This Executive Order directs state agencies to coordinate efforts to increase employment of Arkansans with disabilities.
This bill appropriates funds to the Department of Education from the Division of Career and Technical Education Public School Fund Account, for Coordinated Career Education Services for Special Needs Students.
This bill establishes the Building Better Futures High School Program, which enables students with intellectual disabilities to broaden their career opportunities in an inclusive environment while completing the additional years of high school as allowed by law.
This bill allows a student with disabilities receiving special education or related services to present proof the student is successfully completing his or her IEP in order to be issued a driver's license, in place of proof of receipt of a high school diploma or proof of a "C" average in the previous semester.
Topic(s): Connecting Activities
This program offers comprehensive special education instruction for students with disabilities, with a focus on vocational education. Specific subject areas include economics, keyboarding, computer technology, career education, industrial arts, and business education.
Operating Entity: ACCESS Arkansas
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
Topic(s): Career Prep & Work-Based Learning
This program pairs transition-age youth with disabilities with Transition Consultants who connect youth with transition services and provide advice about entering postsecondary education or the workforce. Transition Consultants also provide transition trainings and advice to teachers and education providers.
Operating Entity: Arkansas Transition Services
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
This program provides habilitative, supervised living, prevocational, therapeutic, and educational services to individuals with developmental disabilities. This program also provides employment prevocational services, teaching participants skills such as compliance, task completion, problem solving, and safety.
Operating Entity: Arkansas Department of Human Services, Arkansas Division of Developmental Disabilities Services
Entity Type: State Agency / Office
Topic(s): Career Prep & Work-Based Learning
This program enables individuals with disabilities, service providers and others to learn about, access, and acquire assistive technology needed for education, employment, and community living. Services include device demonstrations, reutilization, loans, and financing.
Operating Entity: Increasing Capabilities Access Network (ICAN)
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
Topic(s): Connecting Activities
This program provides training to multiple disadvantaged groups, including youth with developmental disabilities, to help them formulate business ideas and develop self-sufficiency skills.
Operating Entity: Arkansas Human Development Corporation (AHDC)
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
This program helps students with disabilities transition to higher education. It focuses on self-advocacy, transitioning, assistive technologies, college survival skills, and more.
Operating Entity: University of Central Arkansas, Disability Resource Center
Entity Type: College / University
This program helps ensure underserved parents of children with disabilities, including low-income parents, parents of children who are English learners, and parents with disabilities, have the training and information they need to enable them to participate effectively in helping their children.
Operating Entity: Arkansas Support Network
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
Topic(s): Family Engagement
The Arkansas Department of Human Services has five human development centers throughout Arkansas for individuals with severe developmental disabilities. The Centers provide vocational training, work experience, and job opportunities, among other services.
Operating Entity: Arkansas Department of Human Services, Arkansas Division of Developmental Disabilities Services
Entity Type: State Agency / Office
Topic(s): Career Prep & Work-Based Learning
This program provides a range of independent living services to people with disabilities at Centers for Independent Living across the state. Services include help connecting to local services, assistance with job searches, local transit skills training, assistive technology help, peer mentoring support, assistance with school-to-career transitions, self-advocacy help, and more.
Operating Entity: --
Entity Type: Multi-Stakeholder Project
This program helps students with disabilities engage in paid work experience and develop work readiness skills before exiting secondary education. It is a collaborative effort between local school districts and Arkansas Rehabilitation Services.
Operating Entity: Arkansas Division of Workforce Services, Arkansas Rehabilitation Services
Entity Type: State Agency / Office
Topic(s): Career Prep & Work-Based Learning
This program provides a variety of direct services for children and youth with disabilities, families, professionals, and other organizations that support them. This includes helping parents participate effectively in their children’s education and development and partnering with professionals and policymakers to improve outcomes for children with disabilities.
Operating Entity: The Center for Exceptional Families
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
Pre-ETS assist students with disabilities in identifying career interests and developing skills to be successful in the workplace. This includes five required activities: job exploration counseling, work-based learning experiences, workplace readiness training, counseling on comprehensive transition or postsecondary educational programs, and instruction in self-advocacy.
Operating Entity: --
Entity Type: Multi-Stakeholder Project
This program protects individuals with disabilities by empowering them and advocating on their behalf. This includes providing information and referrals, providing training and technical assistance to service providers, and conducting self-advocacy training.
Operating Entity: Disability Rights Arkansas
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
This program is designed to prepare school-based professionals (social workers, school psychologists, educational leaders, school counselors, special education teachers, and general education teachers) to provide transition services to students with disabilities. Courses focus on transition services for youth with disabilities, including legal considerations, family engagement, and best teaching practices.
Operating Entity: University of Arkansas
Entity Type: College / University
Transition Counselors work with students with disabilities to discover their life interests and goals and prepare for employment. They also work with local schools to develop and implement pre-employment transition services.
Operating Entity: Arkansas Division of Workforce Services, Arkansas Rehabilitation Services
Entity Type: State Agency / Office
This program provides job skills training for students with disabilities, leading to jobs or apprenticeships. Courses include driver's education, automotive technology, certified nursing assistant, construction, culinary arts, and welding.
Operating Entity: Arkansas Division of Workforce Services, Arkansas Career Development Center
Entity Type: State Agency / Office
Topic(s): Career Prep & Work-Based Learning
This program helps individuals with disabilities who are receiving Social Security Disability benefits make informed choices about work and make a successful transition to self-sufficiency.
Operating Entity: SOURCES for Community Independent Living, Inc.
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
Topic(s): Connecting Activities
This document provides guidance on the continuation of Alternative Methods of Instruction (AMI) including IEP, timeline extensions, and additional resources.
Operating Entity: Arkansas Department of Education
Topic(s): Distance Learning, IEP
Arkansas created a list of special education instructional resources for students, parents, and educators. This list examines individual special education needs and requirements, dividing resources by need and subject area. It also provides a brief overview of many virtual special education resources to best help parents select resources for their child with a disability.
Operating Entity: Arkansas Department of Education
Topic(s): Distance Learning, Family Engagement
Arkansas provides guidance to ensure school personnel have the most up-to-date information for operating school health programming during the COVID-19 outbreak. These services focus on federal, state, and school level telehealth services, providing multiple potential areas of telehealth access.
Operating Entity: Arkansas Department of Education
Topic(s): Telehealth
This resource provides specific instruction as it pertains to the continuation of IEPs during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as links to additional resources.
Operating Entity: Arkansas Department of Education
Topic(s): IEP
Arkansas created a document assisting teachers working with students with significant cognitive disabilities during distance learning. This document includes virtual resources for such students and a suggested daily schedule for students with significant cognitive disabilities broken down by age group.
Operating Entity: Arkansas Department of Education
Topic(s): Distance Learning