The aim of this study is to report employment and independent living outcomes of 125 graduates from the Taft College Transition to Independent Living (TIL) program. The TIL program has served students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder, since 1995. The TIL program follows graduates from the time of…

As a part of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP), special education teachers work along with their student with special needs and their parent(s)/guardian(s) to create and implement Individualized Transition Plans (ITP) to assist the student with their transition to the post-school environment. As mandated by Individuals with Disabilities…

Students with learning disabilities (LD) transitioning from secondary school to postsecondary education must submit documentation verifying the existence of a disability and that describes a current and substantial limitation to learning. Preparing acceptable documentation can be a challenge for secondary personnel because of differing laws at the…

The purpose of this study was (a) to explore the latent factors in the "Reasonable Accommodation Factor Survey" (RAFS) instrument and (b) to compare scores on the latent factors of the RAFS by participant's role. Eight latent factors were identified through an exploratory factor analysis with orthogonal rotation. The reliability tests…

An increasing number of library patrons are hard of hearing. The U.S. Bureau of Census projected that 35 million North Americans would suffer from hearing loss by the year 2005 based on the age-population projections. These individuals would have at one time been labeled as deaf due to the lack of assistive hearing technology such as hearing aids…

In this study, the authors developed, administered, and evaluated a measure of individual actions of college students with disabilities and their perceptions of postsecondary and social supports. An exploratory factor analysis resulted in nine reliable factors in these three areas. Follow-up regression analyses revealed that self-advocacy…

The University of Tennessee Libraries' Diversity Committee administered a climate assessment survey to determine the readiness of the libraries for a comprehensive diversity initiative. This article discusses the design and methodology of the survey and analyzes the results. The survey served as a valuable starting point in charting a successful…

Since 1996, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), located in Southern California, has been under a federal court consent decree requiring compliance with laws pertaining to the delivery of special education services and the elimination of architectural barriers in schools. In 2003, the consent decree was modified, creating…

More than 10 years have passed since the employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) came into effect for employers of 15 or more employees. Americans with disabilities continue to be more unemployed and underemployed than their nondisabled peers. Small businesses, with fewer than 500 employees, continue to be the…

In the last two decades, a myriad of political and social factors have converged and had a dramatic impact on Early Childhood Education (EC) and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE). There have been sweeping changes in policy and shifts in society that have resulted in greater numbers of programs serving young children of all abilities and…

The dramatic increase in students with disabilities enrolling at institutions of higher education in recent years (9% of incoming freshmen) has created a need to see that college and university faculty are provided with the knowledge required to enable the success of these students and to comply with federal statutes, such as ADA and Sections 504…

Research suggests that more students with disabilities are pursuing higher education than in years past, and recent legislative changes, such as those in the Higher Education Opportunity Act and Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, have the potential to increase the number and diversity of this population. GAO was asked to…

This issue of the monthly newsletter from the Council for American Private Education (CAPE) includes the following articles: (1) A Nation at Risk: New Report Looks Back and Looks Ahead; (2) Paige Unveils IDEA Principles; (3) Prizewinning Professors and Private Schools; (4) IDEA Survey; and (5) CAPENotes.

A survey of 166 employed persons with visual impairments investigated major barriers to employment, how these barriers were overcome, and their perceptions on why they were successful in overcoming barriers when many individuals are not successful. Results of the survey indicate that the primary barriers to employment were employer attitudes,…

This booklet provides materials designed to advance the employment of individuals with disabilities. An introduction gives brief vignettes of activities that have been carried out around the country to foster employment, including corporate training programs, public relations efforts, special conferences, and awards. Publications, fact sheets, and…