Running head: PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 1

“DiscoverU”

Preparing Our Students with Disabilities for Success

McKenna Koewler

Wright State University

PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 2

Tab Organization

Target Population and Current Issue Tab A

Political Agendas Tab B

Presentation of Program Tab C

Reasoning of Program: Barriers and Methods to Overcome Tab D

Program Preparation and Objectives Tab E

Program Agenda Tab F

Program Preparation and Marketing Methods Tab G

Evaluation of Program Tab H

References Tab I

Appendix A – Application Materials Tab J

Appendix B – Marketing Material Tab K

Appendix C – Day 1 Tab L

Appendix D – Day 2 Tab M

Appendix E – Day 3 Tab N

Appendix F – Day 4 Tab O

Appendix G- Day 5 Tab P

Tab Q
PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 3

Target Population and Current Issue

The percentage of students with disabilities who are registered at a higher education

institution have not shown a large increase over the past ten years. In the 2007 – 2008 academic

year (August to May), 10.9% of all students had registered with some type of disability.

“Students with disabilities are those who reported that they had one of more of the following

conditions: a specific learning disability, visual impairment, hard of hearing, deafness, a speech

impairment, an orthopedic impairment, or a health impairment” (NCES, 2016). During the 2011

– 2012 academic year, the percentage of students who reported a disability increased two tenths

of a percent, reaching 11.1%. Despite the increase of opportunity for student with disabilities,

higher education has not seen an increase in enrollment for this particular demographic.

Nearly one out of every five people in the United States of America have a registered

disability; that is 56.8 million people and 19% of our entire population (U.S. Census, 2010).

Nearly 20.64 million people were registered to attend an undergraduate institution in 2012.

Applying statistics provided by The National Center for Education Statistics, only 2.28 million

of those students were registered with some form of a disability.

Keeping in mind, college attendance heavily depends on the type of disabilities, but

studies have proven students with disabilities are less likely to further their education after high

school than their fully-abled peers. The idea of this program is to implement a transition process

to assist students and their families in a successful transition to their chosen higher education

institution. Transitioning from high school to college presents students with disabilities an

obstacle of becoming independent. A solution to address this common issue is the development

of a program tailored to students with disabilities in becoming independent.

PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 4

Implications

Two acts are supported by the Office of Civil Rights, (1) The Rehabilitation Act of 1973

and (2) The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; both acts were developed to prevent the

discrimination of any person with a disability. The Rehabilitation Act of 1972, section 504, was

the first legislature to prevent discrimination against individuals with disabilities. “…no qualified

individual with a disability in the United States shall be excluded from, denied the benefits of, or

be subjected to discrimination under" any program or activity that either receives Federal

financial assistance or is conducted by any Executive agency or the United States Postal

Service.” The Americans with Disabilities Act became a law in 1990 in efforts to supplement

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division,

Disability Rights Section published the following as the description of The Americans with

Disability Act (ADA). “The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in

employment, State and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities,

transportation, and telecommunications. It also applies to the United States Congress.”

Ohio Department of Health and Opportunities for Ohioans with disabilities have

developed multiple programs to assist individuals with disabilities to succeed; some of these

programs include student to work transition, Ohio Disability and Health Program, and education

people without a registered disability operate their everyday life. The state of Ohio has been

working with individuals with disabilities to provide assistance with the transition from school to

work in addition to making the abled world more accessible to their needs. Higher education

institutions have also been taking this into consideration. With the small increase of enrollment

of students with disabilities, college campuses are finding ways to make small changes to their

campus to become more accessible such as automatic doors, convenient ramps, and upgrading

classroom technology.
PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 5

The program will address the more common obstacles students with disabilities face

when entering college; gaining independence, social skills, and life skills. During the one-week

program, students will become acclimated to their college campus which will provide them with

a sense of belonging. The implementation of the peer program within DiscoverU will increase

the connectivity the students share with their campus resulting in a higher chance of the student

proceeding to graduation. The completion of their degree not only benefits the student and the

institution, but Ohio as well.

PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 6

Presentation of Program

After conducting research on the needs of students with disabilities a reoccurring

transition complication is becoming independent. A week-long program, “DiscoverU,” was

developed to offers assistance with the transition from high school to college for students with

disabilities. All students, not only students with disabilities, have relied on their guardians for

support such as providing meals, laundry, and cleaning services.

