AARP is here to help you take on today – and every day. From sharing practical resources, to holding fun activities and events, AARP is providing opportunities to connect and help build an even stronger North Carolina. 
The ABLE National Resource Center (ABLE NRC) is the leading, comprehensive source of objective, independent information about federal- and state-related ABLE programs and activities, including guidance on tax-advantaged ABLE savings accounts. Our mission is to educate, promote and support the positive impact ABLE can make on the lives of millions of Americans with disabilities and their families. ABLE NRC is a collaborative that brings together the investment, support and resources of some of the country’s largest and most influential national disability organizations in an effort to accelerate the design and availability of ABLE accounts to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities and their families.
AKALAKA is a trusted network of support and resources for sibling care partners. With AKALAKA, adults with I/DD and their siblings get access to timely, thoughtful, and delightful home and community care while getting clarity, connection, and confidence to handle life together. AKALAKA innovates to build the capacity of a community that cares about, and becomes more capable to care for each other.
The Arc of North Carolina is committed to securing for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities the opportunity to choose and realize their goals of where and how they learn, live, work and play. The Arc of North Carolina is a state chapter of The Arc of the United States. With hundreds of state and local chapters nationwide, The Arc is on the front lines to ensure that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families have the support and services they need to be fully engaged in their communities. The Arc works with its federation of state and local chapters to create an impressive network of human service agencies ensuring they have the strongest civil rights advocates promoting and protecting their needs at all levels. |
 The Autistic Self Advocacy Network seeks to advance the principles of the disability rights movement with regard to autism. ASAN believes that the goal of autism advocacy should be a world in which autistic people enjoy equal access, rights, and opportunities. We work to empower autistic people across the world to take control of our own lives and the future of our common community, and seek to organize the autistic community to ensure our voices are heard in the national conversation about us. Nothing About Us, Without Us!For more information click here |
Our vision is a world in which all guardians are trained and supported to be the best possible advocates for people under guardianship. We strive to make research accessible to those serving as guardians through fact sheets, infographics, and decision-making tools. We believe the Center’s work will lead to high-quality support for people subject to guardianship. |
 Charting the LifeCourse is designed to be used for your own life, for your family members, or in the work you do. The framework and tools will help you organize your ideas, vision, and goals, as well as problem-solve, navigate, and advocate for supports.
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 The Corporation of Guardianship is a private, non-profit organization providing fiduciary services and care management to vulnerable persons based on person-centered principles.
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 Disability Rights North Carolina is a legal advocacy agency that fights for the rights of people with disabilities in North Carolina. We handle cases involving discrimination, abuse and other rights violations. All of our services are at no cost to North Carolinians with disabilities. We are a private, independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a member of the National Disability Rights Network.
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 The Family Support Network™ of North Carolina is comprised of 11 affiliated FSN regional affiliates and the FSN University Office. FSN affiliates provide parent-to-parent support, information and referral, support groups, workshops, and social activities for families with children (birth – age 22) who have disabilities or special needs and their service providers statewide. The FSN University Office supports Affiliates with funding, technical assistance, program development and evaluation, and statewide information and referral.For more information click here. |
 We are a catalyst for individuals and families in North Carolina to meet self-determined wellness goals, by leveraging relationships and resources, and encouraging reciprocity in their communities.For more information click here. |
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Money Follows the Person (MFP) is a North Carolina Medicaid demonstration project that assists people who live in qualified facilities in moving into their own communities with supports. MFP supports North Carolinians in having more choices about where they receive their long-term supports. MFP identifies and addresses barriers to receiving quality, community-based, long-term care and supports. Participation in MFP is voluntary and funded through a partnership between NC Department of Health and Human Services and the federal Medicaid agency, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. |
NAMI NC offers a variety of educational classes and support groups for families and persons with mental illness, free of charge. NAMI NC provides mental health advocacy, education, support, and public awareness so that all individuals and families can build better lives. |
NGA’s mission is to advance the nationally recognized standard of excellence in guardianship. NGA believes that those appointed to the care of guardians, conservators, and fiduciaries deserve quality services and that every person should be provided respect, due process, rights, and dignity in guardianship. NGA represents more than 1000 guardians, conservators, and fiduciaries from across the United States who share this vision. They are professionals, volunteers, and family guardians. NGA seeks to protect adults under guardianship by ensuring that their guardians receive quality education and access to resources. The association is recognized as the leading national resource for professional development. |
The Jenny Hatch Justice Project will inspire and support strength and justice through advocacy, information, research and education, by giving people with disabilities, families, advocates, attorneys, professionals the tools they need to protect and promote the rights of people with disabilities to make their own choices and determine their paths and directions in life.
