Postsecondary Education

Postsecondary education is a realistic and necessary option for successful adult outcomes. An understanding of the realities in postsecondary education is necessary if students with disabilities and their families are to be prepared to make wise choices for successful transition. School personnel should use the high school years to implement transition planning that fosters self-determination and independent learning in students with disabilities. Here a few of the many sites available to assist anyone involved with post secondary education whether first getting started, continuing or seeking additional resources for employment. The sites contain current news and events, links to programs and recourses and policy behind postsecondary education.

Office of Postsecondary Education

This website is for the student, parent, teacher, and administrator of anyone involved in postsecondary education. This particular section of ED.gov provides information about post secondary education programs and policy. Here you will find links to current news, reports and initiatives. For the teacher there is a link to help with lesson and activities. There are additional educational resources for the student and parent looking for post secondary education across the nation. There is a link for planning the individual’s education and financial information too. This seems to be the mother ship for anything dealing with postsecondary education!
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/index.html

Association on Higher Education And Disability

AHEAD is a professional membership organization for people involved in policy development and overseeing services for the higher education of people with disabilities. This website is for educators that can actively address disability issues on their campus. There are many disability recourses that link to useful information and tools to help with this field of work. There are links for annual conferences, publications, events and workshops in support of Disability Services. Also, a parent or student can find available resources or information on interest groups. If someone wishes to become a member of this organization and receive more information on these issues there is a link to pursue that. Just about anything relating to postsecondary education can be found on this website.
http://www.ahead.org/

INCIGHT

INCIGHT is an organization devoted to educating and employing people with disabilities. The website provides resources to help disabled students access education and training, helps students and their families gain the right mind set for a successful transition and provides empowerment trainings for students to learn skills on leadership. There is a link for news and events that provides information what is to come or has happened in the past months. Also, the programs link provides information for scholarships, mentoring, internships and university partnership. The website can benefit a student looking for self-empowerment to be a contributing member of society and view life without any thought of limitations. http://www.incight.org/index.php

Independent Living

            Life after high school is the time to experience living independently! This freedom should be available to every person, regardless of a disability. There are essential living skills a person needs to know about themselves and the world around them to be successful. There are a many programs available to support anyone involved in the process. Why not take advantage of the opportunity! The following links are some of the programs and information out there to transition students with disabilities into independent adulthood.

         

            College Living Experience helps students with special needs prepare for life as independent adults. This post secondary transition program offers supports for academic, social and independent skills for students with 15 different disabilities. Their locations are across the United States in Austin, Texas; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Denver; Chicago; Monterey, Calif.; and Washington, D.C. This program offers independent living to the student with the assistance of a resident advisor and a mentor. The CLE keeps in regular communication with parents through progress reports. There is also a summer program offered to help high school senior and graduates adjust to living independently in a college environment.

http://www.cleinc.net/home.aspx

            This is an Educational Research Information Center article about life skills mastery for students with special needs. Students with disabilities lack daily living, personal/social, and occupational skills. The article provides bulleted information for a parent, care taker or person with a disability to gain the knowledge on the skills necessary for independent living. Topics that are included are safety, personal needs, responsible citizenship, maintaining employment, and problem solving skills, along with many others.

http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Life_Skills_Mastery/

 

            The National Council on Independent Living is a national organization run by and for people with disabilities. The NCIL works to advance independent living and the rights of people with disabilities through consumer driven advocacy. Here a person can find the latest news on legislation dealing with transportation, health care and many other topics. There are also links to state councils and centers for independent living and other issues to assist a person with a disability.

http://www.ncil.org/about.html

Employment for people with disabilities

            Are you a person with a disability looking for a job? The following links will give you access to an enormous variety of information about this topic. Under the ADA, people with disabilities are protected from employers discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, job training, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment. However, does a person with a disability understand the type of job accommodations they can receive, the laws and regulations that apply to them or know how to get advice when looking for work? If you have these questions, then be in search no more because these websites can provide this information plus provide more links to current research, Q&A and available supports for people with disabilities. The following links can help out with this at the very least! There is information to

• Educate a person with disabilities about their rights under the ADA and Rehabilitation Act and other legislative information
•  Help in choosing the appropriate accommodations for their place of employment
• Gather information for local, regional and national organizations of people affected by a disability

            DisabilityInfo.gov is a website devoted to providing recourses for people with disabilities. This particular section covers the topics relating to employment. Here you will find recourses for interning, job training and self-employment. Also there is information regarding taxes including reductions and credits. There are links to current research and statistics and news archives. This specific area of Disability.gov is the outlet of many resources for any person with a disability who is looking for a job. This includes links to websites for job searches, occupational safety, workplace accommodations and work incentives. I do not think this site has failed to include anything relating for employment for people with disabilities. 

http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=9

  Job Accommodation Network makes finding a job for person with disability easier through job accommodation resources and their rights. There is also a link to prepare a person for the interview process including the resume and how to handle certain questions. Then once a person is hired for the job, there are strategies for being successful. This site provides more links to the latest research, statistics and additional information about employment for the disabled.  

http://www.jan.wvu.edu/Job/index.htm

Office of Disability Employment Policy is devoted to making people with disabilities have unlimited employment opportunities. The goal of ODEP is to fully integrate people with disabilities into the workforce. The website is a location for data, press releases and facts about employment of people with disabilities. There is information on customized employment including definitions, work arrangements and other valuable resources in relation for customized employment. A person can also find links to programs and grants offered as well as the latest news and publications.

http://www.dol.gov/odep/index.htm