Relentless optimism: Inclusive postsecondary opportunities for students with significant disabilities
Some universities and colleges across the country are creating opportunities for young adults with significant disabilities to meaninfully participate in postsecondary education. Students with significant disabilities are now attending college classes with their peers without disabilities either during or after high school. In this qualitative study, the authors investigated two programs in Central New York that support students with significant disabilities to attend college classes in inclusive settings. The authors interviewed stakeholders and asked questions focused on the benefits of and obstacles to program implementation. While respondents identified benefits to students, classmates and professors, obstacles were intitutional, logistical and attitudinal in nature. Implications of the study's findings are discussed.
Causton-Theoharis, J., Ashby, C., & Declouette, N. (2009). Relentless optimism: Inclusive postsecondary opportunities for students with significant disabilities. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disabilities, 22(2), 88-105.