|
|
|
Interesting Information & Factoid
National
A study conducted by the Institute for Higher Education Policy found the following about students with disabilities attending post-secondary institutions:
- Only 57% of young people with disabilities achieve high school diplomas that make them eligible for higher education.
- About 9-10% of all college students (about 1 million) have a disability.
- 73% of eligible students with disabilities enroll in post-secondary institutions, while 84% of their peers without disabilities.
- Of the students who enroll in college, only 24% of students with disabilities graduate from 4-year public institutions compared with 54% of students without disabilities.
- The most common obstacles cited for implementing accommodations are faculty attitudes and entrenched academic cultures.
- Students with disabilities enter college an average of three years later than their peers without disabilities.
- Students with learning disabilities constitute the largest portion of freshmen with disabilities at about 40%.
- In 2000, 49% of undergraduate students with disabilities attended a 2-year institution compared with 41% of those without disabilities; conversely, 38% of students with disabilities attended a 4-year school compared with 46% of students without disabilities.
- Two-year institutions can be more attractive to students with disabilities because they often use highly effective teaching strategies, have support services that cater to an extremely diverse student body, have open admissions policies, are more flexible in dealing with students, offer a wide array of academic and vocational courses, have strong ties to the communities from which their students come, and perhaps most importantly, there is a different faculty mindset.
State
Helping people with disabilities enter or return to the work force makes sense and "cents." A report delivered at the 2004 Montana Association for Rehabilitation conference gives the following "factoids" about the people who use Montana Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VR; a government funded agency that provides a variety of vocational services to people with disabilities) to find work:
- In 2003, 925 Montanans with disabilities became gainfully employed, tax paying citizens and earned $12.5 million in wages.
- For every VR dollar spent, individuals who successfully complete the program and come off public assistance (SSI, SSDI, welfare, food stamps, public housing, etc.) save the government $5.
- VR clients who secure employment will pay back the cost of their rehabilitation services through taxes in 2-4 years.
Community and technical colleges are uniquely poised to contribute to the growth of the economy by offering support to students with disabilities in their academic, technical and trade programs. MSU- Great Falls works closely with VR to assist students in achieving their vocational goals.
Institution
MSU-Great Falls has nearly 80 students (or over 5% of the student population) enrolled for Fall 2004 who have identified themselves as having a disability. Of those students, the most prevalent disabilities identified include psychiatric disabilities (32.5%), learning disabilities (29%), orthopedic impairments (19%) and attention deficit [hyperactivity] disorder (16%). Other disabilities include a number of health impairments, neurologic disorders, traumatic brain injuries, and sensory impairments (sight, hearing).
The most common accommodation requested is use of the Alternative Exam Service, which may involve use of a private room, extended time for the exam, a reader, a scribe, or assistive technology.
|
