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Abstract
Due to changes in legislation and policy in the United States, higher education has become more available to people with intellectual disability (ID). Currently, over 6000 students with ID are enrolled in 310 colleges and universities. In the past decade, the federal government has invested over 100 million dollars in a model demonstration program aimed at institutions of higher education to create, expand, or enhance high-quality, inclusive higher education experiences to support positive outcomes for individuals with ID. This article will describe the impetus and impact of this funding as well as related changes in policy and practice. With the emergence of these opportunities, a field of research has emerged, offering new knowledge about what higher education can offer to students with ID as well as the positive impact these students have on their peers, professors, and campus communities. We have also begun to see documentation of more long-term impacts of higher education on students’ employment, independent living outcomes, and life satisfaction. By describing these policy, practice, and research developments, this article will provide readers with a better understanding of the background, current status, and future needs of the field of inclusive higher education for people with ID in the United States and potential takeaways for similar stakeholders in other countries.
Highlights
The potential impact of access to higher education on employment outcomes is even more striking when we examine the employment rate of youth and adults with intellectual disability (ID) being served outside of the higher education system
Clients with ID who experienced postsecondary education (PSE) were more than twice as likely to be employed and had increased earnings compared to their counterparts who did not have access to PSE
Findings from these studies show Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) clients with ID who experienced PSE were more than twice as likely to be employed and have increased earnings compared to their counterparts who had not had access to PSE [27]
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The first federally funded national survey of existing higher education programs serving students with ID in the US was conducted in 2009 and resulted in the identification of 149 higher education programs supporting students with ID in 39 states [19] The findings from this survey provided a baseline of information on the types of colleges and universities involved and revealed the primary focus of most programs was independent living/life skills, not academic access. This would soon begin to change because of the reauthorization of federal higher education legislation
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