College & Adult Education

The DC Department on Disability Services (DDS) provides the residents of DC with information, oversight, and coordination of services for people with disabilities and those who support them, such as service providers and employers. DDS has two Administrations ( Rehabilitation Services Administration & Developmental Disabilities Administration ) that oversee and coordinate services for residents with disabilities through a network of private and non-profit providers.

REHABILITATION SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (RSA) - focuses on employment, ensuring that persons with disabilities achieve a greater quality of life by obtaining and sustaining employment, economic self-sufficiency and independence. RSA’s program is designed to assess, plan, develop, and provide vocational rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities, consistent with their strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, and informed choice, in order to prepare for and engage in gainful employment 34 C.F.R. § 361.1

• The RSA Youth in Transition Services Units provide transition services, as defined by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 amended, to coordinate a set of activities for students designed around an outcome-oriented process that supports their movement from school to post-school activities including post-secondary education, vocational training, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, and independent living. Vocational rehabilitation transition services link students with disabilities, while still in school, with the vocational rehabilitation program to create a continuum of services leading to long-term employment outcomes for eligible students.
• To learn more about RSA’s vocational rehabilitation process for youth with disabilities, refer to the RSA Youth in Transition Toolkit: “Explore the World of Work, Discover Your Career”. It provides the specific steps and activities that youth, schools, and parents need to understand to apply for services and work through the RSA process to receive services and find employment.

DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES ADMINISTRATION (DDA) - public agency responsible for the oversight and coordination of all services and supports provided to qualified persons with intellectual disabilities in the District of Columbia.

• DDA supports individuals with intellectual disabilities to have the most independence and choice and control over their own lives through person-centered service planning and delivery and increased provider capacity. DDA coordinates home and community services for over 2,000 individuals so each person can live and work in the neighborhood of his or her choosing, and promotes health, wellness and a high quality of life through service coordination and monitoring, clinical supports, and a robust quality management program.

Students with disabilities can make the college-to-career transition a smooth one with the assistance of career counseling, job search workshops, and career plan development on campus. This guide provides career planning resources for students with disabilities who are just beginning their job search.

The Mission of CET, an economic and community development corporation, is to promote human development and education by providing people marketable skills training and supportive services that contribute to self-sufficiency.

The College & Career Readiness and Success Organizer brings together essential considerations for career and college readiness that are equal in importance and interconnected. The organizer has four central strands: goals and expectations, outcomes and measures, pathways and supports, and resources and structures.

The CLE team provides individualized services across the areas of academics, career development, independent living, and social skills.

In the guide, students and their families receive clear, personalized information about the steps they need to take to earn a diploma and pursue college and career opportunities aligned with their skills and interests. Each student’s guide is customized to their course progress, college and career interests, and post-secondary goals.

• Disability benefits (guides, programs, applications, etc.)
• Civil rights (ADA information, accessibility guidelines, employment rights, complaint procedures, etc.)
• Community life (history of the independent living movement, personal care assistance services, sports and leisure activities, etc.)
• Education (IDEA and IEP information, teaching materials and strategies, classroom supports, college prep, etc.)
• Emergency preparedness (inclusive emergency planning, disaster recovery assistance, emergency service accessibility, etc.)
• Employment (career planning, workforce development, internship programs, hiring and recruiting information, etc.)
• Health care (disability and condition information, services and providers, caregiving options, financial assistance, etc.)
• Housing (housing laws, home buying guides, supportive housing options, home modification, etc.)
• Technology (accessible technology guidelines and standards, assistive information technology, assistive educational technology, financial assistance, etc.)
• Transportation (laws, travel guides, providers, vehicle modification, safety and complaint procedures, etc.)

This innovative online curriculum is designed to teach job search skills to people struggling to overcome barriers to employment, such as disabilities, gaps in employment history or mental health challenges.

This comprehensive curriculum contains six separate courses – the first five focus on a specific phase of the job search process while the sixth focuses on how to successfully keep a job. Each course is fully animated and all information is presented in accessible, easy-to-understand language. Content is reinforced through fun, engaging videos, simulations, interactive exercises, quizzes, exams and a variety of practical opportunities to apply what is learned. All courses are fully narrated.

The Office of Military and Veteran Student Services is here to help students who are using military education benefits understand how their benefits work towards funding their education. We process financial transactions between The George Washington University and the Department of Veteran Affairs. Our office can also help students in their transition from combat to college and help students them find resources that are specifically designed for members of the military and their dependent. Our main focus is on the financial aspect of our students’ education, however we also host a series of programmatic events throughout the year to create awareness about the student veteran population on campus while also bringing together veterans and civilians. We support a strong community of student veterans and their families here on campus.

In terms of student support services, our office is able to ensure that students make a smooth transition from combat to college. This role includes anything from referring our students to a counselor at the University Counseling Center to communicating directly with a student’s professor if that student, for example, is having issues with completing assignments due to military-related factors (deployment, PTSD, stress).

Obtaining a college education is no easy task, but for students with visual disabilities, the path to completing a degree program is lined with unique challenges and barriers. The following guide explores how visual impairments impact the educational experience, what colleges are doing for the visually impaired, and includes numerous resources, as well insight and tips from experts and a list of scholarships and grants.

