Inclusive education encompasses the right to education, including physical access, communication access, social access, economic access, early identification, adaption of curriculum, and individualized student supports. It means that families and communities are active participants in education and ensuring a transition plan is in place to prepare the youth for future success.

Lack of inclusion in education may be caused by unconscious or conscious bias against people with disabilities. Promote inclusion by exploring bias and culturally responsive practices.

Youth Transition Services includes Postsecondary Education Counseling as one of the five required Pre-ETS services. These counseling activities could include providing information about:

• opportunities for enrollment in comprehensive transition or postsecondary educational programs at institutions of higher education
•  information on course offerings, career options, and the types of academic and occupational training needed to succeed in the workplace
• postsecondary opportunities associated with career fields or pathways

This information may also be provided on an individual basis and may include advising students and parents or representatives on academic curricula, college application and admissions processes, completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and resources that may be used to support individual student success in education and training, which could include disability support services.

Source: Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act (2014) from the Final VR Regulations at 81 FR 55683,55694-55695, August 19, 2016.

Learn more about WIOA expectations around youth access to transition services.

Encourage youth and their families to participate in transition planning by attending the annual Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, beginning at age 14 or younger, if appropriate. IEP meetings provide opportunities to define learning goals and challenges for the coming year. An IEP meeting is a time for the student, family, and school staff to gather around a table to reflect on the past year and make decisions for the future.

A Postsecondary Transition Plan (PTP) helps the student move into adult life after high school. In Wisconsin, the school must develop a written PTP as part of the IEP if the student is 14 or older.

• IEP Guide for Youth and Families from Before Age 18
• Learn more about how to engage families

Under IDEA, teachers and schools are obligated to ensure that each student receives their accommodations and modifications; ADA simply states colleges must make these services available. This highlights the importance of self-advocacy skills, as students will need to advocate for what they need and ensure they are accessing the services and supports to allow them to be successful.

Providing self-advocacy instruction is another area where either educators or VR service providers may have an important role in preparing students. This instruction may occur as a collaborative effort between schools and VR, or it may occur independently. It is critical students are prepared to advocate for themselves.

Source: Post-Secondary Education and Training Preparation Toolkit from the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT)

Provide opportunities for youth and opportunities for adults to participate in job shadowing, workstudy, apprenticeships, or internships.

Skill development and practice (time management, independent living, mobility skills, self-advocacy skills, the ability to ask for specific help when you need it) are important to work and life success. While still in school, workplace readiness skill development and practice training opportunities should be identified and incorporated into a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). These skills can also be taught to adults to facilitate job success.

Interagency collaboration has been identified as a key element in the transition to adulthood for youth with disabilities.

• focus on building collaborative relationships with community service providers. Barriers to successful interagency collaboration relationships include lack of communication, staff dedication, and secondary and transition knowledge.
• reach out to school districts. Improving interagency collaboration between the school district and VR is crucial to support youth with disabilities achieve their employment goals. You can support the school transition team by providing vocational rehabilitation, guidance, job search assistance, and job placement.

Get ideas and strategies to help you start collaborating with other providers and agencies.