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NEW HORIZONS IN ADULT EDUCATION is a refereed journal published by Nova Southeastern University's Programs for Higher Education. The journal is transmitted electronically through the Adult Education Network (AEDNET) accessible through BITNET and Internet. There is no charge for NEW HORIZONS IN ADULT EDUCATION as received electronically. Copyright of individual articles is retained by the authors. Any item that appears in
NEW HORIZONS IN ADULT EDUCATION may be retrieved without permission. However, when this material is quoted or reproduced, the author, title of the item, and issues must be cited.

Editor'sPreface.................................................................................................................................3

A R T I C L E

Adult Learners with Disabilities: A New Imperative for Adult Educators
by David A. DuBois..........................................................................................................................4
 
 

A Challenge for Higher Education: Connecting Education and
Employment for Adult Students with Disabilities
by Mary M. Klinger.....................................................................................................................14
 
 

HOW TO RESPOND TO THE TWO ARTICLES ON AEDNET............................................17

How to Obtain Back Issues and the Cumulative Index to New
Horizons.........................................................................................................................................17

Call for Manuscripts.....................................................................................................................17
 

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EDITOR'S PREFACE
 

This issue of NEW HORIZONS IN ADULT EDUCATION focuses on a topic of significant importance to adult educators: serving adult learners with special needs. Over For many years the literature of adult education has included a strong emphasis on understanding the wide range of diverse adult learners -- who they are, why they learn, how they learn, and what keeps them from learning. We have sought the best strategies and approaches to help these diverse learners in the classroom, in the workplace, in formal and informal settings. More recently new technologies have multiplied the possibilities for helping learners in the classroom, on the job, and at home. In our consideration of diversity of adult learners our field has been slow to include a large and frequently overlooked group: individuals with disabilities. The two articles in this issue provide valuable information and perspectives that can help us to include these individuals and, indeed, all learners, in our practice.

I have worked extensively with these two authors who are providing significant leadership across the country in several areas related to adults with disabilities, especially in regard to education and employment. Their articles clearly reflect their knowledge and commitment: ADULT LEARNERS WITH DISABILITIES: A NEW IMPERATIVE FOR ADULT EDUCATORS by David A. Du Bois and A CHALLENGE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION: CONNECTING EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT FOR ADULTS STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
by Mary M. Klinger.

I anticipate that these articles will spark lively discussion and interest among AEDNET subscribers! Readers are invited to make these articles "interactive" by responding on AEDNET and sharing their comments. [Directions to guide this discussion are given in this issue on page 17.] Readers are also encouraged to consider submitting an article for consideration by the editorial board of NEW HORIZONS on a related topic or other topic of interest relevant to adult education philosophy, research, and practice. [See Call for Manuscripts on page 17 for further details.]
 
 

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ADULT LEARNERS WITH DISABILITIES A NEW IMPERATIVE FOR ADULT EDUCATORS

David A. Du Bois, State University of New York, Empire State College

ABSTRACT

The passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and growing global awareness of the issues that individuals with disabilities face in pursuing education, obtaining housing and employment, and accessing transportation, recreation, and social services has created a new opportunity for adult educators to extend the historic role of adult education in promoting diversity and inclusion. Parallels between the racial and gender civil rights movements and the current disability civil rights movement provide new challenges for adult learners with disabilities to access post-secondary education and training opportunities. Confronting well-ingrained biases about people with disabilities and breaking down attitudinal barriers can be rewarding for adult educators and students alike and can make significant strides in attacking social problems such as homelessness, unemployment, and criminaljustice abuses. Increased knowledge about people with disabilities when coupled with reasonable accommodations and the use of technology can create learning environments that are conducive to academic success for learners with disabilities.
 
 

Introduction

On July 26 across the country a host of activities took place recognizing the 8th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Unquestionably, time will prove that the ADA is one of the most significant pieces of legislation passed in the final decade of this millennium. The ADA is one component of an increasing international movement to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. "There are about 500 million people with disabilities in the world, two-thirds of them in developing countries" (National Council on Disabilities, 1996, p.135). The United States is one of the most progressive countries in the world in terms of domestic disability rights, as demonstrated by the ADA and other legislation such as the Rehabilitation Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The ADA when combined with other legislation is likely to have a significant impact on social policy and changing attitudes toward people with disabilities.

