Providing ACCESS to Students with Differing Abilities

By: Danielle Anderson and Neill Christopher

Introductions

Danielle Anderson• ACCESS Program Planning Lead at

Harford Community College

Neill Christopher• Training Institute Program Manager at

The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region (The Arc NCR)

Now You Know Us…

…please tell us who you are and where you are from in the chat!

Objectives

1. Provide overview of the ACCESS Program2. Discuss community partnership with The Arc NCR3. Review Requirements of becoming a Comprehensive Transition

Program (CTP)4. Share lessons learned so far 5. Review our grant process 6. Provide update on program development

The ACCESS Program Overview

• ACCESS: A College and Career Experience in Self-Sufficiency • Located at Harford Community College in Bel Air, Maryland• Inclusive program for students with disabilities to:

• Earn an industry-recognized credential • Take/audit classes• Join student clubs and events• Participate in internships

ACCESS Program Components

• HCC student IDs• Person Centered Planning (PCPs)• Academic and social inclusion• Integrated work and college experiences • ACCESS Program seminars • Independent living credentials • Stackable and portable credentials

ACCESS Program Students

• Designed for students with Intellectual Disabilities • “Significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning, existing

concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period.” – Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

• No age cap• Full time program students must have exited high school

• High school diploma or certificate of completion/attendance

• Most students will have had an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in high school

Poll Question #1

Does your college or university have a specific program for students with Intellectual Disabilities? • Yes• No • Not sure

A Student’s Journey

• Enroll in the ACCESS Program • Choose a career sequence – may take Career Exploration • Begin PCP development (ongoing) • Attend orientation • Complete courses, seminars, academic labs, etc. • Participate in at least one internship • After 1 or 2 years (depending on courses selected), have an exit

meeting with entire team • Graduate and receive assistance with job placement

Students Will:

• Complete classes in chosen career sequence • Examples: Culinary Technician, Childcare, Welding, etc. • Fully included in pathways – curriculum is HCC’s and leads to industry

recognized credentials

• Participate in academic lab class• Attend seminars • Complete at least one internship in chosen sequence • Participate in campus and student life activities and groups • Meet with mentors – social and fitness

The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region (NCR)

• Community partner for the ACCESS Program

• Assisting with internship placement and job coaching

• Overseeing development of the Training Institute and integrated program housing

The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region (NCR)• Our Supported Employment Program is

already successful:• 76% of our individuals in Supported

Employment are employed• Of those 76%, 67% are working in

Community Integrated Employment (CIE).

• We also have just over 100 business partners within the community who are committed to inclusion, with that number growing monthly.

The Training Institute and Integrated Program Housing at Water’s Edge

• The Training Institute will offer a higher skillset for individuals who wish to be professionals in their chosen field

• Modeled after the Erskine Green Training Institute in Muncie, Indiana• Classes can be taught onsite • Can serve as internship sites for students

• Students will be able to live in the hotel as a “dorm” setting • Hotel will exceed ADA requirements for accommodations• Roommate or single room • Students can personalize rooms – no carpentry allowed! • Focus on independent living skills • Overnight staff available

Timeline

September 2018: The Arc

NCR visited EGTI

December 2018: The Arc NCR met with

HCC

April 2019: HCC Applied

for DDA Grant

July 2019: DDA Grant Awarded to

HCC

March 2020: HCC

Requested Grant

Extension

Grant Process

• Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA)• Funds for a planning year granted to HCC

• Harford Community College Foundation – Grants for Innovation • Funds for basic supplies granted

• Maryland State Department of Education – IHE and Non-LSS IDEA Discretionary Funds

• Funds for Career Exploration course not granted

• Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID)

• Applied, awaiting decision

Think College

• thinkcollege.net• Resources, affinity groups, technical assistance, training • Contact information for 295 existing programs • Best practices for inclusive education

• Think College Standards for Inclusive Higher Education• Originally published in 2016, under revision as of February 2020

Think College Standards for Inclusive Higher Education

1. Alignment with College Systems and Practices 2. Coordination and Collaboration3. Sustainability4. Evaluation5. Self-Determination6. Academic Access7. Career Development and Employment8. Campus Membership

#1: Alignment with College Systems and Practices

• The application process is the same for ACCESS Program students as other students at HCC

• Students in the ACCESS Program will have full access to everything the college offers, including:

• Ability to use any facility • Access to the Learning Center, tutors, and other academic supports• Connection to Disability and Student Intervention Services • Approved accommodations in all classes

Poll Question #2:

• What is the most requested accommodation at your college or university?

• Extended Time• Notetaker • Service/Support Animals • Priority Registration • Interpreter • Alternate Textbook Format • Course Modifications• Assistive Technology • Not Sure

Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP)

• Allows students with intellectual disabilities (ID) to apply for federal financial aid

• Pell grants• Work study• Supplemental education opportunity grants

• High school diploma or certificate of completion/attendance

Poll Question #3:

• If your college or university has a program for students with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities, is it a Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP)?

• Yes• No• Not Sure

Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP) Federal Requirements

• Program delivered to students physically attending the institute of higher education (IHE)

• IHE must participate in Title IV• Designed to support students with intellectual disabilities (ID) in

preparation for employment • Include an advising and curriculum structure • Provide at least 50% of program time in academics (courses or

internships) with peers without ID

Becoming a CTP

• Amendment to the college’s Title IV application • Must work closely with the college’s finance office

• Should have a program in place at the time the application process begins

• Harford Community College plans to begin this process in 2021

Lessons Learned

• Ensure that students fully understand each option• Expose students to their options at a young age• Go with the flow

• “Every time we hit a delay, it has been an opportunity to do more for the students that we serve.” – Neill Christopher

ACCESS Program Updates/Next Steps

• Applied for TPSID (Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities) as part of the Maryland Inclusive Higher Education Consortium

• Developing a Career Exploration course• Developing Training Institute and Integrated Program Housing

• Danielle Anderson: • danielleanderson@harford.edu

• Neill Christopher• nchristopher@arcncr.org