Next Steps

• The U.S. Department of Education’s Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education has some excellent information on your rights as you leave high school and begin postsecondary education.
• The Georgia Advocacy Office (GAO) has publications about disability rights issues.
• BestColleges.com has information about legal rights and assistive technologies for students with disabilities.
• ADA.gov gives an Introduction to the American With Disabilities Act and a detailed Guide to Disability Rights Laws with an overview of all Federal civil rights laws for people with disabilities.

• Going to College is a resource for teens with disabilities that focuses on ways to think about what you want to do, what college life is like, and how you can plan for college.
• Think College has important information for students, families, and professionals about how people with intellectual and developmental disabilities can succeed in higher education.
• The National Center for College Students With Disabilities lists a wide variety of resources for students with disabilities, including contact information for disability services programs at degree-granting colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and its territories.

• The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the main form you need to complete in order to get financial aid for postsecondary education.
• The U.S. Department of Education’s Financial Aid Resource Publications are manuals in English and Spanish that explain precisely how to apply for financial aid and what different types of financial aid you can get.

To apply for Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) services, start the process online.

Social Security’s Ticket to Work Program helps people with disabilities who get Social Security benefits re-enter the workforce and become more independent. The Ticket to Work Program offers free access to employment-related services, such as training, transportation, and vocational rehabilitation. You can call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY).

A trained benefits expert can help you understand your benefits programs. Exactly who you need to contact depends on your situation and the benefits you get.

View DB101's full list of experts who can help you understand different benefits.

The Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) helps people with physical and mental disabilities prepare for and find work. GVRA can help you get the training or other services that you need to return to work, enter a new line of work, keep working, or get a job for the first time. Services are carefully chosen to match your personal needs, and your GVRA counselor will work with you to decide which GVRA services are best for you.

Learn more about GVRA services and how to apply.