However, ADA remains controversial and misunderstood. Like the disabled population that ADA represents, the law is viewed with suspicion by many who see it as expensive to implement and forcing unreasonable requirements on businesses, educational institutions, and social, recreational, andother areas of society. When the facts about the law are understood and some knowledge gained about the population that it represents, the ADA takes on a new perspective as part of a larger human civil rights movement. The ADA and other disability civil rights legislation provide many exciting opportunities for

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adult educators to perpetuate the historical role of adult education as a force social change and the need to provide all learners with access to education. My hope is that history will record that adult educators played as significant a role for people with disabilities as has been chronicled for their role in the racial civil rights movement (Peterson, 1996) and support for women's development (Marienau and Taylor, 1995).

Disability Rights and Civil Rights

It is time to demystify the ADA. It is not affirmative action legislation--there are no quotas to achieve. The ADA is not a "feel good" piece of legislation. Under ADA, a person is considered disabled for whom one or more basic life activities is limited by a disability. ADA extends and guarantees the 54 million Americans with disabilities, roughly one-fifth of the population, the same civil rights as other Americans to participate in society without artificial barriers (U.S. Census Bureau, 1997). Previous legislation such as the Rehabilitation Act, the Fair Housing Act, IDEA, and various laws related to equal opportunity for employment also have been primarily based on achieving civil rights.

This year is an excellent time to focus on the civil rights aspect of ADA with the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the women's rights movement and the renewed focus on racial issues spawned by the President's Initiative on Race. Joseph P. Shapiro's NO PITY: PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
FORGING A NEW CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT is an excellent account of this part of American history, which is generally unknown by most Americans. Often it is helpful to compare civil rights situations based on race, age or gender against a disability-related situation in thinking about disability
civil rights. To understand the civil rights aspect of ADA, consider these three scenarios:

1. Persons of color are denied access to a restaurant because of their
race. A sign directs them to a rear entrance where they are seated in a
separate section of the restaurant. Few would debate that denying access
based on race is a civil rights violation. Yet a different standard has
often been applied to persons with disabilities. For many Americans with
disabilities, access to restaurants is denied through any entrance. And
paradoxically when a ramp is provided to gain access, rest rooms often
remain inaccessible.

2. A woman applying for admission to an educational program is told that
her admission has been denied because the program has a significant
science requirement-a discipline in which men have traditionally excelled
over women. This negative admissions decision is based not on her
demonstrated abilities but on her gender. Yet admission to education and
training programs has often been blocked for persons with disabilities
because the curriculum is considered to be "too challenging" or "too
difficult." In either case, admissions decisions should be made based on
demonstrated ability, not biases based on gender or disability.

3. An older worker is dismissed from his job because of the assumption
that older workers are less productive. This is blatant age
discrimination. An employer would need to demonstrate that an individual
is not capable of meeting the skills and productivity requirements of the
job under current civil rights legislation. However, decisions are all
too frequently made not to hire qualified applicants with disabilities
because of the presumption that they are incapable of performing job-
related duties. If they are successful in being hired, disabled workers
with excellent performance reviews are less likely to be promoted than
their counterparts without disabilities.
 

These examples demonstrate the biases or attitudinal barriers that people with disabilities face everyday. It is often difficult to prove bias based on age, gender or race. The same is true of disability bias. The SURVEY PROGRAM ON PARTICIPATION AND ATTITUDES reports the following:
 

"Large gaps still exist between adults with disabilities and other adults with regard to employment, education, income, frequency of socializing and other basic measures of ten major 'indicator' areas of life. Furthermore, most of these gaps show little evidence of narrowing. In some cases, the
gaps have even widened." (National Organization on Disability, 1998, p, 41).

According to the report based on the data from the survey completed by Louis Harris and Associates, "Just because we have enacted the ADA does not mean that we can rely on it to change attitudes and perceptions about America's disabled. By valuing each individual for his or her abilities allows our nation to benefit globally by demonstrating democracy at its best" (National Organization on Disability, 1998, p.3).

Disability Bias and Attitudinal Barriers

I am often asked if there are more people with disabilities than in the past. When I probe for the underlying reasons for this question, people cite the number of people they now see on streets who use
wheelchairs. Improvements in health care have certainly increased the expected life span for many people with disabilities. Other factors such as de-institutionalization and the independent living movement are changing the paradigm for including people with disabilities in society. Seeing people using wheelchairs and other assistive devices demonstrates the power of ramps, accessible buildings, and curb cuts in achieving inclusion.

