White Paper: Best Practices for Including Students with Disabilities in Higher Education

Adam Gottdank, Ph.D., Associate Dean, North Orange Continuing Education

Best Practices to Include Students with Disabilities in Higher Education as well as Postsecondary Programming Supporting Competitive, Integrated Employment (CIE); A Project that Supports Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (DEIA)

A Postsecondary Inclusion Subcommittee White Paper for the Orange County Local Partnership Agreement (OCLPA) Steering Committee. This project was a collaboration between the OCLPA and the Intellectual Disability (ID) – Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Interest Group of the California Association for Postsecondary Education and Disability (CAPED)

Introduction:

In the United States, there has been a recent expansion in postsecondary educational opportunities and improved access for students with disabilities due in part to the authorization of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) (Griffin et al., 2012). The initial recommendation for this report was to focus on studies and any research that identified or highlighted current best practices. The results of this search found that there is a dearth of research regarding specific instructional practices and services that support the inclusion of students with disabilities in higher education. 

Purpose:

The purpose of this subcommittee was to identify services that currently exist, services that are needed, promising program models, and research that promotes the transition, inclusion, persistence, and success of students with disabilities in postsecondary education and employment; and to provide recommendations for best practices and implementation to the Orange County Local Partnership Agreement (OCLPA) Steering Committee. The focus of the subcommittee is on services, supports, and resources that go beyond what is required by law. 

Surveys:

The PSE Inclusion Subcommittee developed a survey on best practices to include students with disabilities in higher education. Survey items were developed by the inclusion subcommittee. The subcommittee first identified innovative practices currently being deployed in Orange County, CA and used them as the primary source for survey items. The inclusion subcommittee invited disability support services (DSS) colleagues from CAPED to participate in subcommittee meetings and requested additional feedback on survey items. The survey process was an affirmative process in that all items were already identified as likely to be good practices. The survey was then intended to shed light on the OCLPA’s initial assumptions by affirming that given practices are, or are not actually “best practices” based on the views of constituents in Orange County, California. 

Respondants:

Ninety-six individuals responded to the survey including 73 who participate in the OCLPA and 23 who do not. Respondents included program participants, parents, support staff, teachers, counselors, administrators, community partners, and other DSS professionals. 

Survey Ratings:

Respondents to the survey ranked each possible best practice between “item would not be considered a best practice” (1) and “item is one of the most important best practices” (10). Most of the practices that were considered in the survey were ranked high:

• 9.31 Person-Centered Planning/Interactive Process

• 9.16 Specialized Counseling

• 9.09 Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

• 8.94 Governance Policies Supporting Inclusion

• 8.92 Coordination of Inclusive Services

• 8.88 Emerging Technologies

• 8.85 Workforce Development Training

• 8.81 Technology Training for Students (general)

• 8.80 Technology Training for Students (assistive technologies)

• 8.78 Career Development and College Prep Curriculum

• 8.70 Educational Coaching

• 8.68 Navigating Campus (Teaching Students How)

• 8.67 Co-enrollment in Disability Support Services Classes

• 8.66 Inclusion Ally Programs

• 8.60 Transportation and Mobility Training

• 8.58 Neuro-diversity Labs

• 8.53 Specialized Instructional Labs and Tutoring

• 8.45 Intrusive Case Management

• 8.44 Peer Mentoring

• 8.36 Partnerships with Independent Living Programs

• 8.11 Co-Teaching Models (like the Washington State IBEST Model)

• 8.00 Specialized Degree or Certification

Program Interviews:

 The PSE Inclusion Subcommittee decided to interview some postsecondary programs that offer services, resources, and supports that go beyond what is required by law to support the inclusion of students with disabilities in higher education. California programs were identified by members of the sub-committee, and other programs outside of California were identified by accessing the Think College Website. Twenty-nine programs were contacted and requests for interviews were made. Twenty-three of the institutions agreed to be interviewed. 

Interview Data and Themes:

Survey data revealed a number of themes related to service provision that programs felt were important for student success: coordination of services, specialized counseling, and case management; mentoring and educational coaching; specialized instruction; neurodiversity programs and labs; universal design for learning (UDL); focus on emerging technologies; Ally programs; instruction that promotes independent living; workforce programs; programs that support the inclusion of students who have intellectual and other developmental disabilities; intentional focus of inclusion on campus. 

Challenges:

 Interviews revealed many barriers for students with disabilities accessing higher education and employment including: accessing fiscal resources, limitations with social and communication skills, developing resources that support inclusion, and views held by some faculty, staff, and administrators who believe postsecondary education is not for everyone. 

Conclusion:

Program interviews reinforced the survey conclusions. Most of the institutions interviewed embraced Universal Design for Learning (UDL), workforce development programs for students, and the need to provide services that go beyond what is required by law. It is clear that the provision of some 1:1 support is needed to support students e.g. specialized counseling, coordination, coaching, mentoring, ambassadors, etc. Students benefit from the provision of lab settings or learning centers to support specialized instruction, neurodiversity, and social opportunities. A continuum of instructional programming is needed to increase the number of students who participate and successfully complete postsecondary certificates and degrees. Support from the broader campus community is necessary to increase access and inclusion. 

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White Paper – Best Practices to Include Students with Disabilities in Higher Education as well as Postsecondary Programming Supporting Competitive, Integrated Employment

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