A Whole New World:
Supporting Transition to Post Secondary Life with the Americans with Disabilities Act
Every student with a disability who has received special education services needs to plan and prepare for transition to life after high school, no matter where they’re headed – college, vocational school, apprenticeship program, or employment. As vocational rehabilitation professionals, school counselors, transition specialists, and other service providers work to help students and families prepare, it is important to understand the significant changes that lie ahead. No longer will teachers, parents, or other adults assume responsibility for identifying disability related needs; the young adult with a disability must be ready to speak up, initiate requests for accommodations in the classroom or the workplace, and be a full and active participant in ensuring their needs are met.
TransCen’s Mid-Atlantic ADA Center will host a three-part webinar series designed to help professionals inform, assist, and support youth with disabilities and their families as they prepare for transition. Sessions will focus on how the ADA differs from special education law and the importance of understanding these differences in order to ensure a more effective transition to adult life.
Continuing Education Hours
Each session of this series has been approved by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) for 1 Clock Hour. The third session has been approved for Ethics credit.
The series subject matter aligns with the Certified Employment Support Professional (CESP) Content Outline.
A general certificate of participation is available as well.
Webinar Access: $35 per webinar, $70 for 2 webinars, $100 for all three.
Continuing Education Recognition: $10 certificate of completion for each session, $20 CRCC clock hours for each session
Special pricing for groups of 10 or more!
40% off for 3 session packages
30% off for 2 session packages
20% off for 1 session packages
Please contact bvandyke@transcen.org to register your group
The Sessions
Session 1: Good-Bye IDEA, Hello ADA: From Special Education to Civil Rights
Tuesday, June 23, 2020 – 2-3pm ET
As students with disabilities get ready to transition to life after high school, they leave behind the world of special education and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and enter the world of civil rights and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). All too often, lack of awareness about the ADA leads to inadequate preparation for transition to life after high school for youth with disabilities, which in turn can lead to frustration and disappointment. This session will provide an overview of the ADA as it relates to post-secondary education and employment, with an emphasis on how young adults with disabilities can plan and prepare for successful outcomes. Presenters will unpack our ADA erector set and put together the framework for the rights and responsibilities every adult with a disability needs to understand.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will be able to identify the fundamental differences between the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the ADA.
- Participants will know which employers and post-secondary education organizations are covered by the ADA.
- Participants will understand how to distinguish between requirements that are discriminatory and should be eliminated, those that should be adjusted to accommodate individuals with disabilities, and those that are “non-negotiable.”
- Participants will know key rights and responsibilities of covered employers, post-secondary education organizations, and individuals with disabilities.
Session 2: Preparing Students with Disabilities for Success: Accommodations in Higher Education and Employment
Thursday, July 30, 2020 – 2-3pm ET
This session will outline the accommodation process in higher education and employment. Presenters will define the roles and responsibilities of individuals with disabilities, employers, and institutions of higher education. Presenters will also share strategies that youth service professionals can use to help young adults with disabilities navigate this process successfully. Real world examples will be used to explore the dos and don’ts of making accommodation requests, documenting disability and related needs, considering options, and implementing accommodations.
Learning Objectives
- Participants will be able to explain what reasonable accommodation is in employment and higher education.
- Participants will be able to identify the roles and responsibilities of individuals with disabilities, employers, and institutions of higher education in the reasonable accommodation process.
- Participants will understand when documentation may be required to support a request for an accommodation.
- Participants will identify at least one strategy that can be used to help youth with disabilities gain understanding and increase comfort levels with requesting accommodation.
Session 3: To Disclose or Not to Disclose: Preparing Youth to Talk about Disability
Thursday, August 13, 2020 – 2-3pm ET
This session is all about talking to employers or higher education organizations about disability. The presenters will offer resources and activities that vocational rehabilitation and youth service professionals can use to help young people become more effective self-advocates.
What are the risks and benefits of disclosure? Must a person disclose disability in order to request an accommodation? Understanding the who, what, where, when, why, and how of disclosure is often a first step for young adults with disabilities on the path to achieving successful outcomes.
Learning Objectives
- Participants will learn about the options involved in disclosing disability.
- Participants will be able to identify risks and benefits of disclosure.
- Participants will learn strategies to help youth disclose disability in a positive manner.
- Participants will learn strategies to help youth with disabilities ask for what they need, whether they chose to disclose or not.