Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Logo
Special Education

Secondary Transition: Transition Topics


Student Self-Determination

Massachusetts

National

Transition Assessment

Massachusetts

National

Postsecondary Education & Training

Massachusetts

  • MassCIS Career Information System
    The Massachusetts Career Information System (MassCIS) is a free online tool to help people explore careers and find the right education or training program once they have made their career decisions. MassCIS offers information on: career assessment and planning, occupations, the labor market, outlook, and educational options.

National

Competitive Employment

Massachusetts

National

  • Apprenticeship Toolkit
    This resource from the U.S. Office of Disability Employment Policy provides information on a series of topical areas around registered apprenticeship and how it can be used to provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The intended audiences for this tool kit are service providers, both public and private, who work with young people, including young people with disabilities.

  • CareerOneStop
    A national resource to explore careers, and find training and jobs.

  • Employability Skills Framework
    This framework, from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, is an online collection of tools and resources designed to share strategies for integrating core employability skills into high-quality Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs at both the state and federal level.

  • Fostering Inclusive Volunteering and Service Learning
    This guide from the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability provides information useful to youth service professionals and others interested in facilitating youth engagement in volunteer activities.

  • Inclusive Internship Programs: A How-to Guide for Employers
    A guide from the federal Office of Disability Employment Policy. Public and private employers of all sizes can reference this guide to learn about the benefits associated with facilitating inclusive internship programs as well as the components to consider when designing, implementing, and evaluating these programs.

  • Innovation and Opportunity Network
    The Innovation and Opportunity Network (ION) is designed to support state and local workforce development boards, system professionals, and employers, helping you find the resources you need to successfully implement the vision of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

  • Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
    The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues. Working toward practical solutions that benefit both employer and employee, JAN helps people with disabilities enhance their employability, and shows employers how to capitalize on the value and talent that people with disabilities add to the workplace. JAN is one of several services provided by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). Its development has been achieved through the collaborative efforts of ODEP, West Virginia University, and private industry throughout North America.

  • Mi Próximo Paso
    A Spanish-language career search website from the U.S. Department of Labor

  • My Next Move
    A career search website from the U.S. Department of Labor

  • National Collaborative on Workforce & Disability for Youth

  • O*NET OnLine
    The Occupational Information Network (O*NET), from the U.S. Department of Labor. A comprehensive career exploration website with detailed descriptions of the world of work for use by job seekers, workforce development and HR professionals, students, researchers, and more.

  • Recruiting, Hiring, Retaining & Promoting People with Disabilities: A Guide for Employers
    This resource guide identifies relevant federal and federally funded resources for employers looking to recruit, hire, retain, and promote people with disabilities. It is designed to answer common questions raised by employers and to identify relevant resources for employers who want additional information on specific topics.

  • Soft Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success, is a curriculum developed by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) focused on teaching "soft" or workforce readiness skills to youth, including youth with disabilities.

  • The Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN) is a resource for employers seeking to recruit, hire, retain and advance qualified employees with disabilities. It is a service of the Employer T/A Center, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy under a cooperative agreement with The Viscardi Center.

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Career Exploration site for students K – 12

  • U.S. Department of Labor Disability Employment Initiative
    An extensive federal resource with information for job-seekers, employers, family members, researchers, and policy makers.

  • WIA is Now WIOA: What the New Bill Means For People with Disabilities
    This is a brief from the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston

  • Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act website from the U.S. Department of Labor

Independent Living

Massachusetts

  • Brockton Area Transit (BAT)
    Information on accessible buses, trains, and stations, and paratransit.

  • Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority Paratransit
    ADA Paratransit service is the door-to-door shared ride transportation for passengers who meet ADA eligibility requirements established by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It is offered to those individuals whose disability prevents him or her from using CCRTA's accessible fixed route buses.

  • How to Obtain Housing Assistance
    This reference guide, provided by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is for Massachusetts residents seeking information on housing for low and moderate income families and individuals.

  • Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
    Known commonly as Fuel Assistance, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides eligible households with help in paying a portion of winter heating bills.

  • Massachusetts Health Connector
    Website for Massachusetts residents seeking healthcare coverage.

  • Massachusetts Independent Living Centers
    These centers provide resources and information to meet the independent living needs of persons with disabilities in Massachusetts.

  • MassHealth
    Information on this healthcare program from the Massachusetts Office of Health and Human Services.

  • MBTA Accessibility Information
    Information on accessible buses, trains, and stations, and paratransit.

  • MBTA's The Ride
    This service provides door-to-door paratransit service to sixty cities and towns for eligible customers who cannot use subways, buses, or trains due to a physical, mental, or cognitive disability.

  • Pioneer Valley Transit Authority Paratransit
    This service provides a shared-ride, door-to-door van transportation for individuals with disabilities that prevent them from riding the fixed route bus service.

  • Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Centralized Waiting List
    The Section 8 housing choice voucher program is the federal government's major program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. This centralized waiting list for Massachusetts is used by 97 Massachusetts housing authorities; all applicant information entered onto this list can be accessed and updated by any and all participating housing authorities.

  • Worcester Regional Transit Authority Paratransit
    Information on paratransit service to seniors and people with disabilities who live in the 37 communities that comprise the WRTA's service area.

National

  • Benefits and Insurance for People with Disabilities | USAGov
    A searchable federal resource with information on Social Security, food and nutrition assistance, home energy and utility assistance, etc.

  • Disability Services | USAGov
    A federal guide to connect you to programs, services, and government agencies that provide disability benefits for people with disabilities, including children and Veterans.

  • National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (nadtc)
    A federally funded project that promotes universal access to transportation for people with disabilities under federal law and beyond by partnering with transportation providers, the disability community and others through the provision of training, technical assistance, applied research, outreach and communication.

Community Participation

Massachusetts

National

  • Friends: Connecting People with Disabilities and Community Members
    A manual from the Research and Training Center on Community Living (RTC), Institute on Community Integration, at the University of Minnesota, providing concrete strategies for supporting relationships between people with disabilities and other community members.


Disclaimer: The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education does not control, endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in external websites.

Last Updated: December 30, 2022

 
Contact Us

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149

Voice: (781) 338-3000
TTY: (800) 439-2370

Directions

Disclaimer: A reference in this website to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public and does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.