Submitted by AUCD:
March 25, 2009
ACT NOW TO FUND NEW PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE
HIGHER EDUCATION ACT
·
Below is a Dear Colleague letter being circulated by the office of Rep.
John Yarmuth (D-KY)
·
It is asking other Members of the House of Representatives to sign
on urging the appropriators to fund these important new programs in the FY 2010
appropriations bills.
·
We know at least one Republican will be signing on, so this will be
a bi-partisan letter
ACTION NEEDED BY NEXT WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1.
·
CALL MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE AND URGE THEM TO SIGN
ON
·
TELL THEM HOW IMPORTANT THESE PROGRAMS ARE TO THE DISABILITY
COMMUNITY – THAT ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION IS A MAJOR BARRIER FOR STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES
·
ASK THEM TO CONTACT LILLIAN PACE IN REP. YARMUTH’S OFFICE AT
202-225-5401 TO SIGN ON (THIS INFORMATION IS IN THE LETTER)
· CLICK HERE TO GET THE PHONE NUMBER OF ALL MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml
So far the following members have signed on to the letter:
Rep. Hinojosa (D-TX), Rep. Scott (D-VA), Rep. Conyers (D-MI) and Rep. Petri
(R-WI).
Background:
Last year Congress passed legislation to reauthorize the Higher Education Act – the Higher Education Opportunity Act. This law includes sweeping new provisions intended to expand access to higher education to students with disabilities, including students with intellectual disabilities. In addition, the law contains provisions to improve the preparation of K-12 general education teachers and college faculty who prepare new teachers in special education and other shortage areas. However, these exciting new provisions require funding to be implemented.
Letter:
Help Students with Disabilities Access Higher Education
March 24, 2009
Help Students with Disabilities Access Higher Education!
Support Funding for the Disability Provisions Enacted in the Higher Education Act Reauthorization
Please Note: These are Programmatic Requests
Deadline – April 1, 2009
Dear Colleague:
Students with disabilities remain one of the most disenfranchised groups when it comes to higher education. Only 12 percent of working-age adults with disabilities currently hold a college degree, and the employment rate for this population is just 36.9 percent. We must do better.
When Congress reauthorized the Higher Education Act last year, we took an important step toward removing the barriers to postsecondary education for students with disabilities. The legislation emphasized the importance of educational opportunity for all, creating several new programs to improve the quality of education for students with disabilities. These programs will help general education teachers effectively instruct students with disabilities in elementary and secondary school, address the shortage of special education teachers, remove common barriers to postsecondary education, and increase access to postsecondary opportunities -- which rarely exist for students with intellectual disabilities.
Please join me in sending the attached letter to the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee requesting an investment in these critical programs. We must do all we can to help disabled individuals acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in today’s workforce and throughout their lives.
To sign the letter, please contact Lillian Pace in Congressman John Yarmuth’s office at 5-5401 or lillian.pace@mail.house.gov.
Sincerely,
John Yarmuth
Member of Congress
________________________________________________________________
Honorable David Obey, Chairman
House Labor/HHS/Education AppropriationsSubcommittee
2358 Rayburn House Office Building
Honorable Todd Tiahrt, Ranking Member
House Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations Subcommittee
2358 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairman Obey and Ranking Member Tiahrt:
Dear Chairman Obey
and Ranking
During last year’s enactment of the Higher
Education Opportunity Act (P.L. 1110-315), Congress made a historic commitment
to students with disabilities by establishing new provisions to expand access
to postsecondary education. These provisions will help general education
teachers effectively instruct students with disabilities in elementary and
secondary school, remove common barriers to postsecondary education, and
increase access to postsecondary opportunities which rarely exist for students
with intellectual disabilities.
We respectfully ask you to build on this
commitment with a $70 million investment in the Fiscal Year 2010 Labor, Health
and Human Services, Education, and Related Appropriations bill for these disability
provisions.
|
Teach to Reach Grants |
$15 million |
|
Graduate Fellowships to Prepare Faculty in High Need Areas at Colleges of Education |
$15 million |
|
Model Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities and Coordinating Center for Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities |
$15 million |
|
National Center |
$3.0 million |
|
Commission on Accessible Materials |
$1.5 million |
|
Model Demonstration Programs to Support Improved Access to Postsecondary Instructional Materials for Students with Print Disabilities |
$5 million |
|
Demonstration Projects to Support Postsecondary Faculty, Staff and Administrators in Educating Students with Disabilities |
$15 million |
Teach to Reach Grants ( Sec. 251)
Teach to Reach Grants were designed to address a significant problem in
K-12 education – that general education teachers are not well prepared to instruct
students with disabilities. This lack of training contributes to
the low performance of students with disabilities. These grants will go jointly
to programs preparing general education teachers and those preparing special
education teachers.
Graduate Fellowships to Prepare Faculty in High Need Areas at Colleges
of Education (Sec. 258)
A critical shortage of special education faculty at institutions of
higher education contributes to the chronic shortage of special education
teachers. This program will support students preparing to become teacher
educators in the high need fields: math, science, special education,
English Language Learners.
Model Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students
with Intellectual Disabilities and Coordinating Center for Comprehensive
Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual
Disabilities (Sec. 766-769)
New model programs were authorized to develop degree, certificate, or
non-degree programs at institutions of higher education for students with
intellectual disabilities. These programs are designed to focus on: academic
enrichment; socialization; independent living; and integrated work experiences
and career skills that lead to gainful employment for individuals with intellectual
disabilities. A coordinating center was authorized for the model programs
for students with intellectual disabilities. The coordinating center will
provide: recommendations related to the development of standards for such
programs; technical assistance; and evaluations.
National Center for Information and
Technical Support for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities (Sec. 777 a)
A national technical assistance center was authorized to provide
cross-disability information and technical assistance nationally. The center
will assist current and prospective students with disabilities. It will also
assist faculty, staff, and administration of institutions of higher education
to improve services, accommodations, retention rates, and completion rates of students
with disabilities. The center will evaluate, improve, and disseminate
information related to the delivery of high quality disability support services
at institutions of higher education and report recommendations.
Commission on Accessible Materials (Sec. 772)
Many students with disabilities cannot effectively participate in
higher education because the instructional materials are not accessible to
them. This long standing and challenging problem will be assessed by a
Commission representing all stake holders and recommendations will be made for
remedies.
Model Demonstration Programs to Support Improved Access to
Postsecondary Instructional Materials for Students with Print Disabilities
(Sec. 773-775)
Model demonstrations were authorized to promote development of systems
to improve the quality and timely delivery of course materials in specialized
formats for students with print disabilities.
Demonstration Projects to Support Postsecondary Faculty, Staff, and
Administrators in Educating Students with Disabilities (Sec. 760-765)
First authorized in 1998, these are competitive awards made to
institutions of higher education for development of model practices for faculty
so that they are skilled in instructing students with
disabilities. Activities were expanded during reauthorization, and include
the development of: teaching methods and strategies; effective transition
practices; distance learning; and disability career pathways.
An investment in these programs will reap
countless economic benefits and give exceptional students the opportunity to
reach their full potential. Only 12 percent of working-age adults with
disabilities currently hold a college degree, and the employment rate for this
population is just 36.9 percent (American Community Survey, 2007). Clearly, we
must do more, which is why we are urging you to provide funding for these
disability programs in the FY2010 appropriations bill.
Thank you for your consideration of this request, and we hope we can
count on your support.
Sincerely,
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