A Research Project of the New England ADA Center

1. Post-Secondary Success of Secondary Education High School Graduates: A Research Project of the New England ADA Center Presented at the Regional Academic Symposium on Advancing College Readiness Friday, April 25, 2008 Oce Harrison, Ed.D. Director, DBTAC-New England ADA Center 800-949-4232 www.NewEnglandADA.org

2. The New England Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Center (Region 1) • Funded by US Department of Education through National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research • One of 10 Disability & Business Technical Assistance Centers regionally located and connected by a toll-free number: 800-949-4232 www.NewEnglandADA.org 200 Portland St. Boston, MA

3. Ten Regional DBTAC-ADA Centers 1-800-949-4232 www.ADATA.org

4. ADA Center Services Explain the law to the public via: (Voluntary Compliance) • Technical Assistance by phone 800-949-4232, fax 617-482-8099 or email info@NewEnglandADA.org • Training (in-person, audio and web) • Publications downloaded from our website www.NewEnglandADA.org

5. New England ADA Center Research Activities • In addition to core services, regional ADA Centers engage in unique research activities. • In New England, our research partner is the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. • Research Goal is tailored to regional needs: Improve education and employment outcomes for students with disabilities in the region.

6. New England Research Activities • The college labor market and persons with disabilities (National Survey of College Graduates) • The structure, levels and growth of regional, state and local sub-area industry/occupation mix and occupational characteristics (ONET) • High school students with disabilities: college enrollment, retention, and graduation (SIMS and NTLS) • Annual publication: The New England Labor Market and People with Disabilities, with a special topic section in the first publication focusing on the older workforce in New England in relation to workers with disabilities

7. Most prevalent causes of disability in children 3-21 in the US… • Specific learning disabilities – 44.4% • Speech/language impairments– 16.9% • Intellectual disability - 9.2% • Emotional disturbance – 7.4% (source: U.S. DoE, 2001-2002, IDEA)

8. Proportion of students in post-secondary ed with a disability… Any disability* 11.3% * Includes students who self reported having a “long-lasting” condition such as blindness, deafness, or a severe vision or hearing impairment, a condition that limits “one or more of the basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting, or carrying,” or who responded they had any other physical, mental or emotional condition that lasted 6 or more months and who had difficulty doing on of the following five activities: getting to school, getting around campus, learning, dressing or working at a job.” SOURCE: U.S. DOE, National Center for Education Statistics (2006). Profile of Undergraduates in U.S. Postsecondary Education Institutions: 2003—04 NOTE: 2.3% in 1978 9.8% in 1998

9. Proportion of students in post-secondary ed with a disability… Who don’t self-identify? XX%

10. New Resources of the New England ADA Project • A systematic method for targeting growing jobs and employers and matching them with local college programs graduating students with disabilities who can fill those jobs. • Videos: Succeeding in College and Work: Students with Disabilities Tell Their Stories • Web courses: • ADA Title I: Employment Basics • Title III Public Accommodations • Universal Design and Work Spaces

11. The New England ADA Center located in Region 1, is a project of Adaptive Environments (AE) in Boston. AE is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the experiences of people of all ages and abilities through excellence in design. http://www.AdaptiveEnvironments.org Phone: 617-695-1225 200 Portland St. Boston, MA 02114

12. Adaptive Environments

13. What is universal design…inclusivedesign…design-for-all? Aframework for the design of places, things, information, communication and policy that focuses on the user, on the widest range of people operating in the widest range of situations without special or separate design… or Human centered design (of everything) with everyone in mind

14. Design is powerful and profoundlyinfluences our daily lives and our sense of confidence, comfort, and control. Variation in ability is ordinary, not special, and affects most of us for some part of our lives. Twocore ideas... AdaptiveEnvironments

15. To Learn More About • Universal design • The new definition of disability • Changing trends in the distribution of disabilities • The emergence of new disabilities • The prevalence of disability in the nation's aging population • ADA in relationship to universal design www.AdaptiveEnvironments.org

16. To Learn More About • The Americans with Disabilities Act • ADA Resources such as list servs, newsletter and national ADA Symposium • Audio conferences and trainings • Watch videos: • Succeeding in College and Work: Students with Disabilities Tell Their Stories www.NewEnglandADA.org

17. Succeeding in College and Work: Students with Disabilities Tell Their Stories Alexander Danielle Valeska Santara

18. THANK YOU!