State Institutions: Institutions for People with Disabilities

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a federally run benefits program that provides aid to people who are unable to achieve gainful employment due to a permanent disabling condition.

SSDI is financed by the Social Security tax. Therefore, any person that qualifies as disabled according to the definition provided by Social Security Administration (SSA), and who has paid Social Security taxes long enough to achieve sufficient work credits, can qualify for SSDI.

The Arc of Fresno and Madera Counties provides services for individuals with developmental disabilities. The term, developmental disability, describes a number of conditions which permanently restricts an individual’s development. In California, developmental disability is defined as: a diagnosis, originating before age 18, of one or more of the following conditions: mental retardation, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and autism. Individuals with Developmental Disabilities are eligible for services through the Regional Center System.

CAHF began in January 1950 as the California Association of Nursing Homes, Sanitariums, Rest Homes, and Homes for the Aged, or CANH, pronounced “can.” It was an era of long-term care virtually unrecognizable to modern caregivers. But from the earliest “mom and pop” nursing homes – and in the beginning they literally were homes – one theme has remained constant.

“There had to be caring,” said Louise Broderick, who began her long-term career in 1946 and went on to be president of CANH from 1962-1964. “If you care for people, you have to care from the heart every day. You take care of people and develop a reputation for quality.”

The movement toward a professional organization of long-term care providers began before World War II, with the formation of regional groups. By mid-1949 providers in the San Francisco area were staging rummage sales, card parties and similar events to pay the costs of organizing statewide. After preliminary meetings, 29 delegates from around the state gathered Aug. 14, 1950, in San Francisco to agree on articles of incorporation for the California Association of Nursing Homes, Sanitariums, Rest Homes, and Homes for the Aged Inc.

n colonial America, caring for people with disabilities was often a town's responsibility. Towns provided poor farms and almshouses as places to house and support those in need. Individuals with disabilities, criminals, and paupers were often lumped under one roof. The superintendents of the Johnson County Poor Farm and Asylum, which opened in 1855, argued that it offered good living and work conditions. However, these facilities were often overcrowded and dirty. They were also unregulated. Men and women lived in the same space with little oversight. Living at a poor farm was typically involuntary. Due to financial constraints or the inability to provide for their relatives properly, families often struggled to care privately for their relatives deemed “insane” or with physical disabilities. When families could not cope with care, these individuals became wards of the state. By the 1800s, inmate numbers swelled. Doctors blamed overcrowding on the rapid development of cities, machinery, and industry. Many physicians of that time believed that industrialization created pressure and stress on individuals. In response, state government took responsibility for these populations and often removed them to the countryside. Groups were divided and placed in institutions that were thought to be specific to their needs. However, individuals with disabilities-- whether physical or cognitive-- were commonly sent to "lunatic" and "insane" asylums.[2]

Find information for people with disabilities. Find financial help, benefits and find help for caregivers.

Provides information on the Laws/Regulations, Design Standards, Materials and Enforcement of ADA.

National Library Service (NLS) is a free braille and talking book library service for people with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, or a physical, perceptual, or reading disability that prevents them from using regular print materials. Through a national network of cooperating libraries, NLS circulates books and magazines in braille or audio formats, that are instantly downloadable to a personal device or delivered by mail free of charge.

ODDS strives to support choices of individuals with disabilities and their families within communities by promoting and providing services that are person-centered and directed, flexible, community inclusive, and supportive of the discovery and development of each individual's unique gifts, talents and abilities. We are committed to work toward service options to assure that people with developmental disabilities have the opportunity to have lives that are fulfilling and meaningful.

The Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities is made up of self-advocates, family members, representatives of advocacy organizations, and community organizations that provide services and supports to people with developmental disabilities.

RISE is an innovative, non-profit, human services network that was originally established in 1987 to help move individuals living in institutions into family settings.

The EDD enhances employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Through the America’s Job Center of CaliforniaSM (AJCC), the EDD provides universal access to services, making sure that all job applicants with disabilities receive equal employment opportunities.