Source and for more information see:
Developmental Disabilities Bulletin, Volume 22.2 (1994)
Inclusive Education: Seven Years of Practice
Patricia Bowman and Lori Skinner, On-Campus Program, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta Canada
Most students with severe disabilities finish school with few dreams and career ambitions; the mechanisms for transition from high school to life as an adult are restricted. In contrast, postsecondary education provides most young adults with a natural pathway into adulthood. There is no such process available for young adults with developmental disabilities. They are expected to go immediately from being high school students to being adults, ready for full-time work and a life of independence.
If the goal is to support people with developmental disabilities in preparing for life as adults, the normal pathways others take to become encultured in the adult world should be the same for people with disabilities. However, choices for students with developmental disabilities after high school are limited to sheltered workshops, supported employment, or entry-level work. Not only is this an unjust restriction placed on one group of citizens, it is also unrealistic to assume that an individual, regardless of his/her disability, would be able to choose his/her life's work directly out of high school. Historically, this lack of access to the natural pathways has been the norm for young adults with developmental disabilities. There is a tremendous need to change this inequity.
Some students choose to attend postsecondary education because it is a clear route to a chosen profession; however, for many others the reasons they choose university are not always as clear. For some the university provides a "window" in their life where they can take the time, usually with the support of family, to begin the process of truly becoming an adult.
While participating in postsecondary education, there are many things to learn about oneself. University is an environment that encourages growth and self-development while making changes and adjustments along the way. It is a valued place to move along with one's peers from one stage of life to another. This continued reevaluation and experimentation is encouraged at university. Changing faculties or courses while at the university is part of the student's ongoing process of self-definition. The population at the university is very diverse, with people of different ages or backgrounds attending for a multitude of reasons. This consideration for many distinct individuals encourages and facilitates the acceptance of the adult with a developmental disability to participate in that same process.
In addition to the concrete benefits of participating in this environment, the opportunity to form friendships with others is invaluable. Spending time with friends talking about changes, like moving out on your own, career choices, and the relationships in your life, is central to defining one's adult identity.
The On-Campus Program at the University of Alberta provides adults with developmental disabilities the opportunity to attend university. The On-Campus program started in 1987 through the work of a group of parents who wanted postsecondary education as an option for their sons and daughters with disabilities. Structured as an independent society but associated with the Faculty of Education, the program serves 11 students. It specifically serves adults with developmental dis- abilities, which includes students who have been labelled severely, profoundly, and multiply-disabled. The average length of time a student attends is four years; this is consistent with the program's effort to be model-coherent with the university. The On-Campus students' programs of study vary greatly, as do other university students' programs. Some of the common elements include university classes, clubs, associational involvement, and participation in campus recreation and social life activities. Regardless of where the involvement occurs, the inclusion of students with disabilities is facilitated in much the same way, by the people naturally found in these settings.
The process of including students with developmental disabilities begins with the student planning his/her program of study with the support of a facilitator. The student selects classes based on his/her interests, career goals, past experience, or areas he/she wishes to explore. After a student has selected the courses he/she wishes to attend, an On-Campus program facilitator approaches the professor or instructor, to request "permission to attend" for the On-Campus student. The facilitator then speaks to the class of university students to get one or more volunteers to help support the On-Campus student in class. The facilitator points out that both groups of students have similar goals and reasons for attending university, such as career choices, broadening one's horizons, meeting new people, and learning new things. This is also the time when the volunteer role is explained to the university students as one of general support and being a familiar face. The nature of support from the volunteer varies with each student in each class, depending on the goals and expectations.
The facilitator's role is exactly that, to facilitate the ongoing efforts of the student, volunteer, and professor, in meeting the On-Campus student's educational goals. The facilitator meets on a regular basis with the volunteers and the professor to modify the curriculum, adapt assignments, and to develop meaningful educational goals for each student. This process is continually changing and evolving in order to ensure that students with developmental disabilities are truly involved in an inclusive university experience.
The approach used to obtain support for students with disabilities in university classes is consistent with the approach used in all aspects of an On-Campus student's university life, including club and associational membership, socials, and recreational opportunities. This inclusion of students with developmental disabilities would not be possible without the commitment of the professors and student volunteers. These are the people who say "yes" to the students' participation in their classes, and who agree to making it work. They are the people responsible for the actual inclusion; in the places where it should happen: classrooms, cafeterias, fraternity houses, football games, and anywhere else university life happens.
