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Features: Life Last modified Saturday, April 23, 2005 8:28 PM PDT
Javascript disabled. Cannot display HTML ad. Students with disabilities travel same road to college
By: AGNES DIGGS - Staff Writer Increasing numbers of students with disabilities are joining the ranks of those planning the transition from high school to colleges, universities, career and vocational schools. Their road to college is the same as everyone else's, with one difference: how they make the trip.
Laws on the books prohibit schools from discriminating against students with disabilities, but it's important that they and their families realize the rules for higher learning are a whole different ball game compared with elementary and high school. "The difference between high school and college is that they (students) need to take more responsibility," said Loretta Bohl, coordinator of Disabled Student Services at MiraCosta Community College. "We help them, but we need them to take that first step and walk through our door, make contact with us. Some parents want to do it without having the student involved, but we can't do it (that way). If the student is not engaged in the whole process, it doesn't work." Bohl said being part of the planning is an important step toward independence. "We want to teach them advocacy skills, because they're going to have to learn how to advocate for themselves anyway," she said. "So we take baby steps." | |
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