Mississippi State Disability Resources

Complete update - 8/2007
Partial update - 3/17/2008

The offices listed on this state sheet are primarily state-level offices. Even if an office is not close to your home, they can usually put you in touch with resources in your community, as well as provide you with information and assistance about disability issues in your state. If you find that an address or number has changed or is incorrect, please e-mail us at nichcy@aed.org and let us know.

Age of Eligibility

Each state sets eligibility ages for services to children and youth with disabilities. For current information concerning this state, please contact the office listed under Department of Education: Special Education.

State Offices and Organizations

United States Senators
Honorable Thad Cochran (R)
113 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-5054
E-mail Web Form: http://cochran.senate.gov/email.html
Web: http://cochran.senate.gov

Honorable Trent Lott (R)
487 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-6253
(202) 224-2262 (Fax)
E-mail Web Form: http://lott.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.ContactForm
Web: http://lott.senate.gov

United States Representatives
To find the contact information for your representative in the House of the U.S. Congress, visit the HouseÕs Web site at: www.house.gov, or call: (202) 225-3121; (202) 225-1904 (TTY).

Governor
Honorable Haley Barbour
Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 139
Jackson, MS 39205
(601) 359-3150; (877) 405-0733
Web: www.governor.state.ms.us

Official State Web Site
Web: www.ms.gov

State Department of Education: Special Education
Ann Moore, Director
Office of Special Education
Department of Education
P.O. Box 771
Jackson, MS 39205-0771
(601) 359-3498
Web: www.mde.k12.ms.us/special_education/

State Coordinator for NCLB (No Child Left Behind)
Office of Innovative Support
Department of Education
P.O. Box 771
Jackson, MS 39205-0771
(601) 359-3499
Web: www.mde.k12.ms.us

Programs for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities: Ages Birth through 2
Danita Munday, Part C Coordinator
First Steps Early Intervention System
Mississippi Department of Health
P.O. Box 1700
570 E. Woodrow Wilson
Jackson, MS 39215-1700
(601) 576-7427; (800) 451-3903 (in MS)
E-mail: danita.munday@msdh.state.ms.us
Web: www.msdh.state.ms.us

Programs for Children with Disabilities: Ages 3 through 5
Trese Evans, Division Director
Barbara Quarles, Pre-School Consultant
Division of Technical Assistance
Office of Special Education
Department of Education
P.O. Box 771
Jackson, MS 39205-0771
(601) 359-3491
E-mail: tevans@mde.k12.ms.us
Web: www.mde.k12.ms.us/special_education/

State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency
Tarea Stout, Director
Mississippi Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
Department of Rehabilitation Services
P.O. Box 1698
Jackson, MS 39215-1698
(601) 853-5232
E-mail: tstout@mdrs.state.ms.us
Web: www.mdrs.state.ms.us

Dr. Michael Gandy, Director
Office of Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind
Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services
P.O. Box 1698
Jackson, MS 39215-1698
(601) 853-5100; (800) 443-1000
E-mail: mgandy@mdrs.state.ms.us

Coordinator for Transition Services
Margaret Robinson-Harris, Transition Consultant
Office of Special Education
Mississippi Department of Education
P.O. Box 771
Jackson, MS 39205
(601) 359-3491
E-mail: marobinson@mde.k12.ms.us
Web: www.mde.k12.ms.us/special_education/

Office of State Coordinator of Vocational Education for Students with Disabilities
James Sardin, Associate State Superintendent
Office of Vocational Education and Workforce Development
Department of Education
P.O. Box 771
Jackson, MS 39205-0771
(601) 359-3088
E-mail: jsardin@mde.k12.ms.us
Web: www.mde.k12.ms.us

State Mental Health Agency
Edwin C. LeGrand, Executive Director
Department of Mental Health
1101 Robert E. Lee Building
239 N. Lamar Street
Jackson, MS 39201
(601) 359-1288
E-mail: ed.legrand@dmh.state.ms.us
Web: www.dmh.state.ms.us

State Mental Health Representative for Children and Youth
Sandra Parks, Director
Division of Children and Youth Services
Department of Mental Health
1101 Robert E. Lee Building
239 N. Lamar Street
Jackson, MS 39201
(601) 359-1288
Web: www.dmh.state.ms.us

Programs for People with Developmental Disabilities
Roger McMurtry, Executive Director
Mental Retardation Services
Mississippi Department of Mental Health
1101 Robert E. Lee Building
239 N. Lamar Street
Jackson, MS 39201
(601) 359-1288
Web: www.dmh.state.ms.us