The pathway that students with developmental disabilities take through their four years at university looks much the same as any other student's path. In the first year of university, students take 100-level or first-year courses, with the usual trial and error around course and time selection. There are also all of the usual first-year concerns, such as getting confused about where one's classes actually are, finding libraries and texts for each course, and generally feeling overwhelmed by it all. Changing faculties, dropping courses, making new friends, and skipping Friday's classes to go to the local café are common experiences for all, including the On-Campus student.
The On-Campus student's schedule looks similar to any other student's schedule with classes, club meetings, time in the library, and the usual breaks in-between. Interestingly, these breaks between classes are a concept that many people initially have difficulty understanding, including the students with the On-Campus program. Having a break in the middle of the day that is unplanned, unsupervised or unstructured is not an experience many young adults with developmental disabilities are used to dealing with. The typical experience for these students is to have all of their time structured and planned for, with no free time to do with as they please. In contrast to what a university student calls free time or a break, this is typically referred to in the human service field as "down time", implying unproductivity and waste. One look around a university cafeteria is a quick indication of how much time a university student spends relaxing between classes, forming connections and friendships which often make university life so enjoyable. In addition, this free time provides a much needed mental break for many, allowing students to gear-up for upcoming classes, examinations, and other commitments. On-Campus students' needs are no different than their university peers' in this regard. Therefore, having the same time in their daily schedules where they learn to take advantage of free time is an important consideration, even if that just means having a coffee and talking with a friend.
Attending university has made for changes in the lives of both former On-Campus students and the university community. Some of the major changes and outcomes for the students were in the areas of life experiences or social skills, such as decision-making, meeting new people, and experiencing a wide range of new things. The students saw themselves differently from when they first started attending university. They no longer believed they did not belong with their peers (other university students) in all of the settings a university has to offer. The On-Campus students were also making choices to leave segregated settings in other areas of their lives, like sports and social activities. They expected to belong to the groups that interested them at university. They developed a stronger sense of self and their identity as adults continued to grow. The career expectations of the students also changed; they aspired to jobs that reflected the interests and skills they had developed over the past four years at university. As well, they greatly increased their odds of getting the jobs they wanted because of the connections they made at university. For more than one student these connections proved to be instrumental in getting better employment.
A very important outcome which was realized for some On-Campus students was the development of friendships with university peers. The benefits of this outcome can only truly be understood by evaluating the importance of friendships in our own lives.
Although many of the outcomes were anticipated and even planned for, there have been many benefits to creating inclusive educational opportunities that were unforeseen. Many subtle and less tangible changes were noticed by families and friends who knew the students well. These changes were by no means less significant. As the students' self-esteem and confidence increased, so did their expectations for themselves and for those around them. As they defined themselves as adults, they became more comfortable in making decisions and being responsible for them. Decisions to move out or get a job were not only being considered by the students, but often for the first time thought possible by parents. Attending university made other dreams seem attainable.
The university community has also benefited from offering these inclusive opportunities. Professors comment that having an On-Campus student in their classes has helped them examine what the most fundamental goals of a particular course are. Students learn to support and accommodate each other, a valuable skill in future employment. It has been noted that, as the school system moves towards a practice of inclusive settings, it stands to reason that future teachers learn in such a setting; we must practice what we preach. This has been evidenced by the comment of a new teacher who noted that now that she is teaching in an inclusive classroom she sorely wishes she had volunteered to support the On-Campus student she attended class with in order to better understand the process and practice of inclusion.
At the present time, ten students with the On-Campus program have finished university and moved on. Of these ten students, seven are no longer associated with the human service industry for "day programs". They are working in a variety of different types of positions, including working for the City, the School Board, volunteering at the University, and working for a major local employer. Some students are living in their own apartments or share homes with roommates, while others still live with family. All in all, their lives look much like the lives of other young adults, with all the variety and complications life has to offer.
The process of figuring out life is ongoing, unpredictable and messy, and the answer does not lie simply in attending university. But for many university can be the place where they begin to see possibilities. For students with a developmental disability it has the possibility of setting the tone for what they can expect from themselves and those around them. Although far from being without difficulty, we believe the benefits of inclusive postsecondary education are well worth continuing the effort.
Note
For further information about the On-Campus Program you can contact Patricia Bowman and Lori Skinner at the following address: On-Campus Program, B-125G Education North, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2G5. Telephone: (403) 492-5988.
Copyright © 2001 The J. P. Das Developmental Disabilities Centre. Disclaimer. Comments? Questions? E-mail dick.sobsey@ualberta.ca.
Last date modified: 04/29/2002 15:10:36
