Each week, we talk with our colleagues at The Colorado Sun about the stories they're following. This time, Editor Lance Benzel joined us to talk about an effort by the state to create more college opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. These programs provide mentoring and tutoring to students.
“They pick the field to study and they end up earning what is called a comprehensive higher education certificate,” Benzel told KUNC. “It's kind of a formal certificate that documents a student's course of study and the training they've done and skills they've developed.”
Colorado didn't develop its first inclusive higher ed program until 2016.
“And that left a lot of Colorado families feeling a sudden lack of support after their children completed high school,” Benzel told KUNC. “Parents described sort of a cliff where training and enrichment opportunities just kind of fell off.”
Now, four institutions of higher education in the state have inclusive programs: University of Southern Colorado, Arapahoe Community College, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and Regis University.
In 2020, the state began a grant initiative which allocates $450,000 a year for five years. That money is going toward bolstering existing programs and bringing new programs to Colorado State University, Metropolitan State, the University of Denver and two other as-yet-unnamed schools.
People who are familiar with these programs describe a transformative effect for people with intellectual disabilities.
“They help students continue to live independently,” Benzel said. “When they're in college, they're rushing sororities and fraternities. They're living alone in apartments, attending social events on campus, getting involved.”
Forty-four students with intellectual disabilities have graduated from public colleges in Colorado since 2020.
