One of the strongest predictors of post-school employment for students with intellectual disability and/or autism (ID/A) is obtaining work experiences while in high school. There is growing evidence of a similar effect among college students.
In 2014, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) mandated significant changes to the workforce development and vocational rehabilitation (VR) systems. One of these changes was a requirement that state vocational rehabilitation agencies set aside at least 15% of their federal funds to provide pre-employment transition services (Pre-ETS) to students with disabilities who are eligible or potentially eligible for VR services.
Significant changes were made to the state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency services program with passage of the 2014 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). These changes, which include specific resources to help individuals with disabilities find, obtain, and maintain meaningful competitive integrated employment, may lead to more optimal employment outcomes for youth and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), who are often faced with under- or unemployment in adulthood.
Successful completion of college requires more than attending to coursework, it also requires the development of foundational skills and personal competencies such as working with others in a collaborative manner, effective communication, problem solving, and self-direction skills. These same skills are also needed to support future career success.
Over the past decade, the field of inclusive higher education has expanded considerably, offering a growing number of options for students with intellectual disabilities and/or autism (ID/A) to access college experiences that include career development and employment. This focus on employment spurs many of these programs to partner with state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies. However, these partnerships require staff from both entities to develop an understanding about each partner’s role to work together effectively.
Together with the RRTC on Transitioning Youth and Vocational Rehabilitation, Think College presents this collaborative webinar on vocational rehabilitation. It takes many pieces connected meaningfully in order for a puzzle to be seen for the vision it provides. This webinar is intended to explore examples of partnerships that meaningfully connect various pieces of community resource, resulting in a common vision that assists individuals with Intellectual Disability in achieving independence, careers and community engagement.
This RRTC Fast Fact shares what roles vocational rehabilitation (VR) played in Transition and Postsecondary Education Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID). Forty of the 52 TPSIDs in 2010-2015 partnered with VR. Providing direct services to students with ID was the most common role played by VR partners (68%), followed by paying student tuition (45%) and participating in the project advisory committees (43%).
This RRTC Practice Brief shares examples that illustrate ways in which Vocational Rehabilitation is collaborating with and supporting inclusive postsecondary education programs. Details from six states (Alaska, California, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Pennsylvania) are provided.
