National Coordinating Center

This Think College Story is about Betsy King, a former student of Transition & Access Program (TAP) at University of Cincinnati. Find out how Betsy selected this college, what her experience was like at TAP, and how she found a job that is perfectly suited for her.

Interesting to note: one of Betsy's peers from TAP, Samuel, wrote this story.

Impacting policy does not have to be scary. This webinar, recorded in October 2019 by AUCD staff Liz Weintraub and Rylin Rodgers, shares the latest Washington news and explore what is happening in the 116th Congress and on the campaign trail. They share actions and tips to help you make an impact. This webinar is for those interested in finding out what is going on in Congress now, what issues need your attention, and how to impact change. Objectives: 1. Increase your knowledge of what is happening in federal policy 2. Build skills to impact your congressional delegation 3.

Students with intellectual disability have had poor outcomes after high school compared to their peers without ID . Individuals with ID may rely on government benefits, have extremely high unemployment rates, and experience difficulty becoming part of their local community. Opportunities for students with ID to access postsecondary education are growing. Research indicates that postsecondary education improves employment outcomes for people with ID, but a better understanding of the extent of its effectiveness is needed.

For youth with intellectual disability (ID), there is a significant disparity in education and employment outcomes as compared to those without ID. Youth with ID are less likely to have postsecondary education or competitive employment goals in their transition plans and have lower rates of employment and postsecondary education participation than youth with other disabilities. Only 30% of youth with ID go on to any type of postsecondary education after high school, and 81% of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are served in segregated non-work settings.

This guide can be used by staff and administrators at institutions of higher education to develop procedures for collecting data on the outcomes of students with intellectual disability after they graduate from higher education programs. It explains why it is important to collect data, methods to use, and what to do with the data once its collected. Samples are shared throughout this publication.

The Transition and Postsecondary Program for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID) model demonstration program, funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education was implemented initially from 2010 to 2015. During this time, 27 institutions of higher education were awarded grants to develop programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to access higher education. TPSID programs were charged with developing model demonstration programs that would lead to gainful employment.

Recording of an Emerging Advocates group meeting from September 2019. This group, led by Liz Weintraub of AUCD, is for people with disabilities to learn and talk about advocacy. Of course, supporters are welcome. Meetings are held quarterly.

 This guide offers basic considerations for starting the college search, as well as helpful tips. It also includes key questions to ask staff from college programs, covering topics such as academics, employment and student supports, housing, financial aid, and the overall campus and community experience, with room to add questions of your own.

This publication features tons of helpful advice for students who are ready to begin the college search. Madison, Kaethe, Maria, George, and Santi are former college students who share honest stories and things to think about when considering college, such as the location and size of the college, making good choices, social opportunities & peer mentors, being included, and more.