DiscoverU is a week-long program designed to assist students with disabilities learn

avenues to become independent. Session topics include how to navigate campus, how to do

laundry, plan meals and many more topics. The cost of the event will include a meal plan,

housing, and program tuition. The housing option will include a two-bed dorm room with

community restrooms and showers. The meal plan option will cover three meals per day and

three snacks; there will be an option to load money on their temporary card to make additional

purchases.

Two-weeks prior to the start date of the program, participants will be grouped together

according to similar interest and abilities and be assigned a mentor that will assist the student

through the program and continue through the students first academic year. The mentors will be

upper classmen who have been successful in their major and who are also registered with The

Office of Disability Services. Studies have shown, peer relationships have a higher level of

impact on the students versus a staff member as a mentor. This relationship has an even greater

impact when the student and mentor have similarities.

In addition to the peer mentors, the residential assistants will have a huge impact as well.

The residential assistants will be prepared for students to move in one week prior to the start of

the start of the academic year. The role for these students is to participate in supplemental
PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 7

activities and conduct small group workshops and events to facilitate the cultivation of

relationships with students outside their assigned group.

There are many barriers to overcome when planning a program for students with

disabilities such as participation and attendance, cost, accessibility and many more. The most

common stressor would be attendance. The students who would be participating in this program

would be the first class to experience, so they have no success rates to compare to; which is why

the evaluation of this piece is critical. Cost is another potential barrier that must be overcome.

Due to the number of accommodations and program leaders needed the cost could be higher than

a typical program would be. Accessibility plays into the cost barrier, but it also could create an

even larger barrier if your campus does not have a compatible space that is large enough to

accommodate your audience.

PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 8

Reasoning of Program: Implications for Practitioners

Student Affairs Practitioners often encounter students with disabilities and struggle to

find the right resources to help the student become more independent. Most professionals refer

them to obtain a personal medical assistant, which does not encourage the student to become

independent. The practitioners will receive the program information and be offered the

opportunity to come observe to educate themselves on how they can become proactive in their

students with disabilities lives.

Residence Life and Housing will have a large effect on these students, the students this

staff hires to become residential assistants will complete an intensive training focusing on ways

to promote and encourage independence among students with all abilities. The trainings will

provide residential staff with methods on how to address these issues when a student with

disabilities needs assistance of someone to speak with.

Educators at the institution will see an impact from the program as well. They will notice

their students with disabilities becoming more proactive in the classroom, rather than being

reactive as previous years have shown. Educators should incorporate a universal design to their

classroom, which will be recommended by The Office of Disability Services. This will help

students develop a sense of belonging to their campus, positively affecting the success rates of

the students.
PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 9

Program Preparation

In order to adequately prepare for this program, residential assistants and leadership

mentors will need to go through an interviewing and training process. The training process will

take place throughout the summer and help the student become comfortable and more

knowledgeable when working with students with disabilities. Ideally, The Office of Disability

Services and Residence Life and Housing will form a connection to provide the program with

responsible and trained residential assistances. The resident assistants will be expected to

conduct a daily group activity at their time of choice to promote the cultivation of relationships

between peers. The leadership mentors will be expected to participate in all activities with their

group of mentees and stay in the residential halls with the corresponding residential assistant.

Program Objectives

At the end of this program students will:

1) Be able to identify their strengths and learn how to improve their weaknesses

2) Increase their knowledge and become acclimated to their campus recognizing the on-

campus supplemental resources that are offered

3) Develop independent living skills and be able to complete normal day tasks with the

necessary assistance to become more independent

4) Cultivate relationships and develop social skills that will assist in their acclimation onto a

college campus
PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 10

Program Agenda

Sunday, August 19th – Move in Day!

Having students move in one-day early will provide them with the time they need to get settled
in and prepare for the upcoming week of activities.

Time Frame Activity Description (if needed)

9:00 am - 4:00 pm Students will be moving in
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Group Dinner/Networking
9:00 pm – 12:00 am Dance

Monday, August 20th – Navigating Your Campus

This topic will assist with the student’s acclimation to their college campus. It will bring
awareness of services offered on campus and how students should go about accessing those
services, all while promoting the enhancement of social skills.

