Opportunities for Students with Disabilities
18 opportunities specifically for students with disabilities.
NSF INCLUDES Initiative — Expanding Access to STEM for Underrepresented Communities
U.S. National Science Foundation
This NSF initiative funds organizations and institutions working to increase participation of underrepresented groups — including women, people with disabilities, and racial minorities — in STEM education and careers. Grants support collaborative projects that create systemic change in how STEM opportunities are accessed across communities. Local nonprofits, schools, and universities in Omaha and Council Bluffs can apply for funding to develop inclusive STEM programs. This is an institutional grant, not a direct award to individual students.
October 27, 2026
Fontenelle Forest — Guided Hikes, Night Hikes & Science Programs
Fontenelle Forest
Fontenelle Forest is 2,100 acres of old-growth forest, bluffs, and floodplain 15 minutes south of downtown Omaha in Bellevue — one of the largest urban forests in the United States. Naturalists lead regular guided programs including daytime hikes, night hikes (exploring the forest in darkness with a guide), full moon hikes, and Solstice and Equinox events. The Raptor Woodland Refuge houses birds of prey year-round. The ADA-accessible boardwalk allows wheelchair access to the forest interior. Free admission available through the Omaha Public Library Discovery Pass — check out a pass at any of 12 OPL locations.
Rolling / Open
OPL Discovery Pass — Free Museum & Nature Access with Your Library Card
Omaha Public Library
The Omaha Public Library's Discovery Pass program lets you check out free admission passes to 12+ cultural and science venues in the metro — including the Kiewit Luminarium, Fontenelle Forest, the Durham Museum, Lauritzen Gardens, and the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum. Reserve a pass online at omahalibrary.org or pick one up at any of the 12 OPL branch locations. All you need is a valid Omaha Public Library card, which is free for Douglas County residents. Each pass covers multiple people per visit — check each venue's specific pass terms. A single library card unlocks free access to most of Omaha's major science and nature destinations.
Rolling / Open
Iowa Legal Aid — Council Bluffs Office
Iowa Legal Aid
Free civil legal help for low-income Iowans in Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County. Iowa Legal Aid handles housing, family law, consumer rights, employment, government benefits, and individual rights cases. Services include legal advice, limited assistance, and full representation for qualifying clients.
Rolling / Open
211 Nebraska — Free 24/7 Community Resource Helpline
United Way of the Midlands
Free 24/7 helpline connecting anyone in Nebraska or Iowa to health and human services. Dial 2-1-1, text your ZIP code to 898-211, or search at ne211.org to find: food assistance, emergency shelter, healthcare, mental health services, childcare, employment programs, substance abuse support, utility assistance, legal aid, and more. Community Resource Specialists are trained to connect callers to the right local programs. Also administers Save Our Seniors, Help Me Grow Nebraska, the Military and Family Helpline, and serves as the state's Aging and Disability Resource Center.
Rolling / Open
Siena Francis House — Emergency Shelter & Comprehensive Services
Siena Francis House
Nebraska's largest homeless shelter, serving over 3,150 individuals annually. Operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Provides 450 beds (350 for men, 100 for women) with daily meals, case management, and services designed to move people into stable housing. Programs include the Miracles addiction recovery program, permanent supportive housing (Siena Apartments and Cottages), street outreach connecting unsheltered individuals to the shelter, and Nebraska's first nationally certified Medical Respite Program (achieved certification in October 2025) — providing recuperation care for individuals released from the hospital who have no home to recover in.
Rolling / Open
Stephen Center — Emergency Shelter for All Family Configurations
Stephen Center
The only emergency shelter in Omaha that keeps all family configurations — including mixed-gender families — together without separation. Pettigrew Emergency Shelter provides 69 beds (32 for men, 32 for women, 5 family rooms). Case managers help residents develop individualized housing plans, while daily Life Skills classes cover anger management, finances, parenting, relationships, and job seeking. The HERO Addiction Recovery program serves co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. Permanent Supportive Housing available for individuals with high barriers (mental health challenges, physical disabilities). No one turned away due to family structure.
Rolling / Open
Community Alliance — Mental Health & Substance Use Services
Community Alliance
Omaha's largest nonprofit integrated mental health and behavioral health organization, with over 200 professionals serving the metro area. Offers outpatient mental health and substance use counseling, medication management, integrated primary care, intensive outpatient programming (IOP) for co-occurring disorders, psychiatric residential rehabilitation, day rehabilitation, supported employment, homeless outreach, recovery support services, and assertive community treatment (ACT). Accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and most private insurance. Sliding fee scale for uninsured or underinsured clients — no one turned away based on inability to pay.
Rolling / Open
Goodwill Omaha — Free Monthly Job Training Workshops
Goodwill Industries of Omaha
Free monthly job training workshops and career services at Goodwill Omaha headquarters (4805 N. 72nd Street). Regular monthly schedule: Computer Basics (2nd Friday, 10AM–12PM), Internet Basics (3rd Friday, 10AM–12PM), Financial Literacy & Money Management (4th Thursday, 2–4PM), and Email Basics (4th Friday, 10AM–12PM). Also offers resume building, interview skills coaching, and Microsoft Word proficiency. Employment specialists help match job seekers with appropriate positions. On-site hiring events and career fairs connect participants directly to employers — no registration required for hiring events. In January 2025, Goodwill Omaha partnered with the Adult Education Center to expand workforce development pathways.
Rolling / Open
Legal Aid of Nebraska — Free Civil Legal Help
Legal Aid of Nebraska
Free civil legal services for low-income Nebraskans in Douglas County and across all 93 counties statewide. Legal Aid handles housing, family law (divorce, custody, protection orders), debt, income and benefits, and immigration matters. Apply online or by phone — no walk-ins. The A2J Self-Help Center at 209 S. 19th St., Suite 200, Omaha provides computers and forms for self-represented individuals.
