Disability Compass

Help

Disability Compass offers four search options:

The Search for Resources option is a broad search based on common words and phrases. For example, the words or phrase that describe a disability or service.
The Advanced Search option allows you to search for an organization or a product or service. You may also include keywords to refine your search.
The Personal Services Providers search feature can help you locate individual care providers - respite providers, community inclusion supports, physical therapists and more.
The Inclusive Child Care Resources search serves both professional child care providers and parents who are looking for organizations that support inclusive child care. Included are: training and mentoring programs, adaptive equipment and toys, support groups, parent education classes, printed materials, and website resources.

Helpful Search Hints:

Do not use commas or other punctuations.
Use quotation marks to create a more directed phrase search. For example, entering "down syndrome" as opposed to down syndrome will eliminate resources for other syndromes and return better results.

Searching for Resources

To run a broad resources search, enter a word or phrase in the Search for Resources textbox and click Search. The system displays a list of all the resources that reference your terms or phrase.
You may refine your search results by specifying location information.
Select an option from the miles drop-down list and enter a zip code in the Zip Code text box, or enter a city or county and select a state from the drop-down list.
Click Narrow Search. The system displays a list of resources based on your original entry and the location information.

Searching with Advanced Search

To run an Advanced Search, click Advanced Search.
Enter the name of a product or service in the Product or Service text box, or enter the name of an organization or group in the Organization or Group text box. You may also enter keywords in the Keywords or Phrase text box.
Click Search. The system displays information on your search and the number of resources found.
Click Show All Results to display a list of all the resources.
You may further refine your search by selecting an option from the miles drop-down list and specifying a zip code, or by specifying an organization name or entering keywords.
Click Search Again to refine your search using the new search parameters.

Searching for Personal Services Providers

Simple Search

Click the Search for Personal Services Providers link on the Home page.
In the Simple Search section of Personal Services Providers search form, select a category of service and the county or counties that service your location. If you are not sure of which category to select, click on a category name to display definitions of the categories.
Select Show me all individual providers of this service in these counties or Show me all agency providers of this service in these counties. A list of individuals or agencies displays.

Advanced Search

Complete the Simple Search section of the form.
Select the Advanced Search options that are important to you.
Click Submit. A list of providers who meet your requirements displays.

As with any Compass search, you can save your Personal Services Providers searches and search results to My Compass.

Searching for Inclusive Child Care Resources

Click the Search for Inclusive Child Care Resources link on the Home page.
In the Inclusive Child Care Resources Search form, select a resource category. If you are not sure of which category to select, click on a category name to display definitions of the categories.
Select the counties that may have resources that service your area, or select the Statewide option.
Click Submit. A list of the resources, for the category and the counties you selected, displays. County-specific resources are listed first and are followed by a list of statewide resources.

As with any Compass search, you can save your Inclusive Child Care Resources search and search results to My Compass.

My Compass

To sign-up for a My Compass account, click the sign-up link and complete the form.
To sign-in to your My Compass account, click the sign-in link and enter your ID and password.

Saving Searches to My Compass

To save a search so that you can run it again at a later time, when the results of a resource search display, click Add to My Compass.
Enter a name that is meaningful to you in the Search Name textbox.
Click Add. The search is stored and displays in the Saved Searches list of your My Compass.
To rerun the search, click Run Search. The system displays your search results.
To change the name of the search, click Edit, enter a new name in the Search Name textbox, and click Rename. The new name displays in My Compass.
To remove the search from My Compass, click delete and confirm your request to delete the search.

Saving Individual Resources to My Compass

In your search results list, click Details to display more information on an organization.
In the Organization Details display, click Add to My Compass.
Enter a name that is meaningful to you in the Provider Name textbox.
Click Add. The organization is stored and displays in the Providers list of your My Compass. As with saved searches, you may view, edit, or delete the entry at any time.

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