Historically, the majority of people with disabilities were institutionalized in some manner. In 1990, the United States Congress asserted that there were 43 million Americans with disabilities - of which 40 million lived in communities and 3 million lived in a variety of institutions (Eckles, 1995, p. 11). Shapiro (1993) describes the changing paradigms for Americans with disabilities from the medical model, where the primary assumption was to intervene medically to attempt to achieve a "cure," to the social work model, where emphasis shifted from finding a cure but a professional made decisions as the expert about the critical factors of life for people with disabilities. Successively, the independent living movement advanced the right of people with disabilities to make their own decisions about daily life. In recent years, the independent living philosophy has been further advanced by proponents of self-advocacy and self-determination. (National Council on Disability, 1996).

Disability bias is not unique to Americans and is deep seated. History buffs may find the accounts of the Nazi T-4 programs of interest. Before the Nazis began their efforts to exterminate the Jews and other groups they perceived as undesirable, their first efforts were directed to people with disabilities. The means for extermination such as the gas chambers were first tested on people with disabilities (Lifton, 1986; Friedlander, 1995). Shapiro (1993) records several instances of the abuse of peoplewith disabilities in the United States.

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It is not uncommon for people to be uncomfortable with disabilities. Many of us have been raised to view disability from the standpoint of tragedy, pity and, to some degree, fear. There is no better example of disability being potentially a quick and radical life-changing event than the actor,
Christopher Reeve. To those who are uncomfortable being around people with disabilities, I encourage you to admit your discomfort. People with disabilities recognize when others are uncomfortable around them. The best evidence that you can provide of your willingness to understand a person with a disability is to admit your discomfort-at least to yourself. Asking people with disabilities how you can assist them is a better strategy than either ignoring them altogether or making decisions for them.

Part of this discomfort comes from the fact that historically people with disabilities and people without disabilities often did not come into contact on a daily basis. Until recently, people with disabilities did
not attend schools with people without disabilities (or the "temporarily able bodied" as people with disabilities refer to them with the nickname "TAB's"). Participating in education, recreational, and social activities, and employment with people who have disabilities, will often quickly cause TAB's to realize their ignorance and prejudice. Attitudes are often cited as far greater barriers to inclusion than the lack of ramps, curb cuts, interpreters, and other reasonable accommodations. When people collaborate, the accommodations are usually much easier to achieve and far less costly than is usually imagined (Job Accommodation Network, 1996). Everyone is raised with biases and prejudices. Overcoming them can be viewed as a major focus of adult education as an aspect of the study of diversity. Several interesting articles on incorporating disability into diversity studies can be found in DISABILITY AND DIVERSITY: NEW LEADERSHIP FOR A NEW ERA published by the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (1995).

Disability Demographics

Demographic information about people with disabilities is often confusing. This stems from an inconsistent set of definitions used in both the public and private sectors. At the 1998 Annual Meeting of the Society for Disability Studies, Assistant Secretary of Education, Judith E. Heumann stated that there are over forty different definitions of disability used within the Federal Government alone. Adler (1992) reports that there are 45 definitions used by different agencies.

Demographic data from the World Institute on Disability in 1990 indicate that 90 percent of people with disabilities are 18 years or older (Eckles, 1995). Extending this percentage to the 54 million people with
disabilities currently in the United States, it can be estimated that today approximately 48.5 million individuals with disabilities are 18 years old or older. Adults are more likely to have disabilities than younger individuals. As an individual ages, there is a significant increase in the likelihood that one will acquire a disability (Disability Statistics Program, 1991).
 

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People with disabilities include a range of various disabilities and there are several differing major and sub-categories of disabilities that can add to the confusion about disability demographics. In addition, many people have more than one disability, which furthers adds to confusion in gathering and reporting data. For example, because of different definitions of learning disabilities, it is difficult to determine the
number of people with learning disabilities - estimated at 10% to 15% of the population (Jordon, 1996).

Although the exact connection is unclear, there is increasing evidence that there is a direct relationship between prison and homeless populations and people with visible disabilities. Over a third of all inmates reported some physical or mental disability according to the United States Department of Justice (Harlow, 1998). Studies show that over 80 percent of inmates have indications of specific (diagnosed) learning disabilities (Bell, 1983). People with disabilities often have severe bouts with depression. The data on people with multiple disabilities is imperfect because historically the trend was to diagnose and deal with the most obvious disability. "There is a correlation between poverty and disability that work both ways: if you are poor, you are more likely to be disabled at every age than is the average American, and if you become disabled, you are more likely to be poor" (Eckles, 1995, p.26).

