Four students with developmental disabilities who never completed high school, are now pursuing their post-secondary dreams at Red Deer College.
They attend regular college classes in kinesiology, psychology and visual arts and other fields, through Inclusive Post-Secondary Education.
While they are considered non-credit students who audit courses because they lack the prerequisites to enroll as regular students, they do all of the tests and projects required.
Tina Smith, who co-ordinates the Inclusion Alberta initiative at RDC, said some tests must be modified to meet their comprehension levels, while others don’t have to be.
The students at most disadvantage are those who were never integrated into regular high school classes, she added, as it takes them longer to become familiar with classroom routines and expectations. But it’s a swift learning curve.
Smith said some persons with developmental disabilities who had their tests or assignments modified in their first year end up writing the same tests as regular students by the second year.
The goal of the initiative, offered for the past decade at RDC through Inclusion Alberta, is to give students with intellectual disabilities whatever supports are needed — whether scholastic or social — to help them complete their program, even if it takes them a year or two longer.
They graduate with a certificate of completion, which allows them to apply for jobs related to their field of study. Smith said this gives them more independence — as well as an income.
Past students have found employment in inclusive workplaces as assistants, researchers or social media experts.
Sharon Hamilton, associate dean with RDC’s School of Health Services, considers the initiative a “win-win” for all concerned.
Hamilton, who recently accepted a Community Inclusion Award for RDC from Inclusion Alberta for partnering in the initiative, believes it widens the world for disabled students — “It can be a life-changer” — while also bringing the “real world” into the college.
“It helps us all develop an understanding of all kinds of people of all abilities.”
According to Inclusion Alberta, this province has more Inclusive Post-Secondary Education initiatives than any jurisdiction in the world. Initiated by families and advocates in 1987, the University of Alberta was the first to offer this kind of education.
With the support of Alberta Association for Community Living and Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD), 18 post-secondary institutions across the province now offer inclusive education opportunities to students with developmental disabilities.
lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com
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