Over the past several weeks, college students across the US have been moving into dorm rooms, meeting classmates, and diving into new curricula. College students with disabilities are among those settling into campus or off-campus life. Many colleges and universities have offices staffed with counselors, administrators, and assistive technologists who are there to support students with disabilities in reaching their academic goals. Some schools also have programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities that help in developing community living and participation skills in an integrated college setting.

Researchers in the NIDILRR community and elsewhere are developing and testing interventions, programs, and services designed to support academic and employment success for students with disabilities. Here’s a quick look at some of the current NIDILRR-funded projects in this area, and some of the publications and tools they’ve developed for the community.

Kasi: Combining Sound Based Augmented Reality and Tactile Pieces for Accessible Visual Based STEM Communication is a new Small Business Innovation Research project which aims to expand the Kasi learning system, which uses audio-based augmented reality (AR) of physical manipulatives, for independent exploration of chemical diagrams with three-dimensional features. The goal of this project is to support blind and low-vision (BLV) students in scientific disciplines from K-12, through college, and into employment.

Development and Evaluation of the Technology Career Development, Goal Persistence, and Job Placement Intervention Program (Tech-Jobs) for Black/African American College Students with Disabilities is developing and evaluating the utility of Tech-Jobs, a 10-week online program designed to help African American/Black college students with disabilities persist in completing technology degrees and find gainful employment and a pathway to middle-class life.

Up To Me: Erasing the Stigma of Mental Illness on College Campuses aims to improve community living and participation of individuals with psychiatric disabilities within their postsecondary community using the Up To Me program, a three lesson disclosure-based stigma reduction program.

Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities generates evidence-based interventions to assist youth to enter competitive integrated employment; and addresses the need for evidence-based research for youth with disabilities, family members, school personnel, vocational rehabilitation (VR) counselors, and other stakeholders on information and interventions that can impact the employment outcomes of transition-age youth. This project includes two activities aimed at college-age students with disabilities: a randomized controlled trial on the effects of technology for college students with traumatic brain injuries and intervention to test the effects of an online course and subsequent technical assistance for postsecondary staff providing employment supports for college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) provides needed information in employer practices that are associated with better employment outcomes for individuals with I/DD. This includes identifying ways young adults from minorities with I/DD acquire technology skills to enable them to access careers in information technology (IT) fields and understanding how college students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can use cognitive technology to impact their academic and employment outcomes.

CrossingPoints High Tide is developing, testing, and refining a model of off-campus integrated community living and participation for students with intellectual disabilities (ID) attending the CrossingPoints postsecondary program at The University Alabama.

Helping Youth on the Path to Employment (HYPE): Creating Economic Self-Sufficiency is developing a career development program to improve the negative education and employment outcomes of young adults with mental health conditions. The HYPE program aims to minimize disruptions of post-secondary education and promote degree completion to drive competitive employment in meaningful careers and financial self-sufficiency.

Temple University RRTC on Community Living and Participation of People with Serious Mental Illness advances the development of interventions that maximize community living and participation of individuals with severe mental illness (SMI), and serves as a national resource center for people with SMI, their families, service and support providers, researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders. This includes a project to explore the efficacy of a novel Photovoice-Peer Support (PPS) intervention aimed at enhancing campus engagement for students with serious mental illnesses.

The Learning and Working During the Transition to Adulthood Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (Transitions ACR) develops and shares new knowledge about core concepts, interventions, and policies to greatly improve the transition to employment for youth and young adults ages 14 to 30 with serious mental health conditions (SMHC). This project includes a study of peer academic supports for college students with SMHC.

Tools, Publications, and Other Ready to Use Resources

The NIDILRR grantee community has created a wealth of resources for students with disabilities, their families, and the academic programs that support their success. Here are just a few examples.

• Tip sheets and resource briefs on a wide range of topics from managing time to bringing an emotional support animal to campus from the Transitions ACR, many written by students with mental health conditions.
• The College Faculty Guide to Academic Supports for College Students with Serious Mental Health Conditions video series for educators from Transitions ACR.
• Health Conditions and College: Accommodations, Considerations, and Information video from the Mid-Atlantic ADA Regional Center.
• Back to Campus Planning Guide for College Students with Mental Health Conditions from the Temple University RRTC – The Center has many more resources for students and educators!
• Online Training for College Students with Disabilities from the Research and Training Center on Independent Living teaches students about their rights regarding accommodations, how to request accommodations, and how to advocate for themselves.

These are a few examples of resources available to college students with disabilities and the faculty and administrators who are focused on their academic success. In addition, the regional ADA National Network Centers can help students understand their rights and institutions to understand their responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other civil rights laws. Visit their site to find the center serving your region or call 800/949-4232.