DSAB 629 - Students with Disabilities in Higher Education (3 Credits)

Prerequisite: None
According to HEATH, a national clearinghouse of data on the experiences of students with disabilities, students with disabilities are one of the fastest growing segments of the American college population. They contribute to the diversity of the campus and have used the higher education setting to ready themselves for independent living and competitive employment. In some cases, the college experience has also helped students forge a cross-disability collective identity as part of a distinctive disability culture. This course examines the experiences of students with disabilities in higher education and key issues related to their full and equal participation in all aspects of college life, including: the historical experiences of students with disabilities in U.S. postsecondary education including demographic trends; key transition issues of students with disabilities from K-12 to postsecondary education; the legal and legislative context framing access and opportunity for college students with disabilities; understanding different disabilities and the reasonable accommodations they typically require in higher education settings; the deliberative and collaborative process through which reasonable accommodations are determined; implementing the principles of universal design in postsecondary curricula; the role of assistive technology in enhancing access; issues in the retention of college students with disabilities; challenges of college students with hidden disabilities; emerging populations of college students with disabilities; promoting the participation of students with disabilities in co-curricular and residential life; facilitating successful transitions to employment; faculty and staff development around postsecondary disability issues.