Hearing Impairment Resources

• Captel Phones
• • Individuals with hearing loss may receive an Internet-based CapTel phone at no cost if they complete and submit a Third Party Certification of Eligibility. Certification must be signed by a hearing health professional, such as a doctor or audiologist, who confirms that the person has a hearing loss and requires CapTel Captioned Telephone Service in order to communicate effectively over the phone.
• Sorenson Captioning
• • You can use your phone with confidence when you choose Sorenson’s phone call captioning services. We provide real-time, accurate texts of your conversations, so you never miss—or misunderstand—a word. If your hearing loss makes captions necessary to use the phone effectively, you qualify for captioning services. We provide you with two great solutions: CaptionCall by Sorenson for your home phone and Olelo by Sorenson mobile app for the most accurate phone call captioning on the go. With either, you can hold calls and be assured of fast, accurate captioning.  CaptionCall and Olelo are part of a federally funded service, so people who need captions to use the phone because of their hearing loss can use them at no cost.
• Louisiana Hands and Voices
• • Louisiana Hands & Voices is a statewide parent-driven organization that supports families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. We advocate for families, share information, and create space and time for people to come together and help one another. We know that families use many different ways to communicate with their children who are deaf or hard of hearing. It doesn’t matter which mode of communication you use, we believe that what works for your child is what makes the choice right. Our goal is to provide family-to-family support to help all children reach their potential.
• Louisiana Commission for the Deaf
• • The Louisiana Commission for the Deaf (LCD) provides people who are d/Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing with programs, services, and resources to ensure full communication access to the world around them. Staff work closely with members of the d/Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing communities to continuously improve programs and services to meet their needs.
• Louisiana Rehabilitation Services - Free Hearing Aids
• • Hearing aid services can be provided if directly related to the consumer’s ability to enter gainful employment or maintain gainful employment commensurate with the agreed upon competitive integrated employment goal. Hearing Aids are subject to both consumers’ ability to participate in the cost of such services and exploration and use of comparable services and similar benefits. 
• Online College Guide for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students - Intelligent
  

• • Intelligent.com, a trusted online resource dedicated to providing free valuable information and guidance to students facing various challenges, published a comprehensive article, which provides essential information, tips, and guides to support them in pursuing their higher education goals.  Intelligent.com is a student-focused publication dedicated to delivering data-driven research and insights to aid students and educational institutions nationwide. Our commitment is to foster informed decision-making and elevate educational standards by translating complex data into understandable and actionable information.

    
    

Visual Impairment Resources

• Lighthouse Louisiana
• • At Lighthouse Louisiana our mission is to empower people with disabilities through services, employment, and advocacy. Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in New Orleans and Baton Rouge  create jobs for people who are blind. Proceeds from the sales of high-quality, commercially competitive products help fund services for people who are blind, Deaf, and who have other disabilities.  We help people get jobs, regain their independence, and challenge expectations of the capabilities of people with disabilities. Even as a century-old nonprofit, we're constantly evolving to better serve our community.
• Parent-Pupil Education Program
• • The Parent-Pupil Education Program (PPEP) is a free statewide outreach program which serves families of children with visual impairments. The PPEP staff are visually impaired (VI) certified teachers who are located in different regions of the state to provide opportunities for families to learn about vision loss, educational options and resources.

Parent Support Services

• Louisiana Launch
• • Project LAUNCH (Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children’s Health) is a national initiative that is being piloted in Louisiana. The aim of Project LAUNCH Louisiana is for all children ages 0-8 to reach social, emotional, behavioral, physical, and cognitive milestones.
• Families Helping Families
• • Finding resources for children with special health care needs can be challenging, but our Families Helping Families Community Resource Specialists are here to help. Contact your local Community Resource Specialist if you need assistance accessing services, navigating referrals to support services, connecting with other parents, and more.
• TARC Hammond
• • The Mission of TARC is to provide opportunities for children and adults with disabilities to realize their full potential, and to become self-directed and contributing citizens.
• Feeding Matters
• • Feeding Matters is the first organization in the world uniting families, healthcare professionals, and the broader community to improve the system of care for children with pediatric feeding disorder through advocacy, education, support, and research.

