INCLUDE COLLEGE
Students with Intellectual Disabilities Find Success Through Digital Expression in Art and Media Fields at Georgia State University By Hilary Vece
Inclusive college, called inclusive post secondary education (IPSE), is not new to Georgia, and there is a positive trend of more and more universities developing IPSE. There are 311 IPSE programs at universities across the country, with eight in Georgia (and a ninth on its way). The expansion of IPSE is demonstrating how university administrations and faculty are beginning to understand the importance, and the value, of inclusive college for people with intellectual disabilities.
(Inclusive Digital Expression and Literacy) is a novel Georgia IPSE which, unlike others in Georgia, has a special focus on the arts.
There is no one design for IPSE, and existing programs vary in length and activities. Generally, IPSE includes a combination of academic coursework, career development, independent living, and socialization components. Georgia State University’s (GSU) IPSE IDEAL
IDEAL is currently in its fifth year, after they began accepting students in January 2017. Starting small, GSU IDEAL nearly doubles in size every year. Starting in Fall 2022, IDEAL will be welcoming 5-7 new students, totaling to 2022 students active in the program.
Georgia State University IDEAL student uses VR 26
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IDEAL is a two-year program that includes academic coursework, career development, job skills training, mental health counseling, career counseling, and psychosocial groups. IDEAL offers four areas of focus: film, art, music, and theater. IDEAL graduates earn a Certificate of Career Readiness.
Students in IDEAL audit curriculum courses with a focus on technology use, digital and media literacy, communication skills, success in the college environment, self-determination, and career development. Students also audit elective courses in their area of focus. These classes are offered to general undergraduate students, and IDEAL students
