Indiana Institute to Receive Almost $2.5 Million to Promote Education for Students with Disabilities

The Indiana Institute on Disability and Community has been awarded a five year grant of $2,465,600 from the U.S. Department of Education for model demonstration programs promoting the successful transition of students with intellectual disabilities into higher education.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the award of $10.9 million for 28 grants under two new federal programs that create opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities to attend, and be successful, in higher education.

“President Obama has set a goal for America to have the highest percentage of college graduates in the world by 2010,” Duncan said. “These new programs make an important contribution toward that goal by giving students with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to receive a quality postsecondary education with the supports they need to attend, complete, and succeed in higher education.”

Key components of the Indiana Partnership for Postsecondary Education and Careers Project will include:

• Partnerships with Anderson University and Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI), which have emerging postsecondary programs for persons with intellectual disabilities;
• An Indiana coalition that includes advocacy and provider organizations and institutions of higher education;
• Planning with institutions of higher education that have shown interest in this opportunity;
• Recruitment of additional colleges and universities; and
• Data collection and evaluation on project achievement, social inclusion, and career outcomes.

For more information on the Indiana Partnership for Postsecondary Education Project, contact David Mank at (812) 855-6508 or e-mail dmank@indiana.edu. For more information on the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, visit www.iidc.indiana.edu.

The IIDC receives support from the Office of the Vice Provost for Research at Indiana University Bloomington (OVPR). OVPR is dedicated to supporting ongoing faculty research and creative activity, developing new multidisciplinary initiatives, and maximizing the potential of faculty to accomplish path breaking work. The OVPR also provides funds, infrastructure, and other resources to enhance opportunities for federal, state, and private research funding.