The HEATH Resource Center gathers and provides information about national, post-secondary education supports for individuals with disabilities. The Center:

• Participates in national conferences, trainings, and workshops
• Develops training modules
• Publishes resource papers, factsheets, guides, directories, and website information on accessibility, accommodations, financial aid, career development, independent living, and rehabilitation
• Fosters a network of disability professionals

The HEATH Resource Center is managed by George Washington University's Graduate School of Education and Human Development in partnership with the HSC Foundation and the National Youth Transitions Center.

Addressing each need of students with visual impairments and improving overall accessibility are vital to their academic success. This guide explains how colleges are creating more welcoming and inclusive learning environments, with a sharp focus on assistive technology, campus resources that provide assistive services and tools, information about scholarships for students with visual impairments, and online resources they can access to facilitate academic and career success.

The Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center hosts and links to numerous resources relevant to families across the country at its website. The family-centered search feature allows users to filter resources by topic, format, audience, and grade.

LAYC provides multi-lingual, culturally sensitive programs in the following areas:

• Educational Enhancement
• Social Services
• Workforce Investment
• Community Wellness
• Art + Media
• Advocacy

This discussion guide is part of a larger practice guide designed to help state education agencies (SEAs) define measurement goals, select college and career readiness measures and indicators designed to support those goals, and use the data gathered with those measures and indicators to make informed decisions about college and career readiness policies, programs, and interventions. The chapter 1 discussion guide focuses on setting the stage for the rest of the guide by defining the measurement landscape and exploring the SEA role in measurement goals related to college and career readiness and success.

Powered by Student Veterans of America and in conjunction with The HSC Foundation, the National Veterans Center’s (NVC) mission is to empower military veterans to reach their full potential. This partnership between non-profit organizations accomplishes its mission by acting as a central conduit that pairs service providers from the public and private sector with veterans and military families seeking resources. The NVC serves as America’s laboratory for developing, testing, and digitally delivering new solutions to veterans in order to assist them with overcoming disability, completing their education, finding meaningful employment, and thriving in their communities.

The NYLN:

• Promotes youth leadership development.
• Values inclusion, interdependent support systems, and disability pride.
• Works to create access to the resources youth need to be leaders.
• Supports work being done by youth activists with disabilities on the local level.
• Trains youth with disabilities.
• Connects youth leaders with opportunities to serve and be active members of their communities.

Users of the online, interactive Career Navigator tool can take a career assessment to determine career paths that best fit them. They learn about each career including job outlook, pay potential, and the amount of education or training required. The Career Navigator connects students to local educational institutions where they can obtain the related post-secondary education. Additional resources are provided to further empower youth and young adults to make informed decisions about their careers. Real-life success stories of New Futures Alumni are also shared.

ServiceSource is a leading nonprofit disability resource organization with regional offices and programs located in nine states and the District of Columbia. We serve more than 15,700 individuals with disabilities annually through a range of innovative and valued employment, training, rehabilitation, housing and other support services. ServiceSource directly employs more than 1,500 individuals on government and commercial affirmative employment contracts, making us one of the largest employers of people with disabilities nationwide.

Whether you are an individual with a disability, a government contracting officer or a local business owner, ServiceSource is committed to meeting or exceeding your needs and expectations.

Student Veterans of America envisions a nation where all student veterans succeed in post-secondary programs and contribute to civilian society in meaningful ways. SVA provides the resources and support to do so through five major initiatives. We maintain a commitment to Support Chapters through leadership training, grants, and networking opportunities that facilitate the development of successful student-run organizations. An essential component of chapter work is advocating for supportive campus services and programs. At the national level, SVA’s Advocacy efforts ensure policies are not only supportive for veterans in their transition to school and employment, but also for the entire military community. To best serve this large community, SVA Develops Partnerships with other organizations to provide scholarships, mentorships, employment, and benefits counseling. Yet, our support doesn’t end at graduation. Student Veterans of America is developing a networking program that will Connect Alumni veterans with even more professional opportunities. These initiatives are designed to bring veterans closer to their degrees, yet little data exists on student veterans' academic performance. By Investing in Research, SVA hopes to fill that void and showcase student veteran success.

This webpage offers a series of educative articles, compiled by Five 9 Call Center Software, on hearing impairment and accessibility issues. These articles provide specific information about:

• The history of telecommunications devices
• Telephone relay services
• Using a TTY system
• Accessing 9-1-1 emergency services
• Ongoing efforts to improve telecommunication
• Overcoming isolation through social media
• Making distance learning courses more inclusive
• The challenges of communicating in the workplace
• Accessibility and the Americans with Disabilities Act

This webpage also offers informative resources related to hearing impairment. These resources include:

• Webpages devoted to deaf culture
• Reviews of assistive technology products
• A database of closed-captioned, educational DVDs

A Wider Circle assists individuals and families in transition by providing:

• Free enrollment in intensive, multi-session job preparedness, financial planning, stress management, nutrition, and parenting
• Homegoods to formerly homeless families and veterans
• Emergency response for new mothers, victims of fires or crime
• Shelter enhancements (e.g., painting and landscaping)
• Holiday food baskets and toys