Time Frame Activity Description (if needed)

8:00 - 9:00 am Check In/Breakfast
Buffet/Networking
9:00 am - 9:30 am Welcome, Office of Disability
Services Director
9:30 am - 10:00 am Ice-Breaker
10:30 am - 11:30 pm Session One Campus Resources
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Lunch
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Campus Tours and Snack Breaks
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Session One Activity Drawing a Map of Campus
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Recap of Navigating Your Campus
6:00 pm Dinner
9:00 pm Night-Time Scavenger Hunt This activity will reinforce the
campus layout for students
PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 11

Tuesday, August 21st - You Can’t Spell Success Without (yo)U!

This topic promotes the enhancement of the student’s self-awareness. Throughout the day the
student will become aware of their disability and the impact is has had on their life. They will
learn to understand and appreciate theirs and other’s experiences.

Time Frame Activity Description (if needed)

8:00 - 9:00 am Check In/Breakfast
Buffet/Networking
9:00 am - 9:30 am Ice-Breaker
10:00 am - 11:00 am Session Two Understanding Yourself
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Session Two Activity Map of your life (birth to now); note the
obstacles you faced and how you overcame
them.
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Lunch Time
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Session Three Personal & Environmental Hygiene: A
Healthy You
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm Session Three Laundry Activity
Activity
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm Snack/Break
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Session Four Conflict Resolution
4:00 pm – 9:00 pm Session Four Activity time and activity to be determined by
residential assistant
9:00 pm Movie Night! Movie on the Lawn
PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 12

Wednesday, August 22nd - How to College: Academics

Time Frame Activity Description (if needed)

8:00 am - 9:00 am Breakfast
9:00 am - 9:30 am Ice-Breaker
9:30 pm – 10:30 am Session Five Preparing for Class
10:30 am – 11:00 am Session Five Activity Planning Out Your Day
11:00 am – 12:00 pm Lunch Time
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm Session Six Navigating the classroom
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm Session Six Activity Mapping Out Your Route and Time: Using
the map drawn from the previous day - map
out the time it will take you to get from
Point A to Point B; can go back through a
time yourself moving from one building to
another
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm Snack/Break
4:00 pm – 9:00 pm Supplemental Activity time and activity to be determined by
residential assistant
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm Game Night Residential Assistants will have a variety of
board games and interactive games
residents can participate in
PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS
August 23rd - How to College: Student Involvement
Time Frame
8:00 am - 9:00 am
9:00 am - 9:30 am
9:30 am – 10:30 am
10:30 am – 11:30 am
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
9:00 pm
August 24th – Finding the Balance
Time Frame
8:00 am - 9:00 am
9:00 am - 9:30 am
9:30 am – 10:30 am
10:30 am – 11:30 am
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
13
Activity Description (if needed)
Breakfast
Ice-Breaker
Session Seven Student Leader Panel
Session Seven Activity Explanation/Tour of OrgSync
Lunch
Session Eight Organizations on Campus
Session Eight Activity What do you want to do on
campus? Create a to-do list on
how to get there.
Snack/Break
Mingling Hour Participants will have the
opportunity to mingle with
student leaders and ask questions
Supplemental Activity time and activity to be determined
by residential assistant
Student Organization A representative from student
Party organizations will come out for
food and fun to get to know
prospective members.
Activity Description (if needed)
Breakfast
Ice-Breaker
Session Nine Time Management
Session Nine Activity Students will determine their
weekly schedule and create a
poster to hang in their room
Lunch
Session Ten Dealing with Stress
Session Ten Activity Students will explore different
ways of coping with stress
Snack/Break
Wrap Up ODS will thank participants and
conclude the program
PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 14

Marketing Methods

Multiple methods will be used to market this program to first-year students with

disabilities, current students, and residential assistants. The first-year students with disabilities

will have a yes or no question on their application asking if they would be interested in

participating in “DiscoverU” for a low cost to prepare for their first-year of college. This

question will direct the student to our website with more details once their application is

complete. This question will let The Office of Disability Services know who is interested, the

student will then a letter in the mail with more information. The letter will be address to the

student and their family to educate their guardians of the opportunity.

To recruit current students, emails will be sent out periodically throughout the fall and

spring semester in order to have time to complete the interviewing and hiring processes. The

residential assistants will receive word through their weekly meetings, as well as flyers. The

flyers will be handed out to all residential students. A mass email will be delivered to the entire

campus letting them be aware of the opportunity for upcoming students, they will be allowed to

make recommendations of potential student leaders as well.

PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 15

Evaluative Methods

The evaluation of the program will be a four-year long process with bits of information in

between. Prior to the start of the program, information on attendance and graduation rates of

students with disabilities will be recorded to have statistics to compare after the completion of

the program. Before the program begins students will be asked to fill out a form with basic

information asking them to rank their level of social skills and independent skills. This

evaluation will be recorded and stored. The same evaluation will be sent out to the participants at

the beginning and end of every semester until they graduate. Using this method will provide

important statistics of the success rates of the implemented program. During the program,

students will be evaluating each session individually. They will evaluate the information that was

taught, the level of skills they obtained, and their feelings on the level of importance of the

topics. This will help the program developers to modify sessions to fit the needs and wants of our

students.
PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 16

References

Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-336, 104 Stat. 328 (1990). Retrieved
on March 5, 2018 from https://adata.org/learn-about-ada

Civic Impulse. (2018). H.R. 8070 – 93rd Congress: Rehabilitation Act. Retrieved on March 5,
2018 from https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/93/hr8070

Develop Good Habits: A Better Life One Habit At A Time. (2017). Retrieved on March 17, 2018
from https://www.developgoodhabits.com/dealing-with-stress/

Duncan, A., & Ali, R. (2011). Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education:
Know Your Rights and Responsibilities. Retrieved on March 5, 2018 from
https://www2.ed.gov/print/about/offices/list/ocr/transition.html

Grasgreen, A. (2014). Dropping the Ball on Disabilities. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved on
February 28, 2018 from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/04/02/students-
disabilities-frustrated-ignorance-and-lack-services

Griffin, M.M., Wendel, K.F., Day, T.L., & McMillan, E.D. (2016). Developing Peer Supports
for College Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Journal of
Postsecondary Education and Disability, Vol 29 N3, p 263 – 296. Retrieved on March 5,
2018 from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1123801

Hamblet, E.L. (2014). Nine Strategies to Improve College Transition Planning for Students With
Disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children, Vol 46, Issue 3, p 53 – 59. Retrieved March
5, 2018 from http://www.ctdinstitute.org/sites/default/files/file_attachments/2014Nine
StrategiestoImproveCollegeTransitionforSWD.pdf

Masterson, K. (2008). 10 Tips For College Students With Disabilities. National Public Radio.
Retrieved on March 5, 2018, from https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId
=94728312

Statista. (2018). U.S. College Enrollment Statistics for Public and Private Colleges and
Projections Up To 2026. Retrieved on March 5, 2018, from https://www.statista.com/
statistics/183995/us-college-enrollment-and-projections-in-public-and-private-
institutions/

The George Washington University & The HEALTH Resource Center at the National Youth
Transition Center. Summer Pre-College Programs for Students with Disabilities.
Retrieved on February 28, 2018 from https://www.heath.gwu.edu/files/downloads
/summer_pre_college_programs_for_students_with_disabilities.pdf

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2016). Digest of
Education Statistics, 2015 (2016-014) Chapter 3. Retrieved on March 5, 2018, from
https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=60
PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 17

Vaccaro, A., Daly-Cano, M., & Newman, B.M. (2015). A Sense of Belonging Among College
Students With Disabilities: An Emergent Theoretical Model. Project Muse, Vol 56.
Retrieved on March 5, 2018, from https://muse.jhu.edu/article/597267

https://www.examples.com/business/volunteer-application.html
https://www2.cortland.edu/dotAsset/52397af5-3a78-47bb-a0e5-5a12d62a7754.pdf
PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 18

Appendix A – Mentor Application Materials

PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 19
PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 20

Appendix B – Marketing Materials

PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 21
PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 22

Appendix C - Monday, August 20th Materials

PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 23
PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 24

Appendix D – Tuesday, August 21st Materials

PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 25
PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 26
PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 27

Appendix E – Wednesday, August 22nd Materials

PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 28

Appendix F – Thursday, August 23rd Materials

What organizations do I want to join?

What are 3 things I can do to join?

Things I must do daily once I join

PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 29

Appendix G – Friday, August 24th Materials

PREPARING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FOR SUCCESS 30