Center for Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

Funded by National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, Disability Rehabilitation Research Program
CFDA# H133A80042
10/1/2008 – 9/30/2011

The Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts Boston, in partnership with TransCen, Inc. in Maryland, with funding from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, has established the Center for Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. The Center conducts research and disseminates information on promising practices that support individuals with intellectual disabilities so that they can gain access to and be successful in inclusive postsecondary education. The Center also addresses gaps in knowledge about the participation of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Key activities of the Center include conducting a national survey of existing postsecondary options for individuals with intellectual disabilities, completing a secondary analysis of three national databases (RSA 911, ACS, NLTS2); and disseminating both new and existing technical assistance and informational materials.

The Center will produce reports that detail how postsecondary education initiatives across the country are implementing promising practices. The Center will provide new research-based knowledge about the types of outcomes (employment, independent living, continued postsecondary education access) available for students with intellectual disabilities, as well as collaborate with a wide dissemination network.

Executive and Advisory Committees guide all project activities. The Executive Committee is composed of representatives from: PACER Center, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, Association of Higher Education and Disability, National Down Syndrome Society, TransCen, Inc. and the National Healthy and Ready to Work Center for Students with Disabilities and Complex Health Care Needs.

The Project Advisory Committee is composed of representatives from the National Association of State Directors of Special Education, SRI International, the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center, and HEATH Resource Center as well as college and university faculty, college disability services staff, parents and college students.