For Individuals with Reading Challenges
- Dyslexia Friendly Libraries resources
- Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired features resources, reading material, and adaptive equipment.
- Regional Talking Book Centers
- Through the Library of Congress’s National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. Please click on your nearest regional center to find more resources and librarians to assist you.
- The International Dyslexia Association
- Features resources, fact sheets, and advocacy tools.
- Decoding Dyslexia
- A grassroots advocacy organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for Virginia’s children who have dyslexia, as well as educating the public. The Virginia Chapter has support group meetings throughout the state.
- Find It Virginia resources for digital books feature text magnification and in some cases, dyslexia friendly fonts. Ask your local librarian for assistance in adjusting fonts for readability.
- Bookshare
- Makes reading easier. People with dyslexia, blindness, cerebral palsy, and other reading barriers can customize their experience to suit their learning style and find virtually any book they need for school, work, or the joy of reading. This free service is available to any person with a demonstrable diagnosis.
For Individuals with Hearing Impairment
- Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- Features resources, information, adaptive equipment and interpreter accessibility.
- The Virginia Deaf Culture Digital Library
- Providing resources about deaf culture, including: information on acquiring and preserving an excellent collection of deaf resources in digital formats and highly competent assistance to Virginia residents and library staff in local public library systems, academic librarians in colleges and universities, and other libraries in the state of Virginia.
- Virginia Association of the Deaf
- The Maryland Deaf Culture Digital Home
- Contains a wealth of historical, cultural, and informational resources. The materials and services listed, however, are only for Maryland residents.
For Individuals with Visual & Hearing Impairment
- The Virginia Department of Education: Resources for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing,
- Contains a wealth of resources and services for this community.
- The Virginia Project for Children and Young Adults with Deaf-Blindness
- Supported by Virginia Commonwealth University, is designed to provide technical assistance, training, distance education, and networking information to families, teachers, and service providers of individuals birth through 21 who have both a hearing loss and a vision loss.
- The Northern Virginia Resource Center for the Virginia DeafBlind Project
- Regional support and services network.
For Individuals on the Autism Spectrum
- The Virginia Commonwealth Autism Center for Excellence
- A statewide resource center dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with ASD and their families.
- The Virginia Department of Education: Autism Resources
- Supports efforts to build capacity for those serving students with autism. Existing projects include increasing access to information and training, providing technical assistance, strengthening communities of practice, and helping to identify evidenced based practices through research and practice.
- The Virginia Autism Council
- Virginia’s clearinghouse on best practices and research-based education and training opportunities to advance personnel development and knowledge regarding autism in Virginia.
- The Autism Internet Modules
- Developed with one aim in mind: to make comprehensive, up-to-date, and usable information on autism accessible and applicable to educators, other professionals, and families who support individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Written by experts from across the U.S., all online modules are free, and are designed to promote understanding of, respect for, and equality of persons with ASD.