National Youth Leadership Network
The National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN) is a non-profit organization led by young leaders with disabilities. We are youth-run, youth-led, youth-driven. Our members live all over the United States. NYLN promotes youth leadership, education, and advocacy. We make sure that youth with disabilities know how to set and reach their own goals.
http://www.nyln.org
Association of Youth Leadership Forums (AYLF)
The AYLF seeks to identify students with disabilities who have exhibited leadership skills and equip them with additional training so they may become leaders by example. AYLF promotes the California model of the Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities.
http://www.aylf.net
Kids As Self Advocates (KASA)
KASA is a national, grassroots project created by youth with disabilities for youth. We are teens and young adults with disabilities speaking out. KASA knows youth can make choices and advocate for themselves if they have the information and support they need. We are leaders in our communities, and we help spread helpful, positive information among our peers to increase knowledge around various issues.
http://www.fvkasa.org/index.php
Youth Information, Training and Resource Centers
The goal of the YITRC grants is to support an increasing ability of individuals with developmental disabilities to exercise greater choice, self-determination and to engage in leadership activities in their communities.
http://www.addyic.org/index.php
WI YITRC
The Wisconsin Youth Information, Training and Resource Center assists young adults (13-30) with developmental disabilities, in a 4-county area (Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, Washington) with transition, empowerment, and advocacy related to education, employment and health.
http://www.wifacets.org/wiyitrc/index.html
Return to TopADAPT
ADAPT is a national grass-roots community that organizes disability rights activists to engage in nonviolent direct action, including civil disobedience, to assure the civil and human rights of people with disabilities to live in freedom.
http://www.adapt.org
Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE)
To ensure that people with disabilities are treated as equals and that they are given the same decisions, choices, rights, responsibilities, and chances to speak up to empower themselves; opportunities to make new friends; and to learn from their mistakes.
http://www.sabeusa.org
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)
AAPD is the country's largest cross-disability membership organization, organizes the disability community to be a powerful voice for change – politically, economically, and socially. AAPD was founded in 1995 to help unite the diverse community of people with disabilities, including their family, friends and supporters, and to be a national voice for change in implementing the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
http://www.aapd.com
Partners in Policymaking
The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities created this ground-breaking, innovative training program to teach parents and self-advocates the power of advocacy to change the way people with disabilities are supported, viewed, taught, live and work.
http://www.partnersinpolicymaking.com
Some Youth Leadership Downloads
"BPDD Voting in WI"
"KASA Advocacy and Why It's Important"
"KASA Advocacy Tips"
"KASA An Advocate Is"
"KASA How to Lead a Meeting"
"KASA How to Make Change"
"KASA Leadership Tips"
"KASA Voting"
"Leaders Checklist"
"Strategies for Developing Youth Leadership"
Youth Leadership Websites
4-H
A community of more than 6 million youth and adults working together for positive change.
www.4-h.org
Youth Activism Project
Encourages people to speak up and look for lasting solutions to their problems!
www.youthactivism.com
Self-Advocacy
Steps you can take to help you be a successful student.
http://das.kucrl.org/iam/studentadv.html#top://www.hsri.org/leaders/theriot/
Through the Same Door
This inspiring film documents the new movement of fully inclusive education by exploring Micah’s desire for a life without boundaries. As a high school student, Micah wanted the college experience and he got it, but he had a long fight ahead of him. See how he did it!
http://throughthesamedoor.com/
LeDerick Horne
LeDerick is a recognized advocate, poet, playwright and motivational speaker.
http://horneonline.com/poet/index.php
Jonathan Mooney
Jonathan is a dyslexic writer and activist who didn’t learn to read until he was 12 years old yet went on to graduate from Brown University. He is a motivational speaker and works with states to promote youth leadership.
http://www.jonathanmooney.com/
Healthy and Ready to Work Youth Fact Sheets
A series of fact sheets written BY youth FOR youth. Includes employment, IEPs, and college information.
http://www.waisman.wisc.edu/hrtw/YFS.pdf
Youth Leadership Videos
Taking Charge: Stories of Success and Self-determination (video and article)
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Video/taking_charge.html
Break Dance video (Run time 4:10)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XBu1sLLPds
Nick Vujicic
Think you’ve got it bad and need to be encouraged? Fallen down and can’t get up? YES YOU CAN! Check this out! (Run time 4:33)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4uG2kSdd-4
I’m Tyler
This video is the Eagle Scout project of a young man with disabilities. He talks about his participation in a wide range of activities, emphasizing "Ability Awareness." (Run time: 11:35)
www.imtyler.org