.

This website provides information for individuals with disabilities to participate in downhill skiing.

American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons website offers information on club foot including information on causes, symptoms, and both surgical and nonsurgical treatments.

This website shows different accessibility options available with iPad.

This site provides information on a variety of programs that can assist children with physical impairments in the education setting.

Caring for Cerebral Palsy is a website that offers resources specific to the care of children with cerebral palsy, including dressing, bathing, nutrition and several other areas of care.

Cerebral Palsy International Research Foundation (CPI) offers global research on CP. They include information from the media, events, fact sheets, terminology, and other information on up and coming research in this area.

This website provides information on Child Life Specialists, professionals trained to work with children and families experiencing health challenges.

Children’s Advocacy Network helps parents get involved in to improve the lives of their families and children through policy change.

This website provides information on evaluations for safe driving and exploring options of modified vehicles through the Courage Center.

Courage Center is an organization serving individuals with different types of disabilities through comprehensive outpatient and inpatient therapies.

The mission of the D.A.G.E.R.S. website is to provide a rating system for video game accessibility. On this website, video games are reviewed and described so that individuals with physical disabilities can make informed decisions before purchasing a video game.

Disability Rights Wisconsin provides legal and advocacy help for people with disabilities to improve accessibility to community resources and mainstream society.

Facing Disability is a website devoted to spinal cord injury. It includes videos from the perspective of a person with a spinal cord injury, family members, and medical experts.

This organization acts as an advocacy group for families with children with special needs.

Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare is a healthcare system based in St. Paul, MN serving children and young adults with special health-care needs, with an emphasis on orthopedic impairments and disabilities.

Life Navigators is an advocacy group serving individuals with disabilities and their families. This organization helps family’s access resources, support groups, advocacy and legal help.

Based in St. Paul, Minnesota, MCIL promotes the Independent Living philosophy to encourage individuals to lead self-directed lives. While many of their programs are applicable, perhaps the Ramp Project is most important to note in the context of Tech4Pod. The Ramp project provides guidance in design, planning and implementation of safe ramps for accessibility.

The mission of the STAR program is to help all Minnesotans gain access to assistive technology.

This website provides tips and considerations for families traveling with children with physical disabilities.

This website provides information on orthopedic impairments regarding definitions, diagnosis, clinical features, treatment and prognosis.

This website offers information regarding support groups, resources and access to publications and research.

This website provides free downloads for computer games that only require one switch to play.

This website provides information and support on OI and access to research.

This website provides information on technology consultations and individualized training and workshops to make technology accessible for children with disabilities.

This website provides activities for the educational environment, ranging from simple cause and effect games to recreational activities.

This website connects parents who have children with similar needs with resources and links to other supportive agencies.

This website provides information on workshops for students and their parents on a variety of disabilities.

This website is a resource for families looking for medical equipment and supplies.

This website provides some guidelines and suggestions for teachers regarding assistive technology in their classrooms.

This is the official website of Special Olympics, a program offering opportunities to individuals with a range of disabilities to compete in sporting events.

The University of California San Francisco Fetal Treatment Center offers information on Spina Bifida (Myelomeningocele) on their website. They offer an overview, current news an research, information on MOMS trial, videos, and support group information related to this disability.

This website provides information on spina bifida for parents. It also has an Ask the Expert feature for questions that are not specifically answered on the website. (

This website is a resource for parents and guardians to reach out to other individuals experiencing the same challenges of raising a child with a disability.

This website offers information and resources for education, employment, assistive technology and referrals for parents and families for children with cerebral palsy.

This website provides advocacy information and assistance for parents of children with disabilities.

This site provides links to manufacturers of assistive devices, transfer lifts, adaptive clothing, exercise devices, medical equipment, reading aides and toys.

Bridgeway Independent Living Designs, LLC is a company that specializes in home modification and adaptation for people with disabilities in the Milwaukee area.

This website provides information related to children with disabilities who are under 22 years of age. Information includes: types of disabilities, programs and services, the nation’s special education law (IDEA), and research-based effective practices. The website provides information for family members and friends of children with disabilities, including:

1. connecting to research;
2. offering publications in English and Spanish;
3. networking and connecting (centers, advocacy groups, support groups, etc. ) at local, state, and federal levels;
4. answering questions;
5. customizing information to meet specific needs; and
6. describing/teaching effective communicating/disseminating practice.

This website was created by a family of a child with special needs and it is intended for other families and friends of children with special needs. Their mission is to improve the comfort and quality of life of kids with special needs by providing financial, educational, and community support to families and therapists. The website describes “Lexi’s Equipment Closet” where families needing equipment can “rent" or try out the equipment before making a non- refundable purchase. Donations of outgrown equipment is also encouraged. In addition, the group provides accessible playground equipment and hosts annual networking events.

This site covers EVERY ASPECT of assistance and advocacy for families/individuals with Spinal Cord Injuries. I put the link to their “resource center” page because I thought this was the most helpful page. It was not hard to find it from the main page of the site. I found resources on ‘Adaptive Sports & Recreation’ to ‘Service Animals’. There was even a link to connect you with resources on a local/state level too. The areas that were recommended to look for in our search for resources were just a small portion of what this national website had to offer. Finding the national associations for individual disabilities seems to always be a great start for parents and adults with any disability, not just orthopedic.