Rolling / Open
Creighton University Dental Clinic — Affordable & Emergency Dental Care
Creighton University School of Dentistry
Reduced-cost comprehensive dental care provided by supervised dental students at 2109 Cuming Street, Omaha. Services include oral evaluation, restorative and preventive dentistry, dental implants, and dentures. All fees are 40–60% below private practice rates. Accepts Nebraska Medicaid (ACCESSNebraska). Regular clinic: call (402) 280-5990 for adult appointments or (402) 280-2863 for pediatric. After-hours emergency clinic operates Tuesday and Thursday evenings (5:30–8:30 PM) at the same address — fees 40–60% below private rate, and the clinic's stated policy is "We never turn away anyone in pain." Emergency after-hours appointments: (402) 280-5031.
Rolling / Open
Heron Haven — Free Urban Wetland Sanctuary
Friends of Heron Haven
Heron Haven is a spring-fed wetland and wildlife sanctuary in northwest Omaha — one of the last oxbow wetlands of the Big Papillion Creek inside city limits. Admission is free, open every day from sunrise to sunset, with no registration or reservation needed. The Education Center hosts monthly Second Saturday Programs led by Master Naturalists covering wetland ecology, birds, conservation, and nature photography. An annual Wetlands Festival celebrates the sanctuary each year. Managed by the Friends of Heron Haven and the Papio-Missouri River NRD. One of Omaha's most peaceful and least-known free outdoor spaces.
Rolling / Open
iNaturalist — Document Local Wildlife & Contribute to Science
California Academy of Sciences / National Geographic
iNaturalist is a free app and website that turns anyone with a smartphone into a citizen scientist. Take a photo of any plant, animal, fungus, or other organism you encounter — in your backyard, on a trail, or anywhere in Omaha — and the AI identifies it. Your observation joins a global database used by researchers to track biodiversity, species range changes, and ecological health. You can explore thousands of observations other people have made in the Omaha metro. No prior knowledge is required — the AI does the identification, and the community helps confirm it. Used by researchers worldwide, contributed to by everyone.
Rolling / Open
Joslyn Art Museum — Free General Admission
Joslyn Art Museum
One of the finest art museums in the Midwest, and it's free to walk in. No tickets, no membership required — just show up to 2200 Dodge Street and spend as long as you want among 11,000 works spanning ancient Egypt to 20th-century American painting to contemporary art. Free guided tours run every Friday and Saturday at 1 PM and every Sunday at 2 PM — drop in with no registration. The recently expanded Joslyn includes the 42,000-square-foot Hawks Pavilion and a sculpture garden you can wander through. The museum is on the ORBT bus line at 24th and Dodge and has free parking in the north lot.
Rolling / Open
ACCESSNebraska — Apply for SNAP, Medicaid & TANF Online
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
Nebraska's free online portal for applying for food assistance (SNAP), health coverage (Medicaid and CHIP), and cash assistance (ADC/TANF). Apply at iServe.nebraska.gov, by mail, by phone, or in person at a Douglas County DHHS office. For Omaha-area help: Economic Assistance (SNAP/TANF) at (402) 595-1258 or statewide toll-free at (800) 383-4278. Medicaid: (402) 595-1178 or toll-free (855) 632-7633. NOTE: This is Nebraska's system. Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County residents apply through Iowa HHS — see the Iowa HHS listing on this platform.
Rolling / Open
Do Space Digital Lab — Free Technology Access & Learning
Omaha Public Library
Do Space is Omaha's free technology resource center, now part of the Omaha Public Library system. Originally an independent tech library at 72nd and Dodge, Do Space merged with OPL in 2026 and equipment access was restored at the Milton R. Abrahams Branch (5111 N. 90th St, Omaha) in February 2026. A new permanent home with an expanded digital lab is being built within the Central Library, expected to open in April 2026. Do Space provides free public access to high-end computers, 3D printers, laser cutters, audio recording equipment, digital cameras, and technology classes. Classes and workshops cover coding, design, 3D printing, digital literacy, and more — all at no cost. An essential free resource for anyone learning tech skills, prototyping a product, or building a portfolio.
Rolling / Open
Metro Transit Omaha — Bus System, Fares & Half-Fare Program
Metro Transit (City of Omaha)
Omaha's public bus transit system with routes throughout the metro area. Current fares: Adult $1.25/ride or $55/month unlimited pass. Half-fare program ($0.60/ride, $27.50/month) available for Medicare cardholders, people with disabilities, and qualifying seniors — complete a half-fare application at ometro.com to receive a photo ID card. K–12 students ride FREE at all times. Express routes: $1.50/ride. Downtown Green Route: $0.25. Transfers: $0.25. Pay with cash, Umo smart card, or the Umo contactless app. Route maps and trip planning at ometro.com. Metro also partners with MCC, UNO, Creighton, and other institutions for transit benefits.
Rolling / Open
Nebraska Appleseed — Public Interest Law & Civic Advocacy
Nebraska Appleseed
Nebraska Appleseed is a nonprofit public interest law organization that advocates for equity and justice in Nebraska through litigation, policy advocacy, and community education. They work on issues affecting low-income families, immigrants, and people facing economic hardship — including housing, healthcare, education, and economic stability. Appleseed hosts public events including annual Legislative Update presentations, the Good Apple Awards gala, and educational forums open to community members. A valuable resource for understanding how to navigate and influence state-level policy.
Rolling / Open