This issue of NASET’s Practical Teacher will focus on transitioning from school to the workplace for students with disabilities. It was submitted and written by Dr. Faye Jones. The purpose of this article is to identify those students with disabilities, introduce the Individualized Transition Plan (ITP), and the laws that are enacted to protect students with disabilities in school and the workplace. Those students with disabilities are also eligible, like regular students, to join the workforce after leaving the high school setting. There are significant laws in place to ensure that the necessary accommodations are available and usable for those with disabilities.
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to identify those students with disabilities, introduce the Individualized Transition Plan (ITP), and the laws that are enacted to protect students with disabilities in school and the workplace. Those students with disabilities are also eligible, like regular students, to join the workforce after leaving the high school setting. There are significant laws in place to ensure that the necessary accommodations are available and usable for those with disabilities.
Students with disabilities are a diverse group of students within our school districts. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) revealed that special education students comprise 13% of the population of all public school students (http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display). These students include those identified with specific learning disabilities, speech impaired, hearing impaired, visually impaired, and orthopedic, and other health impairments, as well as autism (movingyournumbers.org). It should be noted that the majority of students with disabilities received their instruction in the general education classrooms, which is known as inclusion. These students are also included in regular statewide assessments.
The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) enacted by Congress in 1975 ensured that children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE) like those children in the general education setting (nichy.org/laws/idea). This law has been revised several times to ensure that the strengthening of special education students’ academic progress is measured. Other laws that protect students with disabilities are:
- No Child Left Behind (P.L. 107-110), to close the achievement gap and to make certain all students achieve academic proficiency (www.2.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml).
- The Assistive Technology Act ensures that individuals with disabilities have access to assistive technology devices and services (nichy.org/laws/ata).
- The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a civil rights law that prohibited discrimination on the basis of a disability (nichcy.org/laws). Section 504 of this Act plays an important role for students with disabilities who may not qualify for special education services under IDEA.
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), passed in 1990, protects the civil rights of individuals with disabilities in all areas of employment.
For students with disabilities, schools are required beginning at age 14, but no later than 16, to provide graduating students with a detailed summary of their accomplishments and transition needs as they move from the school setting to the workplace, further education, or independent living ( http://nichcy.org/schoolage/iep/iepcontents/transition). The Individualized Transition Plan (ITP) is developed to assist students with disabilities and their families in planning for their future. The ITP identifies the students’ personal strengths and interests, and identify goals for their future. The ITP also describes the responsibilities of the parents, students, and agencies. The ITP includes a coordinated set of activities demonstrating use of different strategies, community and adult living experiences. This plan includes annual goals outlining steps and skills. It encourages coordinated efforts between agencies, service providers, and vocational education and rehabilitation programs. Teachers, both general and special education, students, parents, representatives of the school district, and representatives of any agencies are invited to be a part of the ITP. Agencies can only be invited with the teams consent or the consent of the individual who has reached the age of majority (www.fldoe.org/ese/…/TransitionGuide.r…). The ITP teams will identify any community agencies that can provide services for the individual’s needs to achieve their measurable postsecondary goals. Therefore, it is very important that the agency participates in the transition process. Depending on the individual’s needs, agencies may include:
- Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
- Agency for Persons with Disabilities
- Mental Health Programs
- Division of Blind Services
- College or university
- Career and Technical/Vocational Schools
- Leisure and recreation service providers
- Medical, health, or mental health service providers
- Other community-based organizations and providers for services to adults
It is important that these students transition successfully from high school to adulthood with concrete steps to guide and prepare them for college, a career, or independent living. Without guidance, these students often fail.
Individuals with disabilities are protected from discrimination in the workforce by the ADA (http://nichcy.org/schoolage/iep/iepcontents/transition). Four federal agencies enforce the ADA. They are:
1. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which enforces regulations covering employment.
2. The Department of Transportation enforces regulations governing transit.
3. The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) enforces regulations covering telecommunication services.
4. The Department of Justice enforces regulations governing public accommodation and state and local government services.
The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (ATBCB) issues guidelines to ensure that buildings, facilities, and transit vehicles are accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities.
Job accommodations are an adjustment to a work environment that makes it possible for an individual with disabilities to perform the required duties of a job. Accommodations can include specialized equipment, facility modifications, adjustment to work schedules, and adjustments to job duties. The Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) provides programs to assist employers find qualified applicants with disabilities. The Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN) is a free nationwide service that provides resources to help employers hire individuals with disabilities. The Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities is a free, nationwide database of prescreened, qualified postsecondary students and college graduates with disabilities who are available for permanent and/or temporary positions.
Now, students with disabilities, like their counterparts, are prepared and qualified to move on to postsecondary areas of their lives.
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