Making the decision to go to college can be a stressful and exciting time for anyone. However, for those individuals with a disability, the thought of receiving a post-secondary education has never even crossed his or her mind. Individuals with a disability may be seeking answers to many questions in the realm of post-secondary education, such as, “What college/university should I apply to? Will I be accepted? What if I can’t decide on a program of study? Will the school have services for me? Will there be accommodations and modifications I can utilize to make my experience easier? Will I have an advisor to talk with?" I hope that these questions will be answered in my following blog. I hope that the following resources and services will find you all at peace and excited to embark on such an exciting journey.
Resources
1) AHEAD- Association on Higher Education and Disability- http://www.ahead.org/
This organization serves all individuals with an array of disabilities; however, I found most interesting the area of “College Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing”. This organization provides information on reasonable accommodations in a post-secondary setting, information about hearing loss in an academic environment, and benefits of universal design in the classroom. This is a great resource and is highly recommended when searching issues and concerns with accommodations and modifications to the post-secondary education environment. In addition to this website, http://www.pepnet.org/, (Post-Secondary Education Programs Network) is an acclaimed resource for individuals with a hearing impairment seeking a gratifying experience at a college or university. “PEPNet's national network of regional centers provides resources, information, in-service training, and expertise to enhance educational opportunities for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families. We work with services providers in:
Two- and Four-year Colleges
Universities
Secondary Education Programs
Community Rehabilitation Programs
Continuing Education Programs
Adult Basic Education Programs
Vocational and Technical Training Programs
2) AHEAD- http://www.ahead.org-/ Preparing for College: Options for Students with Learning Disabilities
- This organization not only serves individuals with a hearing impairment, but for individuals with mild learning disabilities and provides guidance in the following areas: considering a post-secondary educational experience, ways to prepare yourself for a post-secondary education experience, the differences between a high school curriculum to that of a college course load, what to expect in terms of academics and the college social scenes for individuals with mild learning disabilities, whether or not you should disclose or not to disclose your disability to the university, accommodations and modifications that are offered, and information on transition programs to ensure success for all individuals seeking a rewarding educational experience.
I think this weeks blog is very helpful for parents and students to help encourage and make them aware of what is out there. Its comforting to know that these sites have information for students with learning disabilities to really help answer directly questions students and parents have. Great idea!!! I look forward to next weeks. Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteThanks Angelica. I am not quite finished with this blog. My friend that I introduced in the first blog I created is going to talk about her experiences with post-secondary education as an individual with a disability. I hope to have that posted today! Glad the sources were of help!
ReplyDelete-Lauren :)
Lauren ,I like the heading'On track with transition', that is so true. In order fr some one to move on successfully they need to be on track in all aspect of life.
ReplyDeleteChildren with Special Needs too need assistance to keep on track. I know this is one of our utmost goal why we are in this field.