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Article Excerpt
Postsecondary education is the gateway to the acquisition of a wide variety of marketable skills for high school graduates. Despite the steadily increasing cost of education and somewhat disheartening transition process (especially for those with disabilities), college education is worth the effort (U.S. Department of Labor, 2000). Education beyond high school is often responsible for improving a one=s earning potential, career prospects, and long term quality of life. For example, postsecondary education enables students to enter the workforce with annual salaries of $40,000-$50,000 compared to $22,000-$31,000 for those with only a high school diploma (Gilmore, Bose, & Hart, 2001). Getzel, Stodden and Briel (2001) state that labor force participation of those with less than four-year postsecondary education is double of those with only a high school diploma. A study by the National Organization on Disability (1998) found that college graduates with disabilities are 63% more likely to be employed than their counterparts without postsecondary education.
The impact of education beyond high school is even more pronounced among persons with disabilities (Horn & Berktold, 1999). Only about 37% of persons with disabilities enroll in postsecondary institutions (Blackorby & Wagner, 1996) such as community colleges and vocational technical schools (about 60% of students with disabilities attend these institutions). One of most commonly cited reasons for such low participation is lack of adequate preparation to enroll and succeed in college. This is substantiated by the fact that about 63% of students at two-year community colleges take remedial courses (College and Career Transitions Initiative, 2003). Students with disabilities take more remedial courses than other student groups and 25% fail to complete all their remedial course work (Education Commission of the States Policy Brief, 2000). In addition to prior academic preparation, financial capacity to fund postsecondary education also plays a role. For example, about 47% of low income students (with and without disability) are marginally qualified to enter postsecondary education setting and once enrolled, must balance academic requirements with job and family obligations (American Council on Education [ACE], 2003). To complicate the above issues, Mpofu and Wilson (2004) found that many students with disabilities drop out during the first year due to various reasons of which the lack of transitional student support is an important one.
Some of the variables predictive of drop-out of students with disabilities are as follows: (1) having parents with less than high school education, (2) coming from a low socio-economic status, (3) being older, (4) exhibiting low participation in extra-curricular activities, and (5) securing low grades (Lehr, Johnson, Bremer, Cosio, & Thompson, 2004). In addition, students with disabilities report a high drop-out rate, and consequently have low participation in competitive employment with long-term career building opportunities (Stodden & Dowrick, 2001). Moreover, many members of the target population are married with dependent children and about 63% are dependent on financial aids and loans (U.S. Department of Education, 2002). These further suggest a need for appropriate transition services. Therefore, it is imperative that university-based support services for this population be collaboratively designed and delivered by postsecondary institutions (both degree offering and non-degree), local school boards, special education programs, vocational rehabilitation agencies, independent living centers, state government (governor=s council for persons with disabilities), and other related entities. Additionally, the National Council on Disability [NCD] (2003) strongly recommends that postsecondary students with disabilities be provided with appropriate, adequate, and effective accommodations. This can be accomplished by the provision of faculty training and support, use of best practice models, and implementation of campus-wide technical assistance programs.
Critical Issue of Partnership in Disability Support Services
Literature on current practices of provision and coordination of disability-related support services by postsecondary institutions is scarce. However, there exists some proof that the scope of disability services in higher education is varied, somewhat chaotic, and often inadequate to address the basic needs of students and offer an equitable academic environment (Mpofu & Wilson, 2004; Wilson, Livneh, & Duchesneau, 2002). More than three decades since the enactment of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and the Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (later named IDEA), and 15 years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the rights of students with disabilities continue to be undermined by educational institutions at all levels (Whelley, Hart, & Zaft, 2002). The anti-discrimination mandates, designed to promote equity, have had limited success in promoting full access of students with disabilities to university-wide support services (Whelley, Hart, & Zaft, 2002). For example, students' trasitioning from high school to postsecondary settings often find it extremely confusing and frustrating to identify,...
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