Disability Resources & Support
You Belong
Disability is part of human diversity. You deserve access, accommodation, and community.
This guide connects you to disability-specific resources, rights, and support.
Start Here: Finding Local Support
🔍 findhelp.org
- Search by ZIP code for disability services near you
- Free resource locator
- Includes: accessibility services, benefits assistance, housing, healthcare, equipment
- Available nationwide
This is the fastest way to find local disability resources.
Know Your Rights
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
You have the right to:
- Reasonable accommodations at work
- Accessible public spaces
- Non-discrimination in employment, housing, education
- Service animals
- Accessible websites (for some entities)
Learn more:
Section 504 & IDEA (For Students)
Section 504: Accommodations in school (K-12, college)
IDEA: Special education services (K-12)
Resources:
- Understood.org: understood.org
- Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF): dredf.org
Disability Benefits
SSI & SSDI
SSI (Supplemental Security Income):
- Need-based
- For people with limited income/resources
- Disability must prevent work
SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance):
- Based on work history
- Must have worked and paid into Social Security
Apply:
- ssa.gov/disability
- Online, phone, or in-person
Getting help with application:
- Disability Rights organizations (each state has one)
- Find yours: ndrn.org/about/ndrn-member-agencies
- Lawyers: Many work on contingency (paid from back pay if you win)
Know: First application is often denied. Appeal. Most people win on appeal.
Other Benefits
SNAP (Food Stamps)
Medicaid
- Healthcare for low-income/disabled
- medicaid.gov
Housing assistance
Benefits checkup:
- Benefits.gov: See what you qualify for
- benefits.gov
Finding Disability-Affirming Support
What “Affirming” Means
Disability-affirming support:
- âś… Social model of disability (society disables, not your body)
- ✅ You’re the expert on your experience
- âś… Accommodations are rights, not favors
- âś… Disability is part of identity, not tragedy
- âś… Nothing About Us Without Us
NOT affirming:
- ❌ Medical model only (you’re broken, need fixing)
- ❌ Inspiration porn (“you’re so brave!”)
- ❌ Infantilization
- ❌ Ableism
- ❌ Pity
Disability Justice Framework
Disability justice principles:
- Intersectionality - Race, class, gender, disability intersect
- Leadership of those most impacted
- Anti-capitalist politic - Worth isn’t productivity
- Cross-movement solidarity
- Wholeness - Not broken
- Sustainability - Pace that honors bodies
- Commitment to cross-disability solidarity
Created by: Sins Invalid, Patty Berne, Mia Mingus
Learn more:
- Sins Invalid: sinsinvalid.org
Workplace Accommodations
Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
Free service helping with:
- What accommodations to request
- How to request them
- Your rights
Contact:
- askjan.org
- 1-800-526-7234
- Searchable database by disability
Common Accommodations
Physical:
- Ergonomic furniture
- Wheelchair accessibility
- Adjustable desk/monitor
- Parking accommodation
- Modified schedule
Sensory:
- Quiet workspace
- Noise-canceling headphones
- Lighting adjustments
- Sunglasses indoors
Cognitive/Mental Health:
- Flexible hours
- Work from home
- Written instructions
- Extended deadlines
- Breaks as needed
- Quiet space for breaks
Chronic illness/pain:
- Flexible schedule
- Work from home
- Reduced hours
- Breaks/rest periods
- Modified duties
Requesting Accommodations
You don’t have to disclose your diagnosis.
Instead:
- “I have a medical condition that requires accommodation”
- “I need [specific accommodation] to perform my job”
- Medical documentation may be required (doctor’s note)
Process:
- Request accommodation (preferably in writing)
- Employer requests medical documentation
- Interactive process (discuss what works)
- Accommodation implemented
If denied unreasonably:
- EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission): eeoc.gov
- 1-800-669-4000
- File a charge of discrimination
Chronic Illness & Pain
Resources
The Mighty
- themighty.com
- Articles, community, stories
ChronicBabe
- chronicbabe.com
- For people with chronic illness
National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
HealthUnlocked
- healthunlocked.com
- Communities by condition
Spoon Theory
Coined by Christine Miserandino to explain chronic illness/pain energy limits.
Spoons = units of energy.
- Healthy person: unlimited spoons
- Chronic illness: limited daily spoons
- Every activity costs spoons
- When you’re out, you’re out
Learn more: butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory
r/spoonie (Reddit)
Mobility Disabilities
Wheelchair Users
United Spinal Association
- unitedspinal.org
- Resources, advocacy
Wheelchair Access
- AXS Map: axsmap.com
- Crowdsourced accessibility ratings
Service Animals
Your rights:
- Service animals allowed in all public places
- Cannot be denied (with rare exceptions)
- No “certification” required (beware scams)
ADA info on service animals:
Deaf & Hard of Hearing
Resources
National Association of the Deaf (NAD)
Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA)
Captioning & Access
711 - Telecommunications Relay Service
- For phone calls
Otter.ai
- Live transcription (free tier available)
Google Live Transcribe (Android app)
Streaming:
- Most services now offer captions
- YouTube auto-captions (varying quality)
Learning ASL
ASL University (Bill Vicars)
- lifeprint.com
- Free ASL lessons
SignASL.org
The ASL App
- Paid, but comprehensive
Blind & Low Vision
Resources
National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
American Council of the Blind (ACB)
Assistive Technology
Screen readers:
- JAWS (Windows, paid)
- NVDA (Windows, free)
- VoiceOver (Mac/iOS, built-in)
- TalkBack (Android, built-in)
Magnification:
- ZoomText (paid)
- Built-in OS magnifiers
Audio description:
- Many streaming services offer it
- Look for “AD” or “Audio Description”
Resources:
- Perkins School for the Blind: perkins.org
Invisible Disabilities
Validation
Your disability is real even if people can’t see it.
