The Directory of Community Resources

Texas Transition Conference, 2010

Lauren Cifuentes, Ph.D.Amy N. Sharp , Ph.D.

Our MissionProvide a comprehensive, up-to-

date, and sustainable directory of resources and services to Texans.

Gain statewide participation in the use of, contribution to, editing, and linking to listed resources and services.

Rationale/ Problem• AgriLife’s Agents lacked a fundamental

awareness about disabilities and were, therefore, limited as advocates.– Awareness involves understanding the special

needs individuals with disabilities have.– Advocacy involves being able to refer people to

resources that address their needs.

How can the CDD and AgriLife broadly facilitate awareness and empower stakeholders to inform each other of resources as they identify them?By creating a Statewide

Resource Directory using wiki technology

The SolutionDirectory of Community Resources :

a) describes the types of services needed by people with disabilities

b) describes systemic services that constitute best practicec) describes services that are and are not available in urban

and rural geographic regions or regions populated most by minorities

d) facilitates educators and service providers as they advise constituents about services and supports for families

e) allows the community to evaluate the effectiveness of a resource, determining what is worthy of being posted to the Directory.

• Search by:– Zip code– Keyword– Resource type– Proximity– County– Region

• Add resources• Edit resources

How it Works

The Resource Directory is Divided into 12 Regions• Panhandle• South Plains• Rolling Plains• North• East• Far West• West Central• Central• South East• South West• Costal Bend• South

Intricately Defined Resource Categories:• Advocacy and Support• Autism• Health and Medical Services• Early Intervention and Early

Childhood Education• Elementary and Secondary

Education Services• Post-secondary Education

Services• Employment and Financial

Assistance• Daily Living Support

• Housing• Mobility and Transportation• Psychological and

Counseling Services• Recreation and Leisure• Summer Camps• Communication• Assistive Technology• Additional Listings

Philosophical Framework- Community Transformative Potential

• Everyone together is smarter than any single person

• “Soft” security conducted by the community of people who care

• Halavais (2004)- It took 2 hours for his 13 intentional errors to be fixed.

BY, FOR, AND OF THE COMMUNITY

Controversy: “Most people, when they first learn about the

concept, assume that a website that can be edited by anybody would soon be rendered useless by destructive input. It sounds like offering free spray cans next to a grey concrete wall. The only likely outcome would be ugly graffiti and simple tagging, and many artistic efforts would not be long lived. Still, it seems to work very well.” (Aronsson, 2002, p. 31).

Does the community sustain and grow the site?• Yes.

– No graffiti or inappropriate content yet,– Content is accurate,– An average of 4 added resources per week

for the past 8 months,– Most comprehensive, localized, and up-to-

date directory in Texas.

Making the DCR GrowMain contributors so far-• Texas A&M University students• Special education specialists in the state’s

Educational Region Service Centers • Special education faculty in Texas colleges• Service providers• County AgriLife Extension agents

You

Let’s Contribute a Resource!• http://disabilityresources.tamu.edu/• Search• Add• Edit• Link

Conclusion• The goal is to build awareness and provide

access to resources.• The power is in the community.• We collectively create high quality services

entrusted to only a few in the past.• Each entry is collaboratively produced

through negotiation on correctness, meaning, relevance, etc.

• You and everyone in the community have power to edit the DCR and make it better.