Ohio Statewide Consortium Delivers Inclusive Postsecondary Options to Students with Intellectual Disability

The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 authorized transition and postsecondary programs for students with intellectual disability (TPSID). Twenty-seven schools were awarded federal grants in 2010, including Kent State University and The Ohio State University, to begin TPSID programs. These model demonstration programs, designed for students with intellectual disability, promote academic and social inclusion at institutions of higher education.

As part of the grant Ohio State won in 2015, the Ohio Statewide Consortium (OSC) was established. The OSC came together to build, enhance, and sustain programs that deliver inclusive postsecondary options to students with intellectual disability. Partners from across the state come together regularly to help recruit students, provide technical assistance to each other, and leverage knowledge to increase access to inclusive higher education spaces.

There are currently nine inclusive postsecondary programs in Ohio, each with unique characteristics specific to the home institution. Seven are recognized as Comprehensive Transition Programs, recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, which during goal setting at summer orientation. allow students to access federal and state financial aid options. Two additional programs serve students receiving college-based transition services and therefore, students are not eligible for federal financial aid.

Students in TPSID programs are enrolled in the college or university, taking classes (typically for audit), participating in career-development activities, and engaging in campus culture, including living in residence halls, while building self-determination and self-advocacy skills. Upon graduation from a TPSID program, students most often enter the workforce.

Toledo Transition (T2) Coordinator, Zach Daugherty, instructs participant Brendan Smith

“We believe that it is very important for our students to be fully involved in campus culture,” said Lorrie Spivey of Sinclair Community College. “We are intentional in our approach to involving students in structured and unstructured activities throughout their college experience. For example, our students will be running an activity at our Welcome Week for fall semester. They are involved in regular librarian on location activities and are collaborating with other academic department students on activities at the college and in the community.”

Sinclair Community College students (left to right) Scott Thorner, Sierra Ward, Joseph Mantz, Charles Rice III, Madyson Wheelock, Johnnie Dennis III, and Tanner Karrick attend 2021 New Student Orientation. SCC had its first cohort of students start the Tartan TOPS program during summer 2021.

In the past, outcomes for students with intellectual disability were abysmal. With access to higher education, these individuals have proven they are worthy of their presence in the academy. Graduates of the OSC have an employment rate of 82%, with an average wage of $12.34 per hour and working an average of nearly 26 hours per week, as compared to a 28% employment rate for adults with a cognitive disability (source: disabilitystatistics.org). Some graduates have gone on to complete industry-recognized credentials and other higher education degrees.

Participating in the TOPS program added another layer of diversity to my public speaking course and benefited my teaching. It forced me to reconsider the clarity, accessibility, and entertainment of my lectures, making me more flexible and the material easier for everyone to understand. Students with ID were part of the class community and we all rooted for one another to succeed. Seeing such shared enthusiasm and empathy was one of the more rewarding outcomes of being part of the program. - Dr. Emily Davidson The Ohio State University

Casey Saup, lecturer in the Earth Sciences department at Ohio State, said, “As the sister of a talented young autistic man who was segregated from his peers in school, I thoroughly understand that a separate education is not an equal education. Ensuring a welcoming, accessible learning environment for all students, especially disabled students, creates a richer experience for everyone. My favorite, most engaged students often come from the inclusive postsecondary program.

The Ohio State University TOPS program graduate, Lena Meerman, poses on campus after graduation holding her Workforce Development Certificate.

“I personally benefit from their thoughtful questions, and my students benefit from learning their different perspectives,” Saup added. “As in Universal Design for Learning, I have found that TOPS students’ accessibility needs also benefit their non-disabled peers, enabling them to engage with course material on a much deeper level. We know that diversity leads to greater innovation and problem-solving – including TOPS students in your classroom is no exception.”