Common invisible disabilities:
- Chronic pain
- Chronic fatigue (ME/CFS, fibromyalgia)
- Mental illness
- Neurodivergence (ADHD, autism)
- Chronic illness (lupus, Crohn’s, POTS, EDS)
- Traumatic brain injury
- Learning disabilities
Resources
But You Don’t Look Sick
Invisible Disabilities Association
r/chronicpain, r/ChronicIllness (Reddit)
Mental Illness as Disability
Mental illness can be disabling.
You may qualify for:
- SSI/SSDI
- FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act)
- Workplace accommodations
- School accommodations
Resources:
- NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): nami.org
- DBSA (Depression Bipolar Support Alliance): dbsalliance.org
See also: Therapy Resources
Housing & Accessibility
Fair Housing Act
Requires reasonable accommodations in housing.
Examples:
- Service/assistance animals (even if “no pets”)
- Accessible parking
- Ramp installation
- Grab bars
- Visual fire alarms
Contact:
- HUD (Housing & Urban Development): 1-800-669-9777
- hud.gov/fairhousing
Finding Accessible Housing
findhelp.org
- Search by ZIP code for accessible housing programs
- Find housing assistance, emergency housing, accessible units
- Start here first
HUD Resource Locator:
National Disability Rights Network:
- Find your state agency
- ndrn.org
Transportation
Paratransit
Most cities with public transit offer paratransit (door-to-door service for people unable to use regular transit).
How to access:
- Contact your local transit authority
- May require application + documentation
Ride Services
Uber/Lyft:
- Some cities offer discounted rides for people with disabilities
- WAV (wheelchair accessible vehicles) in some areas
Books & Learning
“Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice” by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
- Disability justice, care webs, access intimacy
“Disability Visibility” edited by Alice Wong
- Essays by disabled writers
“Demystifying Disability” by Emily Ladau
- Intro to disability, rights, etiquette
“Being Heumann” by Judith Heumann
- Disability rights activist memoir
“The Pretty One” by Keah Brown
- Black disabled woman’s memoir
Online Communities
r/disability - General disability
r/ChronicPain - Chronic pain
r/ChronicIllness - Chronic illness
r/Fibromyalgia, r/CFS, r/POTS - Specific conditions
Social Media
#DisabilityTwitter - Disabled community on Twitter
#ActuallyAutistic, #ADHD, etc. - Neurodivergent communities
Alice Wong (@SFdirewolf) - Disability Visibility Project founder
Imani Barbarin (@Imani_Barbarin) - Disability rights activist
Healthcare Navigation
Finding Disability-Competent Doctors
Ask:
- “What’s your experience with [your disability]?”
- “Are you willing to work with me on accommodations?”
- “Do you believe me when I describe my symptoms?”
Red flags:
- Dismissive
- “It’s all in your head”
- Won’t accommodate
- Doesn’t listen
Green flags:
- Listens
- Takes you seriously
- Willing to collaborate
- Understands your condition
Advocating for Yourself
Bring:
- Written list of symptoms
- Questions
- Support person if helpful
Say:
- “I need you to document this in my chart”
- “I need a referral to a specialist”
- “That treatment didn’t work, what else can we try?”
You can:
- Get a second opinion
- Fire a doctor
- Request a different doctor
- File a complaint
Financial Assistance
Start with findhelp.org:
- Search by ZIP code for local financial assistance programs
- Find disability benefits help, medical bill assistance, equipment programs
Medical Expenses
HealthWell Foundation
- healthwellfoundation.org
- Copay/premium assistance
Patient Advocate Foundation
NeedyMeds
- needymeds.org
- Prescription assistance, disease-specific programs
Equipment & Assistive Tech
State Assistive Technology Programs
- Each state has one
- Loans, funding, training
- at3center.net/stateprogram
Freecycle, Buy Nothing groups
- Sometimes people give away medical equipment
Disability Advocacy Organizations
American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)
National Disability Rights Network (NDRN)
- ndrn.org
- State Protection & Advocacy agencies
Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN)
- autisticadvocacy.org
- “Nothing About Us Without Us”
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF)
Multiverse & Disabled Students
Many of us are disabled. You belong here.
Accommodations we can offer:
- Flexible participation
- Reduced expectations when needed
- Multiple ways to engage (text, voice, async)
Accommodations we can’t offer:
- 24/7 support
- Professional medical/mental health care
- Crisis intervention
If you need accommodation, ask. Facilitators will work with you.
See also:
Remember
Disability is not tragedy.
You are not broken.
Accommodations are rights, not favors.
Your access needs matter.
You belong in community.
See Also:
- Neurodivergent Resources (overlap with disability)
- Therapy Resources
- Survival Resources
- Crisis Resources