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What to do Next

College / Adulthood

Many adults with learning disabilities and attention disorders struggle as they leave the K-12 "entitlement" arena and enter the adult service "eligibility" world. Not only does the location change, but their role changes significantly from one of passive participant to one of active leader. For some, this will be the first time that they will independently self-disclose and self-advocate for what they need.

If you are an adult with a disability, it is critical to your success that you are able to articulate how you learn best, the nature of your disability and the types of accommodations, supports and help that you will require to be successful. If you are applying to colleges, you need to have an accurate idea of the academic requirements and admissions procedures of the colleges or universities in which you are interested. If you are pursuing employment, it is important to understand job requirements and your strengths as a candidate for the job.

The transition to college/employment

As you enter adulthood, you now are responsible for making sure your needs are met… at college, at your job, and in other activities in which your performance is impacted by your disability. This requires that you have a full understanding of the nature of your disability, your learning style, your strengths and weaknesses, your legal rights and the types of accommodations you need. It also requires that you are comfortable sharing this information with others.

• Professional documentation of the learning disability is the vehicle for understanding one's strengths and weaknesses. It is essential to have a full and frank discussion about that documentation with the psychologist or other expert who made the assessment.
• To understand your legal rights, you should become familiar with legislation that protects the rights of people with disabilities at colleges and universities, with adult education providers and with employers. It is important to know about the Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 2004, and how these two pieces of legislation differ from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1990. IDEA is the legislation that governs the provision of special education services to children and youth with disabilities in elementary and secondary schools. IDEA does not apply to higher education. Section 504 and the ADA provide protections for people with disabilities in higher education and in the work place. These pieces of legislation outline the responsibilities of higher educational institutions and employers to support their students/employees with disabilities.
• Accommodations and assistive technology are two tools you can use to help you. Some adult schools and employers now recognize learning disabilities and offer options to help. This help includes use of technological devices, alternative assignments, tutoring, extended time for work completion, organizational aids and - perhaps most important -understanding and patience.

Characteristics of adults with learning disabilities
Job Accommodation Network Homepage
Adults with Learning Disabilities
HEATH-a resource
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
ADA Home Page - ada.gov - Information and Technical Assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act

1. Section 504 and ADA
   1. Section 504 is a civil rights law to prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability in programs and activities, public and private that receive federal financial assistance such as institutions of higher education.
      1. Any person who (1) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, (2) has a record of such impairment, or (3) is regarded as having such impairment.
      2. Major life activities include walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, caring for oneself, and performing manual tasks.
   2. Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) prohibits state and local governments from discriminating on the basis of disability. This includes higher education institutions.
      1. Offers equal access to existing programs and services through non discrimination and reasonable accommodations.
      2. Section 504 prohibits a postsecondary education recipient from making a preadmission inquiry as to whether an applicant for admission is a handicapped person.
      3. Reasonable accommodations are modifications to policy, practice, instructional delivery and the environment. (i.e. books on tape, note takers)
      4. Ensure that all support programs offered by a university are accessible to all students, including those with disabilities.
      5. Each college establishes its own procedures based on its interpretation of the ADA and Section 504.
      6. Students are expected to register with the disability services office and provide documentation
      7. Association for Higher Education and Disabilities Best Practices in documentation and requesting an accommodation:
         1. The credentials of the evaluator(s)
         2. A diagnostic statement identifying the disability
         3. A description of the diagnostic methodology used
         4. A description of the current functional limitations
         5. A description of the expected progression or stability of the disability
         6. A description of current and past accommodations, services and/or medications
         7. Recommendations for accommodations, adaptive, assistive services, compensatory strategies, and/or collateral support services AHEAD
      8. It is the student's responsibility to make his or her handicapping condition known and to request academic adjustments. This should be done in a timely manner.
      9. Once documentation is submitted:
         1. The school will review the student's request in light of the essential requirements for the relevant program to help determine an appropriate academic adjustment.
         2. It is important to remember that the school is not required to lower or waive essential requirements.
         3. If the student has requested a specific academic adjustment, the school may offer that academic adjustment or an alternative one if the alternative would also be effective.
         4. The school may also conduct its own evaluation of the student's disability and needs at its own expense.
         5. The student should expect the school to work with the student in an interactive process to identify an appropriate academic adjustment.
   3. At work disclosure of a disability:
      1. If the individual does not need accommodations in the application process, generally it is best to wait until after the individual has the job.
      2. Once on the job, if the individual sees that a part of the job is a problem and believes he/she needs an accommodation, it is best to act promptly and not allow a long period of poor performance.
      3. Also, at the time the individual discloses his/her disability, he/she needs to request the specific reasonable accommodations that will enable he/she to do their job.
   4. Workplace accommodations
      1. Depend upon your particular disabilities and how they impact on performing the essential functions of your job.
      2. Accommodations might include: instructions orally and in writing, frequent and specific feedback from supervisors, quiet workspace, and training course accommodations.