A recent survey released by the National Organization on Disability demonstrates some slightly positive aspects have already occurred since the passage of ADA. "Two out of three adults with disabilities (66%) feel that 'things in general' for Americans with disabilities have gotten better in the past ten years, a marginally larger portion than in 1994 (64%). Although still fewer than in 1986 (72%)" (National Organization on Disability, 1998, page 10). Overall, the progress made in achieving the inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of society is disappointing.

Adult Education and People with Disabilities

Although imperfect with regard to adult learners with disabilities, the best demographic data that I have found that can be helpful for adult educators in understanding students with disabilities is that provided by the HEATH Resource Center, American Council on Education. HEATH uses six different categories in its analysis of data relating to college students with disabilities-orthopedic, health-related, hearing, learning, sight, and speech (Henderson, 1995a). However, this data is not clear withregard to mental health issues. Henderson (1995b, p.9) reports that in 1992-1993 6.4 percent of undergraduate students had disabilities and 4 percent of graduate students.

For higher educational institutions, one of the many paradoxes related to disabilities emerges. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act imposed on colleges and universities accessibility requirements for students with disabilities and mandated that post-secondary institutions that participate in Federal financial aid programs must provide reasonable accommodations for learners with disabilities. Section 504 has been in place for 25 years - ADA imposes no new or more stringent obligations than does 504 with regard to students. However, the ADA does impact post-secondary institutions with regard to their role as employers and providing access to the general population.

Because of the ADA, there is an increased expectation that colleges and universities will comply with 504. This law creates a new incentive for people with disabilities to pursue education with the goal of attaining employment. The recently released survey from the National Organization on Disability reports the following:

Among the most startling findings about the workforce, the research exposed significant gaps between the employment rates of the working disabled versus the working non-disabled. Only 29% of disabled persons of working age (18-64) work full or part-time, compared to 79% of the non-disabled population, a gap of 50 percentage points. Of those with disabilities of working age who are not working, 72% say that they would prefer to work. (National Organization on Disability, 1998, p. 1)

Education has long been seen as improving the chances of individuals securing employment, as evidenced by the history and commitment of U.S. social policy to vocational rehabilitation for disabled veterans and others with disabilities (Shapiro, 1993). The changing nature of work (Carnevale, 1991) coupled with advances in technology (Scherer and Galvin, 1996) create new opportunities for the employment of people with disabilities Over time, ADA will create new opportunities for people with disabilities in all areas of society and the need for educated people with disabilities in all disciplines.

For adult educators who are interested in increasing access to higher education, technology creates new opportunities for educators to make education available to learners. We all have seen advances in technology that our parents would have considered impossible. For many of us, we also find these technological advances astounding. For people with disabilities, assistive technology provides opportunities for participation in all areas of society (Scherer and Galvin, 1996). Voice recognition and voice-activated computers makes information accessible to people with visual impairments, learning disabilities and certain mobility issues in ways that at times parallel those depicted in the first Star Trek series. Other devices allow individuals with almost no mobility to use computers to access data and create papers. Screen readers allow information to be converted from text to voice-output. Services such as the Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic makes an incredible array ofdocuments available for people with disabilities.

Special programs such as the DO-IT program at the University of Washington and EASI provide guidance in making educational program accessible for people with disabilities. DO-IT stands for Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking Technology. EASI stands for Equal Access to Software and Information and is a program of the American Associate for Higher Education, providing an array of publications and materials, as well as training through a series of workshops and courses available over the Internet. These programs provide a wealth of information through a series of publications, videos, and training programs for students and faculty.

The Internet is evolving with opportunities for people with disabilities to actively participate. All information available via the Internet can be made accessible for people with disabilities. When web pages are designed with a concern for ccessibility from the beginning, they can be read through the use of technology by virtually all people with disabilities. Scholars and disabled student services support personnel have been working for many years to develop reasonable accommodations in more traditional educational settings.

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Most campuses have professionals in this realm who are well training to offer advise on  accommodations. AHEAD - the Association on Higher Education and Disability offers many resources. The full range of educational options from the traditional lecture/recitation class to a distance learning study over the web can now become accessible for people with disabilities through a combination of traditional and innovative reasonable accommodations and the use of assistive technology. Creating this "level playing field" also creates opportunities for employment by people with disabilities.

