Resources

  • Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)—a membership organization that supports and promotes a national network of university-based interdisciplinary programs. Network members consist of:67 University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), receiving core funding from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD); 43 Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Programs receiving core funding from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB); and 15 Intellectual and Developmental Disability Research Centers (IDDRC), receiving core funding from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Development (NICHD).
  • ABLE TN—ABLE TN will encourage and assist individuals and families to save private funds to support individuals with disabilities by offering tax-advantaged investment plans for disabled individuals to pay for expenses including, but not limited to: education, housing, transportation, employment training and support, assistive technology, personal support services, and funeral and burial expenses.
  • Disability Rights Tennessee—Each state has a Protection & Advocacy System to empower, protect, and advocate on behalf of persons with disabilities. Disability Rights Tennessee advocates for the rights of Tennesseans with disabilities to ensure that they have an equal opportunity to be productive and respected members of our society.
  • Empower TN—Empower TN is Middle Tennessee’s Center for Independent Living. Programs are offered in five core service areas: Peer Support, Information and Referral, Individual and Systems Advocacy, and Independent Living Skills Training.
  • National Disability Rights Network—NDRN is the nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and Client Assistance Programs (CAP). Collectively, the P&A/CAP network is the largest provider of legally based advocacy services to people with disabilities in the United States.
  • National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities—NACDD serves as the National Voice of State and Territorial Councils on Developmental Disabilities. The organization supports Councils in implementing the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act promoting the interest and rights of people with developmental disabilities and their families.
  • Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC)—The SILC in Tennessee educates the community and public leaders about the Independent Living philosophy, provides training and support to the Independent Living community, and, per new language of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), facilitates funding opportunities for expanding the practice of IL in Tennessee.
  • Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities—Each state has a Council whose key functions are systems change, capacity building, and advocacy. The Tennessee Council accomplishes these aims through public policy collaboration, community building, a grant program, leadership development, and public awareness.
  • Tennessee Disability Pathfinder—Provides free information and referral and a searchable web directory of Tennessee services and supports.
  • TennesseeWorks—TennesseeWorks is a collaboration of agencies and organizations working together to improve employment outcomes for young people with disabilities. Together, we are working to implement policy and systems changes that make competitive employment the first and desired choice for every Tennessean.
  • University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service (UCEDDs)—This network of 67 centers in every U.S. state and territory supports interdisciplinary training, exemplary services, research, and dissemination of information. This network is coordinated by the Association of University Centers on Disabilities. Tennessee is one of the few states that has two Centers for Excellence: