A Whole New World Webinar Series

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:

1. Participants will be able to identify the fundamental differences between the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the ADA.
2. Participants will know which employers and post-secondary education organizations are covered by the ADA.
3. 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.”
4. Participants will know key rights and responsibilities of covered employers, post-secondary education organizations, and individuals with disabilities.

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

1. Participants will be able to explain what reasonable accommodation is in employment and higher education.
2. 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.
3. Participants will understand when documentation may be required to support a request for an accommodation.
4. 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.

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

1. Participants will learn about the options involved in disclosing disability.
2. Participants will be able to identify risks and benefits of disclosure.
3. Participants will learn strategies to help youth disclose disability in a positive manner.
4. Participants will learn strategies to help youth with disabilities ask for what they need, whether they chose to disclose or not.