Post-Secondary

A collection of resources about people with disabilities participating in their communities as volunteers sharing their skills while gaining new skills and making connections. People with disabilities are often thought of as opportunities for others to provide service and support too, but people with disabilities can and do make a difference in their communities through volunteering everyday. The resources in this collection bring to life the opportunities and resources about people with disabilities as volunteers.

Oregon Volunteers

Oregon Volunteers works to provide reasonable accommodations to national service members and supports activities related to increasing the placement of individuals with disabilities in AmeriCorps*State & National, Senior Corps, and Learn & Serve programs. Oregon Volunteers is also home to the Oregon Inclusive Volunteerism Collaborative bringing together representatives of disability organizations, national service programs, volunteer centers, and the business community.

Impact-Feature Issue on Volunteerism by Persons with Developmental Disabilities

In this issue of Impact are articles that seek to encourage steps toward the greater inclusion of persons with developmental disabilities in volunteerism. The strategies and visions presented provide a wealth of ideas for supporting that inclusion, in this celebration year and in future years.

Disability.Gov Volunteering & National Service Programs

Extensive list of Volunteer and National Service Programs open to people with disabilities.

National Service Inclusion Project

The National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP), a Corporation for National Community Service (CNCS) training and technical assistance provider, is here to meet all of your training and technical assistance needs on the inclusion of individuals with disabilities as active participants in your national service program.

National Service to Employment (NextSTEP) Project

National Service to Employment Project (NextSTEP) create tools and materials, conducts research, provides technical assistance, and creates demonstration projects focusing on people with disabilities in volunteer and community-service roles. Funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), NextSTEP strives to identify effective practices and promote service as a step towards improving employment outcomes for people with disabilities. CNCS provides opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to engage in structured service programs around specific community needs through its three major programs: AmeriCorps (including AmeriCorps VISTA and AmeriCorps NCCC), Senior Corps, and Learn and Serve America.

Inclusive 4-H: Expanding Inclusive Opportunities for Youth & Volunteers

This document provides some key ingredients for success in inclusive programming. It includes the following articles that were originally published in the Michigan 4-H Today newsletter.

• Expanding inclusive opportunities for youth and volunteers
• What a disability is . . . and isn’t
• Adaptations can be simple, common sense
• Constructive evaluation promotes and rewards learning
• Simulations increase appreciation for others’ talents
• Expressive, eloquent language provides another way to communicate
• Get your group off to a colorful start
• Building confidence and positive attitudes through communication

Virtual Volunteering & Disabilities
Not all volunteer opportunities require a volunteer to be there in person. Virtual volunteering (volunteering using your computer and Internet connection) let’s people volunteer with organizations and issues they care about without having to leave home.

• Article Disaboom.com- How to Get Hired from Virtual Volunteering
• Service Leader.org Virtual Volunteers with Disabilities Resources

Article: Smart Hiring: From Volunteer to Career

Autistic Kids Learn To Survive, And Thrive, In College.

April 13, 2011 KUNC For students living with Asperger’s syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism, the everyday social interactions of college life can be awkward. So as more kids with autism head off to college, there’s a growing demand for college services to help students fit in, graduate and ultimately find jobs.

http://www.communityinclusion.org/article.php?article_id=319

The relatively high number of students who went on to attend postsecondary education without having it as a goal in their transition plan indicates that high schools may underestimate the educational aptitude or aspirations of students with autism. Based on these data, it is legitimate to speculate that more students with autism might have attended postsecondary education had they been encouraged to explore this opportunity when they were in high school. Increasing the level of expectations during high school is critical for improving the quality of life of adults with autism, including their employment outcomes.

We Connect Now is dedicated to uniting people interested in rights and issues affecting people with disabilities, with particular emphasis on college students and access to higher education and employment issues. This site is in English and Spanish.

An Individual Development Account (IDA) is a savings account for a special purpose. The money you deposit in this account will be matched by private donations. Each dollar you save will be matched by other dollars. Save for your home, to go back to school, starting a business, purchasing equipment to support your job, or starting a small business.

Incight empowers people with disabilities to become contributing members of society. We accomplish this through several dynamic programs focused in the areas of: Education, Employment, Networking and Independence.

Oregon Student Assistance Commission(OSAC) administers a variety of State of Oregon, Federal, and privately funded student financial aid programs for the benefit of Oregonians attending institutions of post-secondary education. This agency was formerly known as the Oregon State Scholarship Commission.

Title IV Eligibility for an Institution’s Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Program for Students with Intellectual Disabilities
The Higher Education Act, as reauthorized by the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), includes provisions related to the eligibility of students with intellectual disabilities to participate in the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Work-Study (FWS), and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) programs. Institutions that offer a Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary (CTP) program, can apply to the Department’s Federal Student Aid office to have that program approved so that eligible students may receive Federal Pell Grant, FWS and FSEOG funds. To be eligible, an institution must already participate in the Federal student aid programs and offer an approved CTP program, as specified in 34 CFR 668.231 and 34 CFR 668.232.

Think College! Doors to colleges are opening for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities in many different ways all over the country. This website is designed to share what is currently going on, provide resources and strategies, let you know about training events, and give you ways to talk to others. The information is for transition aged students as well as adults attending or planning for college.  It provides resources and tools for students, families, and professionals.

Lane Specialized Support Services An Employment and Training Program. Specialized Employment Services provides employment training and education to adult students who experience developmental disabilities. SES operates as a cooperative venture between Lane Community College, the Lane County Office of Developmental Disabilities, and the State of Oregon’s Seniors and Persons with Disabilities Division.

LD Perspectives Booklets Four online booklets presenting the story of a learning disabled adult in his or her own words followed by a discussion of the issues raised in their stories. The booklets can be read online, and an order form is available to order a hard-copy of one or more of the booklets (prices range from $1 to $3).

Becoming an Effective Self-Advocate is a chapter from the Learning Disability Self-Advocacy Manual, and iis geared toward transition age students with learning disabilities. Included are a glossary of terms, ‘Ten steps to becoming an effective self-advocate’, and tips for students for meeting with their teacher to negotiate accommodations.

The chapter Planning for Your Future is also geared toward transition age students with learning disabilities. Planning for high school, after high school, and a career are the main topics addressed

Promising Approaches in Planning for Transition This article discusses the skills students need to participate in planning an IEP, teaching those needed skills, considerations for teachers, recommendations, and improving results for students with behavioral disorders.

Self-Advocacy for College Students This website is geared toward college students with learning disabilities. Four common myths are highlighted with responses describing suggested practices and tips for addressing these concerns. The myths cover such topics as the label of “learning disabled”, meeting students needs, grades and parental involvement.