Rhode Island State Disability Resources

Complete update - 11/2006
Partial update - 1/4/2008

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 Agencies and Organizations

United States Senators
Honorable Jack Reed (D)
728 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-4642
(202) 224-4680 (Fax)
E-mail Web Form: http://reed.senate.gov/contact/contact-share.cfm
Web: http://reed.senate.gov

Honorable Sheldon Whitehouse (D)
502 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-2921; (202) 224-7746 (TTY)
(800) 662-5188 (in RI)
E-mail Web Form: http://whitehouse.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Web: http://whitehouse.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 Donald L. Carcieri
Office of the Governor
State House, Room 115
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-2080
Web: www.governor.state.ri.us

Official State Web Site
Web: www.ri.gov

Governor's Commission on Disabilities
Bob Cooper, Executive Secretary
GovernorÕs Commission on Disabilities
John O. Pastore Center
41 Cherry Dale Court
Cranston, RI 02920
(401) 462-0100; (401) 462-0101 (TTY)
Web: www.disabilities.ri.gov

State Department of Education: Special Education
Kenneth G. Swanson, Director
Office for Diverse Learners
Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
255 Westminster Street, Room 400, Shepard Building
Providence, RI 02903-3400
(401) 222-3505
Web: www.ride.ri.gov

State Coordinator for NCLB (No Child Left Behind)
Office for Diverse Learners
Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
255 Westminster Street, Room 400, Shepard Building
Providence, RI 02903-3400
(401) 222-3505
Web: www.ride.ri.gov

Programs for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities: Ages Birth through 2
Brenda DuHamel, Part C Coordinator
Chief, Family Health Systems
Department of Human Services
Center for Child and Family Health
600 New London Avenue
Cranston, RI 02920
(401) 462-0318
E-mail: BDuhamel@dhs.ri.gov
Web: www.dhs.state.ri.us/dhs/famchild/early_intervention.htm

Programs for Children with Disabilities: Ages 3 through 5
Michele Palermo, Coordinator
Office for Diverse Learners
Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
255 Westminster Street, Shepard Building
Providence, RI 02903-3414
(401) 222-8941
Web: www.ride.ri.gov

State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency
Raymond A. Carroll, Administrator
Office of Rehabilitation Services
Department of Human Services
40 Fountain Street
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 421-7005, Ext. 301; (401) 421-7016 (TTY)
E-mail: rcarroll@ors.ri.gov
Web: www.ors.ri.gov

Coordinator for Transition Services
J. David Sienko, Education Specialist
Rhode Island Department of Education
255 Westminister Street, Shepard Building
Providence, RI 02903-3400
(401) 222-8987
E-mail: david.sienko@ride.ri.gov
Web: www.ride.ri.gov/special_populations/default.aspx

State Department of Education: Vocational Education for Students with Disabilities
J. David Sienko, Education Specialist
Rhode Island Department of Education
255 Westminister Street, Shepard Building
Providence, RI 02903-3400
(401) 222-8987
E-mail: david.sienko@ride.ri.gov
Web: www.ride.ri.gov/special_populations/default.aspx

State Mental Health Agency
Ellen Nelson, Ph.D., Director
Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals
14 Harrington Road
Cranston, RI 02920
(401) 462-3201
E-mail: enelson@mhrh.ri.gov
Web: www.mhrh.ri.gov

State Mental Health Agency for Children and Youth
Janet L. Anderson, Ed.D., Assistant Director of Children's Behavioral Health and Education
Department of Children, Youth and Families
101 Friendship Street
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 528-3756
E-mail: janet.anderson@dcyf.ri.gov
Web: www.dcyf.ri.gov

Programs for People with Developmental Disabilities
Susan L. Babin, Administrator
Division of Developmental Disabilities
Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals
14 Harrington Road, Barry Hall
Cranston, RI 02920
(401) 462-6026
E-mail: sbabin@mhrh.ri.gov

Councils on Developmental Disabilities
Mary E. Okero, Executive Director
Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council
400 Bald Hill Road, Suite 515
Warwick, RI 02886
(401) 737-1238
E-mail: riddc@riddc.org
Web: www.riddc.org

Protection and Advocacy Agency
Raymond L Bandusky, Executive Director
Rhode Island Disability Law Center
349 Eddy Street
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 831-3150; (401) 831-5335 (TTY)
(800) 733-5332 (in RI)
E-mail: rbandusky@ridlc.org
Web: www.ridlc.org

Client Assistance Program
Contact Protection and Advocacy Program, listed above.

Programs for Children with Special Health Care Needs
Deborah Garneau, Chief
Office for Special Healthcare Needs
Rhode Island Department of Health
3 Capitol Hill, Room 302
Providence, RI 02908-5097
(401) 222-5929; (401) 222-2312
E-mail: deborah.garneau@health.ri.gov
Web: www.health.ri.gov

State CHIP Program
(health care for low-income uninsured children)
RIte Care
(401) 462-5300(V); (401) 462- 3363 (TTY)
(401) 462-1500 (Spanish)
Web: www.dhs.state.ri.us/dhs/famchild/shcare.htm

Programs for Children and Youth who are Blind or Visually Impaired
Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Department of Human Services
40 Fountain Street
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-2300
(401) 272-8090 (Hispanic telephone line)
Web: www.ors.ri.gov

Programs for Children and Youth who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing or Deaf-Blind
Steven A. Florio, Executive Director
Rhode Island Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
One Capitol Hill, Ground Level
Providence, RI 02908-5850
(401) 222-1204 (V); (401) 222-1205 (TTY)
E-mail: cdhh@cdhh.ri.gov
Web: www.cdhh.ri.gov

Telecommunications Relay Services for Individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or with Speech Impairments
(800) 745-6575 (V)
(800) 745-5555 (TTY); 711 (TTY)
(800) 745-1570 (ASCII)
(866) 355-9213 (Speech to Speech)
(866) 355-9214 (Spanish)

State Education Agency Rural Representative
Office for Diverse Learners
Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
255 Westminster Street, Room 400, Shepard Building
Providence, RI 02903-3400
(401) 222-3505
Web: www.ride.ri.gov

Regional ADA & IT Technical Assistance Center
Valerie Fletcher, Executive Director
Oce Harrison, Project Director
DBTAC - New England ADA Center
Adaptive Environments Center, Inc.
180-200 Portland Street, First Floor
Boston, MA 02114
(617) 695-1225 (V/TTY); (800) 949-4232 V/TTY)
E-mail: adainfo@newenglandada.org
Web: http://adaptiveenvironments.org/neada/site/home

University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
A. Anthony Antosh, Director
The Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities
Rhode Island College
600 Mount Pleasant Avenue
Providence, RI 02908
(401) 456-8072; (401) 456-8773 (TTY)
E-mail: aantosh@ric.edu
Web: www.sherlockcenter.org

Technology-Related Assistance
Kathleen Burrell, Program Director
Rhode Island Assistive Technology Access Partnership
Office of Rehabilitation Services
40 Fountain Street
Providence, RI 02903-1898
(401) 421-7005 Ext. 373; (401) 421-7016 (TTY)
E-mail: kburrell@ors.ri.gov
Web: www.atap.ri.gov

State Mediation System
Kenneth Swanson
Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
255 Westminster Street, Shephard Building
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-8326
E-mail: kenneth.swanson@ride.ri.gov

Special Format Library
Andrew Egan, Regional Librarian
Talking Books Plus
Office of Library and Information Services
One Capitol Hill
Providence, RI 02908
(401) 222-5800; (800) 745-5555 (TTY)
E-mail: tbplus@lori.ri.gov
Web: www.olis.ri.gov/tbp/