An enthusiastic group for parents of children with any special need who meet in Myers Park, south Charlotte, Mooresville and Huntersville.  Their website is under development, but you can visit their Facebook page by clicking here.  For details about their monthly meetings in Charlotte, you can call a leader at 704/877-3751 (Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or click here to e-mail the leader.   (Click for overview of Physical Disabilities resources)

A facilitated group for people with physical disabilities who are learning to cope and enjoy. This group is over 21 years old.  For info about their monthly meetings and other activities, call an enthusiastic group member at 704/536-9497 weekdays 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.  (Click for overview of Physical Disabilities resources)

This group stopped meeting in Charlotte in early 2000.  If you have interest in joining a new group or starting a new group in Charlotte, call Joal at SupportWorks at 331-9500 any Monday through Thursday morning from 9 a.m. to noon. 

Positive Steps (at the Lake Norman YMCA)   (1587, 720/755)

PAL is an advocacy organization helping guard the rights of people with any disability and empowering folks to be as independent as possible.  Founded in 1980, most of the employees at PAL have been or are still living with some disability.  They have vast resources of experience and information regarding disability issues such as locating resources, protecting people's rights, researching laws, understanding rights under the ADA (American with Disabilities Act) and finding recreation opportunities. They can be reached at 704/537-0550 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. or, if you live outside of Charlotte, at 800/755-5749. You can write them at 5801 Executive Center Drive, Suite 101, Charlotte, NC 28212 or click to link to their website at www.paladvocates.org.

This service provides comprehensive data and referral assistance for nonprofit and government resources in the NC counties of Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Union, and Anson counties and in or near the city of Mooresville, NC.  If you are calling on a landline or residential phone in one of those counties, dial 2-1-1.  If that fails, if you are calling on a cell phone, or if you are calling from anywhere else in NC, call 866/744-7778.  For calls from out of NC, use their local number of 704/377-1100. Although they are open 24 hours a day, you may wish to call weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. for non-emergency questions.

The friendly staff at this full service library can help you research any medical topic using their up-to-date computers, databases, journals and books.  No previous research experience or medical knowledge is required. Click here for details or call them at 704-384-6393.

Opportunity Plus (including their employment service & artists with disabilities forum) (12, 720)

Family Village   of 4

Click here to view a large site providing a wide range of on-line and off-line resources for adults and children with disabilities (and their families).  There are stories, pictures, chat rooms, lists of resources, and lists of internet resources. Not a bad place to start a search.  Last checked 7/28/08; originally posted on 4/27/98. (Click for overview of Physical Disabilities resources)

Click to link to any of these lists of national groups: 

The Self-Help Sourcebook OnLine Index
The Genetic Alliance
NORD (National Organization for Rare Diseases) Database

Click here to branch to the American Self-Help Clearinghouse listing of toll-free phone numbers for a wide variety of topics.