The National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Making (NRC-SDM) builds on and extends the work of Quality Trust’s Jenny Hatch Justice Project by bringing together vast and varied partners to ensure that input is obtained from all relevant stakeholder groups including older adults, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), family members, advocates, professionals and providers. The NRC-SDM partners bring nationally recognized expertise and leadership on SDM, representing the interests of and receiving input from thousands of older adults and people with I/DD. They have applied SDM in groundbreaking legal cases, developed evidence-based outcome measures, successfully advocated for changes in law, policy and practice to increase self-determination and demonstrated SDM to be a valid, less-restrictive alternative to guardianship. For more information click here |
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Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts are designed for those with the occurrence of disability before the age of 26. The NC ABLE Program was launched in 2017 and allows eligible individuals the opportunity to save and fund a variety of qualified disability expenses while maintaining Medicaid, SSI1 and other public supports. |
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The N.C. Aging Network has provided programs and services to seniors, caregivers and individuals with disabilities for over 40 years. Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) have an enduring relationship with long-term care facilities to ensure resident rights and enhance resident benefits. This network operates in all 100 counties to support individuals across the continuum of care from the very well to the very frail in the community and in long-term care facilities. The N.C. Aging Network wants to complement its services with additional resources from healthcare partners and others for improved population management. |
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Centers for Independent Living (CILs) are non-residential, 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporations. They are consumer-controlled, community-based organizations that provide programs and services for people with all types of disabilities and their families. The goal of CILs is to promote and support opportunities for people with disabilities to fully participate in an integrated community and search for the possibilities to live as they choose. Because peer support is an integral part of Independent Living the majority of the staff and board of directors of every CIL are people with disabilities. |
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The Coalition is a dynamic group of organizations and individuals that work collaboratively to give voice to issues that affect older North Carolinians. The Coalition engages in a variety of activities and efforts that focus on issues of common interest across our membership. |
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Olmstead is the most important U.S. Supreme Court case for people with disabilities. Olmstead was based on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Olmstead says people with disabilities have the right to live in the community. It says that people do not have to live or receive services in an institution, nursing home or any other setting separated from others without disabilities to get the services they need. Those services should also be provided in the community. The Supreme Court said each state can have an Olmstead Plan. An Olmstead Plan shows how the state will change the way it serves people with disabilities. The plan shows how the state will move away from using institutions, nursing homes, day programs and sheltered workshops. The plan explains how the state will support people with disabilities to live in their own homes, work and be part of activities of their choice. An Olmstead Plan has clear steps and timelines to meet its goals. North Carolina’s Olmstead Plan shows the path for people with disabilities who want to live in the community. |
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The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) is charged with implementing the state’s public school laws for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade public schools at the direction of the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The agency provides leadership and service to the 116 local public school districts and 2,500+ district public schools, 180+ charter schools, and the three residential schools for students with hearing and visual impairments. The areas of support include curriculum and instruction, accountability, finance, teacher and administrator preparation and licensing, professional development and school business support and operations. |
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Working Interdisciplinary Networks of Guardianship Stakeholders (WINGS) is a project to support court-led partnerships in states to drive changes in guardianship policy and practice. State WINGS are ongoing court-stakeholder partnerships that drive changes affecting guardianship policy and practice through planning and action. WINGS can galvanize change through “collective impact”– by coordinating actions of organizations with the same goals. Reinforcing each other’s efforts is a win-win. Rethinking Guardianship is North Carolina’s WINGS affiliate. |
North Carolina Families United is the Statewide Family Network and the State Chapter of the National Federation of Families. NC Families United is a family support and advocacy organization for children and youth with mental health and/or intellectual and developmental diagnoses.
The Uniform Guardianship, Conservatorship, and other Protective Arrangements Act (UGCOPAA) is a comprehensive guardianship statute for the twenty-first century. It was drafted with extensive input from experienced guardianship judges and organizations that advocate for guardianship reform. UGCOPAA promotes person-centered planning to incorporate an individual’s preferences and values into a guardianship order, and requires courts to order the least-restrictive means necessary for protection of persons who are unable to fully care for themselves. For more information about enacting UGCOPAA please contact ULC Chief Counsel Benjamin Orzeske at (312) 450-6621 or borzeske@uniformlaws.org.