From the Charleston, SC, Post and Courier:

Four universities in South Carolina are now offering courses of study for students with intellectual disabilities. The programs allow students to enroll in some mainstream college classes, and will offer some separate independent living and vocational classes.

Proponents of on-campus programs for students with intellectual disabilities say they help disabled students learn to function better in the world and traditional students to learn more about people with disabilities.

… Les Sternberg, dean of USC’s College of Education who has a background in special education, said, “I’m a cheerleader for this kind of stuff.”

“Everything that’s offered to the non-disabled student should be offered to the disabled as well,” Sternberg said. “Not only is it the right thing to do, it helps students become more employable.”

See also:

College of Charleston launches ‘Realizing Educational and Career Hopes (REACH) Program’ — Charleston and the Lowcountry News

Students with Down syndrome get a taste of college life – Community College Week

Oakland University violated federal law by excluding him, judge rules

From the Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, Oakland [MI] Press:

A federal judge has ruled that Michigan’s Oakland University has violated the federal Rehabilitation Act by failing to allow a student with a cognitive impairment to live in a campus dorm. An Oakland spokesman said the university will appeal the ruling, but will allow the young man to live on campus during the process.

U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Duggan ordered Oakland to make a room available to 25-year-old Micah Fialka-Feldman, who has been taking classes in the school’s OPTIONS program. Fialka-Feldman pays a fee equal to full tuition but doesn’t earn grades in the program, which is designed for students with cognitive disabilities who would not otherwise be able to meet the university’s admissions requirements.

The university has maintained that Fialka-Feldman, who takes buses two hours a day to get to class from his parents’ home, is not eligible for a dorm room because he’s not enrolled in a degree-granting program.

Duggan said the university’s assumption that the young man would be unable to follow housing rules “appears to be grounded on prejudice, stereotypes and/or unfounded fear.”

Earlier posts here.

(Detroit News photo)

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Georgia’s largest school district is holding a college fair for students with disabilities, gathering representatives from 30 colleges and universities to meet with students who have physical, emotional and learning disabilities.The fair is free and open to families across metropolitan Atlanta.

“We want to make sure our students know all of the options ahead of them when they are looking at life beyond the K-12 experience,” said Jennifer Fornek, Gwinnett School’s director of Instructional Services. “We want the students to be successful when they leave us.”

From CNET and the Associated Press:

The National Federation of the Blind said Wednesday that Syracuse University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have declined to use Amazon.com’s Kindle DX for textbooks. The reason: the device is not accessible to students who are blind.

Pamela McLaughlin, director of communications and external relations at Syracuse University, said in a statement that her school bought two Kindle DX units to see if it could replace hardcover textbooks and course materials.

Although students are still evaluating the devices, she said, the university has “no plans to purchase any more of these units in light of the fact that they are inaccessible to blind students. If Syracuse University decides to use e-book technology on campus, we will require technology that can be used by all of our students, including those who are blind.”

Theo Emery writes in the New York Times: The Choice Blog that applying to college can pose more hurdles for students with learning disabilities than for their nondisabled peers.

After attending a workshop titled, “Supporting the Transition to College for Students with Learning Disabilities,” at a conference of 5,000 admissions officers and counselors in Baltimore, Emery offers some suggestions for applicants with disabilities including dyslexia, ADHD and Asperger’s Syndrome.

• Decide whether you want to disclose your disability and take advantage of campus disability services. While it is illegal for admissions officers to ask, applicants may benefit if their disability status is known.
• Assess a college based on accommodations it is willing to make, services it will provide, and availability of programs for people with disabilities.
• Be aware of the contents of your transcript and psychoeducational evaluation, and let that information help guide your choice of where to apply.

From the Orlando [FL] Sentinel:

The College Internship Program in Melbourne, Florida, helps students with autism spectrum disorders succeed in college by working on social skills, independent living skills and time management.

The program, which costs between $30,000 and $40,000 a year, was created eight years ago by psychologist Michael MacManmon after he was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. “I thought, ‘What would someone with Asperger’s who’s going to college need to be able to function in life?’” said McManmon.

The program is also available in Massachusetts, Indiana and California.

From NBC Nightly News with videos:

Two years after it began, UCLA’s pioneering Pathway Program has produced its first graduating class. The two-year postsecondary program gives students with intellectual disabilities an opportunity to gain independent living skills. At the same time, they experience college life and explore vocations through UCLA Extension.

“I feel like I accomplished a lot during my time here,” said Andrew Kramer, a member of the 12-person graduating class.

Earlier post here.

See also: A special graduation — NBC blog

Pathway’s blog is here.

(Full disclosure: I’m a member of Pathway’s Advisory Council.)