Councils on Developmental Disabilities
Edie Hayles, Executive Director
Council on Developmental Disabilities
1101 Robert E. Lee Building
239 N. Lamar St.
Jackson, MS 39201
(601) 359-1270
Web: www.cdd.ms.gov

Protection and Advocacy Agency
Rebecca Floyd, Executive Director
Mississippi Protection and Advocacy System
5305 Executive Place
Jackson, MS 39206
(601) 981-8207; (800) 772-4057
E-mail: info@mspas.com
Web: www.mspas.com

Client Assistance Program
Presley Posey, Director
Client Assistance Program
Mississippi Society for Disabilities
500 G.E. Woodrow Wilson Drive
P.O. Box 4958
Jackson, MS 39296-4958
(601) 362-2585
E-mail: pposey8803@aol.com
Web: www.mississippicap.com

Programs for Children with Special Health Care Needs
Lawrence (Larry) H. Clark, Director
ChildrenÕs Medical Program
Mississippi State Department of Health
P.O. Box 1700
Jackson, MS 39215-1700
(601) 987-3965; (800) 844-0898 (National/WATS)
E-mail: lawrence.clark@msdh.state.ms.us
Web: www.msdh.state.ms.us

State CHIP Program
(health care for low-income uninsured children
Mississippi Health Benefits
Division of Medicaid
550 High Street, Suite 1000
Jackson MS 39201
(877) 870-3110
Web: www.medicaid.state.ms.us

Programs for Children and Youth who are Blind or Visually Impaired or Deaf-Blind
Toni Hollingsworth, Project Director
Mississippi Deaf-Blind Project
The University of Southern Mississippi
Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education
118 College Drive #5115
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
(601) 266-5048; (800) 264-5135
E-mail: toni.hollingsworth@usm.edu
Web: www.usm.edu/msdb

Dr. Rosie Pridgen, Superintendent
Mississippi School for the Blind
1252 Eastover Drive
Jackson, MS 39211
(601) 984-8200
E-mail: rpridgen@mde.state.ms.us
Web: www2.mde.k12.ms.us/msb

Programs for Children and Youth who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Denee Smith, State Coordinator
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services
Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services
P.O. Box 1698
Jackson, MS 39215-1698
(601) 853-5310 (V/TTY); (800) 443-1000
E-mail: dsmith@mdrs.state.ms.us
Web: www.mdrs.state.ms.us

Telecommunications Relay Services for Individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or with Speech Impairments
(800) 582-2233 (V/TTY); 711 (TTY)
(800) 229-5746 (Speech to Speech-English)
(866) 260-9470 (Speech to Speech-Spanish)

State Education Agency Rural Representative
Ann Moore, Director
Office of Special Education
Department of Education
P.O. Box 771
Jackson, MS 39205-0771
(601) 359-3498
Web: www.mde.k12.ms.us/special_education/

Regional ADA & IT Technical Assistance Center
Shelley Kaplan, Project Director
DBTAC - Southeast ADA Center
Project of the Burton Blatt Institute - Syracuse University
490 10th Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30318
(404) 385-0636; (800) 949-4232 (V/TTY)
E-mail: sedbtacproject@law.syr.edu
Web: www.sedbtac.org

Sara Jackson, Director
Toy Library and Technology Learning Center
University of Southern Mississippi
Gulf Park Campus
730 E. Beach Boulevard
Long Beach, MS 39560
(228) 214-3223
E-mail: sara.jackson@usm.edu
Web: www.usm.edu/tlc

University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
Jane Z. Siders, Director
The Institute for Disability Studies
University of Southern Mississippi
118 College Drive, #5163
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
(601) 266-5163; (888) 671-0051 (V/TTY)
E-mail: jane.siders@usm.edu
Web: www.ids.usm.edu

Technology-Related Assistance
Dorothy Young, Director
Mississippi Project Start
P.O. Box 1698
Jackson, MS 39215
(601) 987-4872 (V/TTY); (800) 852-8328 (V/TTY in MS)
E-mail: dyoung@mdrs.state.ms.us
Web: www.msprojectstart.org

State Mediation System
Jean Bounds, Due Process/Mediation Coordinator
Mississippi Department of Education
Office of Special Education
P.O. Box 771
Jackson, MS 39205
(601) 359-3491
E-mail: jbounds@mde.k12.ms.us
Web: www.mde.k12.ms.us

Special Format Library
Rahye Puckett, Director/Librarian
Mississippi Library Commission
Blind and Physically Handicapped Library Services
3881 Eastwood Drive
Jackson, MS 39211-6473
(601) 432-4116; (800) 446-0892
E-mail: lbph@mlc.lib.ms.us
E-mail: rahye@mlc.lib.ms.us
Web: www.mlc.lib.ms.us/bphls/