Financial & Equipment/Supplies Support Services

• United Healthcare Foundation Grant
  
• • The mission of UHCCF is to provide medical grants to enhance the quality of life of children across the United States. Through these grants, kids can get the care they need. We invite you to become part of UHCCF's legacy.
• McClindon Family Foundation
  
• • The mission of the McLindon Family Foundation (MFF) is to provide adaptive bikes to children with special needs so that they can build critical core strength, boost confidence and nurture friendships, all of which help these children maximize their potential and participation in society.
• USVariety 
• • Variety’s Care Program delivers critical life-saving medical equipment and services, healthcare and well-being to individual children and children’s health organizations.2Variety’s Freedom Program delivers vital life-changing equipment and services for mobility, independence and social inclusion to individual children and children’s organizations.3Variety’s Future Program delivers crucial life-enriching communication equipment and services, education and self-esteem to individual children and children’s organizations.
• Trach Mommas of Louisiana
  
• • Trach Mommas of Louisiana was created to provide peer support to all who are medically complex, dependent upon technology to live or immune compromised. We do this through advocacy, support, resources, supplies, emergency preparedness and disaster relief.
• Dysphagia Outreach Project
• • The mission of Dysphagia Outreach Project is to provide meaningful assistance to low-income people with dysphagia and feeding disorders by providing access to no-cost supplies and equipment. We house the USA's only food/supply bank for feeding and swallowing disorders. 
• Project Ethan
• • Project ETHAN is a non-profit community service project to provide a mechanism for parents and families of children with special needs to donate and obtain adaptive equipment and/or devices that may otherwise be unobtainable to improve the quality of life and functional outcomes of their children. This group is based out of New Orleans, LA. Release of liability must be signed when accepting/borrowing equipment.
    

ALS Resources

• Team Gleason
• • Team Gleason has provided over $20 million in adventure, technology, equipment, and care services to over 30,000 people living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and countless others through advocacy, support, and ultimately bringing an end to the disease.
• The ALS Association

• • Our Mission: To discover treatments and a cure for ALS, and to serve, advocate for, and empower people affected by ALS to live their lives to the fullest. Whether you are newly diagnosed, a military veteran, a caregiver, or someone looking to learn more about how to navigate living with ALS, we can help. We offer a variety of local support, including programs such as equipment loans and referrals to local medical professionals. We can also help you find a local treatment center or clinic, or support group.

    
    

Disability Support Services

• Easter Seals
• • Easterseals is leading the way to full equity, inclusion, and access by enriching education, enhancing health, expanding employment, and elevating community. We do this through life-changing services and on-the-ground supports for children and adults with disabilities, families, and local communities across the country.
• Louisiana Rehabilitation Services
• • Louisiana Rehabilitation Services (LRS) assists persons with disabilities in their desire to obtain, maintain or advance in competitive integrated employment and achieve independence in their communities by providing rehabilitation services and working cooperatively with business and other community resources.

Assistive Technology Access Resources

• LATAN Louisiana Assistive Technology Access Network
• • LATAN is devoted to helping people of all ages with functional limitations or disabilities to gain greater independence. The AT Marketplace is an online database that allows access to new or gently used assistive technology to all Louisiana residents.
• Suzy Foundation
• • We are dedicated to helping special needs individuals with the cost of assistive devices not covered by insurance. 

Aphasia Resources

• Aphasia Center of Acadiana
• • Mission: to provide services and support to persons with neurological impairment, particularly persons with aphasia or other neurological communication disorders, in the Acadiana area, as they strive to regain independence in daily life.
• National Aphasia Association
• • The National Aphasia Association (NAA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1987 by Martha Taylor Sarno, MA, MD,(hon) as the 1st National organization dedicated to advocating for persons with aphasia and their families. Several of our board members are people with Aphasia or family members. Our goal is to provide access to research, education, rehabilitation, therapeutic and advocacy services to individuals with aphasia and their caregivers. The NAA acts as a syndicate of resources, promoting sense of community among individuals and caregivers.
• Aphasia Access
• • Aphasia Access is your community of friendship and support. We empower busy healthcare professionals faced with the difficult task of giving or getting reliable information from someone struggling to communicate. We help speech-language pathologists deliver reimbursable, person-centered aphasia treatment. We assist leaders hosting aphasia group programs. We support university professors teaching the next generation, and students pursuing career paths to serve people with communication disorders including aphasia. We are committed to anyone on the front lines of aphasia care as well as to breaking down the communication access barriers that are all too prevalent in our health care delivery systems.

DEI Resources

• The C.R.E.D.I.T. Institute
• • This course will introduce critical topics in diversity, equity and inclusion for speech language pathologists and audiologists through intersectional topics that will invite participants to reflect on their own cultural-linguistic backgrounds and biases in order to understand how they may affect the delivery of effective care. By understanding the needs of diverse populations from firsthand experience, participants will gain comfort in engaging with topics related to cultural competence, cultural humility, and cultural responsiveness, and will develop actionable steps towards more reflective and accountable practice and education.
• The EveryONE Project
• • Education and resources to help you advocate for health equity