Background

Federal legislation such as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has resulted in a dramatic increase of students with disabilities enrolled in colleges and universities. The increasing number of students with disabilities pursuing postsecondary education has created new challenges for colleges and universities (HEATH Resource Center, 1996; Rothstein, 1998; Stodden, Jessen, & Lolotai, 1998). The complexity of disability issues, increase in disability-related litigation, and increasing importance of technology for people with disabilities has magnified the issue of serving students with disabilities in institutions of higher education (HEATH Resource Center, 1996). As students become increasingly knowledgeable of their rights, they are requesting services, support, and accommodations to facilitate their success in higher education and ultimately their chosen careers. However, administrators and faculty are often unprepared to effectively and uniformly respond to these demands. "For the most part, administrators want to do the right thing, but they have often been frustrated by not knowing what that is" (Rothstein, 1998). Additionally, while some faculty are receptive to accommodating students with disabilities, others doubt their ability to teach students with disabilities (Enright, Conyers, Syzmanski, 1996; Fitchen et al., 1990; Nelson, Dodd, & Smith, 1990).

Goal

The overarching goal of Project Higher Ed is to develop a prototype of disability education and training for faculty and administrators in institutions of higher education. The training will foster and enhance faculty's and administrator's: 1) knowledge of disability and 2) skills and strategies necessary for meeting the postsecondary needs of students with disabilities.

Training approach

Our unique and innovative approach to training incorporates the use of distance technology. Delivery of part of the training via distance technology allows us to accommodate the varied schedules of faculty and administrators. In this way, participants can access the training on their own time from the comforts of their offices or homes. Online delivery will be supplemented with Fall Workshops, Summer Institutes, and individualized technical assistance.

The training moduels are designed to take about 45 minutes to go through. They are organized by topic, and are self paced. In some cases there is an online discussion with colleagues and other professionals which will take place over a specific time period. To see our training modules click on the Training link now!

Stipends and Professional Development Opportunities Available to Participants

Contact Information:

Project Director:
Bobbie J. Atkins, Ph.D., CRC
batkins@mail.sdsu.edu

Project Coordinator:
Mari S. Guillermo, Ph.D.
mguiller@mail.sdsu.edu

Address:
Interwork Institute
3590 Camino del Rio North #105
San Diego, California 92108

Phone:
619/594-4054

Fax:
619/594-4208 Attn: Project Higher Ed