Disability Services

One in five Americans has some form of disability, and 23% of Iowans live with some type of disability.

Resources

Agency Location Phone Number
CHOICE Employment ServicesDecorah563-419-8278
Full Circle ServicesDecorah319-233-3813
The Spectrum NetworkDecorah563-382-8401
RISE Ltd Elkader563-245-1868
Imagine the Possibilities
Northeastern Region
Guttenberg –
Clayton & Delaware Counties
563-231-4500 ext 4013
Unlimited ServicesGuttenberg563-252-1062
Prairie View ManagementFayette563-422-5606
Full Circle ServicesIndependence319-334-4341
Exceptional PersonWaterloo319-232-6671
Full Circle ServicesWaterloo319-233-3813
Goodwill Industries of Northeast IowaWaterloo319-234-4626
Mosaic in Northern IowaWaukon563-568-3992
TASCWaukon563-568-4060
Inclusion ConnectionWaverly319-215-8423
The Larrabee CenterWaverly319-352-2234

Iowa Department for the Blind: https://blind.iowa.gov/ 

Iowa Office of Deaf Services: https://hhs.iowa.gov/ 

Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services: https://workforce.iowa.gov/vr 

Iowa Workforce Development: https://workforce.iowa.gov/ 

University of Iowa Center for Disabilities and Development
https://uihc.org/childrens/services/center-disabilities-and-development

Iowa Association of People Supporting Employment First (Iowa APSE)
https://iowaapse.org/

Iowa Association of Community Providers (IACP)
https://www.iowaproviders.org/

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) of Iowa
https://namiiowa.org/

Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)
https://rsa.ed.gov/

Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc-disability-related-resources

National Council on Disability (NCD)
https://www.ncd.gov/

Social Security Administration (SSA)
https://www.ssa.gov/work/

Vocational Rehabilitation Offices

Use the map below to find a Vocational Rehabilitation office near your. Click on an icon to get the address, phone and email.

What is a Disability?

Americans with Disability Act (ADA) defines an individual with a disability as:

  • A person who has a physical or mental health impairment that substantially limits  one or more major life activities. These major life activities may include:
    • Seeing
    • Hearing
    • Walking
    • Caring for Oneself
    • Learning/Thinking
    • Communicating
  • A person who has a history or record of such impairment; or
  • A person who is perceived by as having such an impairment

Disabilities are often thought of as only visible but many people also have disabilities that you can’t see. Disabilities that aren’t visible include things like multiple sclerosis, posttraumatic stress disorder, cancer, diabetes, depression, and many others.

Disability is not a static or linear concept. It can be:

  • Mild, moderate or severe
  • Permanent, long term, short term or episodic
DISABILITY TYPE FUNCTIONAL IMPACT EXAMPLES OF DIAGNOSES
Physical and MobilityCan affect a person’s motor skills and
may require the use of a mobility aid.
• Cerebral Palsy
• Epilepsy
• Narcolepsy
SensoryCan affect a person’s senses: vision,
hearing, smell, touch, or taste.
• Deafness
• Blindness
• Chemical Sensitivities
Intellectual and
Developmental
Can affect a person’s ability to learn and
use information, creating limitations in
reasoning, learning, and problem solving,
as well as social and practical skill-
building known as adaptive behaviours.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Down syndrome
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
LearningCan affect the way a person takes in,
stores, or uses information. Learning
disabilities can affect a person’s oral
and written language, reading skills,
mathematics skills, organization, or social
skills.
• Dyslexia
• Dysgraphia
• Auditory Processing Disorder
Mental HealthCan affect a person’s mental alertness,
concentration, organization, and anxiety
levels.
• Anxiety Disorders
• Depression
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Bi-polar Disorder
• Schizophrenia

Table Source: David C. Onley Initiative for Employment & Enterprise Development Employers Guide to Hiring and Working with Professionals
with Disabilities

Information on this page comes from “The Harkin Institute” at Drake University  - https://harkininstitute.drake.edu/what-we-do/disabilities/

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