This week, more than 40 members from the 麻豆原创 Downtown committees discussed how a new program could make college fully accessible for students with intellectual disabilities.
Such a program is a cornerstone of 麻豆原创 Downtown – but likely would start with a pilot program on the main campus in the coming academic year.
Thursday’s workshops were led by an Education Committee (formerly the Students With Intellectual Disabilities Committee), which is looking at how 麻豆原创 with its partners from 听补苍诲听, along with parent advocates and community agencies, can create a first-of-its-kind program in Orlando for students with intellectual disabilities to attend college courses, live in university housing and immerse themselves in college life through student organizations and other social activities.
The committee is working with renowned advocates like Debra Hart (in the photo below), who leads ,聽a national organization dedicated to developing, expanding and improving higher education options for people with聽.
“You can’t go if you don’t know,” Hart told the 麻豆原创 committee members Thursday. Creating a college program for students with intellectual disabilities provides these students, who are typically excluded from higher education, and their parents the choice to attend college and create a pathway to employment.
What’s incredible, Hart added, is how successful these students are when they can attend one of the 200-plus college programs around the nation for students with intellectual disabilities. More than 30 percent of these students held jobs, and nearly 90 percent were paid at or above minimum wage.
You can read more about 麻豆原创 creating a new program in the Orlando Sentinel’s coverage of one of Thursday’s workshop.
And, you can that explores the growing movement to include students with intellectual disabilities in higher education.