Earlier, I mentioned the new focus on self-advocacy for people with disabilities. Self-advocacy skills are now taught as part of the effort to include students with disabilities in regular classrooms in public schools:

Special educators have long recognized that they cannot be present every time a student with a disability needs special accommodation in school, work, or at home. Students must learn to advocate for themselves. One of the best settings to begin learning these self- advocacy skills is in the inclusive classroom. When teachers collaborate, they can provide instruction for self-advocacy skills as part of other classroom activities. (Dettmer, Dyck & Thurston, 1996, p.267)

For adult educators who actively support concepts such as individualizing education and self-directed learning, some study of self-advocacy will likely yield the conclusion that the underpinnings for self-directed learning and self-advocacy are very closely related. It was this realization that began my own personal journey to offer new and innovative opportunities for learners with disabilities. Hiemstra (1998) explored this concept in the paper "Self-Advocacy and Self-Directed Learning: A Potential Confluence for Enhanced Personal Empowerment" he presented at a recent conference sponsored by SUNY Empire State College. This is an area for new scholarship among adult educators. Alternative models of educational delivery, demonstrating mastery and assessment are all areas for ongoing research concerning adult learners with disabilities.

I have personally found my own work with learners with disabilities and my own advocacy for their participation in all areas of society to be more personally rewarding than I could ever imagine. In my own journey in accepting my ignorance and innate prejudices and evolving as an advocate,I have worked with learners with the full range of physical, sensory, and intellectual disabilities. I have found the vast majority eager to learn. I admit that figuring out the appropriate accommodations was a challenge at the beginning and there are always new challenges. Still there is an incredible array of resources available. I believe that the fundamental theories of adult education provide the best base for working with these students in an effective manner.

I have taught self-advocacy to adult learners with disabilities with great success. Through the self-advocacy process, I found that learners with disabilities can acquire the skills and knowledge to develop many of the accommodations they require for successful participation in post-secondary education. My own work in the self-advocacy has led to the development of a model curriculum for a college-level credit-bearing course work in this area (Gadbow & Du Bois, 1998). Within the next year, I hope to make such a course available via the world wide web.

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Concluding Thoughts

I realize that adult learners with disabilities present many new challenges for adult educators. They also present many new opportunities. The time is ripe for such initiatives. A number of changes currently taking place in education, employment and social policy create the opportunity for adult educators to make significant contributions to the participation of people with disabilities in training and educational programs. There is increased awareness of the social problems of people with disabilities by the general public. In addition to the opportunities which technology presents, proposed changes in Social Security benefits and other social programs related to housing and transportation promise new opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in educational endeavors and to make the successful transition to employment. New initiatives for home-based businesses offer opportunities for increased economic self-sufficiency. The time is ripe for adult educators to embrace what is America's largest minority. The recent study recently released by the National Organization on Disability (1998) reports the following:

Fully a third (34%) of adult with disabilities lived in a household with an annual income of less than $15,000 in 1997, compared to only one in eight (12%) of those without disabilities. This twenty-two percentage point gap between the percentage if disabled and non-disabled persons living in very low income households has remained virtually constant since 1986 (40% of persons with disabilities
vs. 18% of the non-disabled in 1994; 51% and 29%, respectively in 1986). (National Organization on Disability, 1998, p.7.)

I call upon adult educators to heed my call to action. Adult educators are justly proud of the role adult education has played in encouraging the participation of learners without regard to race or gender or age. Now is the time to embrace people with disabilities and to add this population to the impressive history of adult education. We all value our civil rights. Making educational program accessible for people with disabilities contributes significantly to opportunities for full participation and the achievement of human potential.
 

References

Adler, M. (1992). Presentation to the National Council on Disability
Conference: THE ADA AND OUTCOMES RESEARCH Washington: DC: National Council on Disability.

Bell, R.(1983). THE NATURE AND PREVALENCE OF LEARNING DEFICIENCIES AMONG ADULT INMATES. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice, United States Department of Justice. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 269 624)

Carnevale, A. (1991). AMERICA AND THE NEW ECONOMY. American Society for Training and Development and United States Department of Labor.
 
 

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Dettmer, P.A., Dyck N.J., & Thurston, L.P. (1996). CONSULTATION, COLLABORATION, AND TEAMWORK: FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Disabilities Statistics Program (1991). People with functional limitations in the U.S. Disabilities Statistics Abstract. University of California, San Francisco. CA: DSA-1.

Eckels, K. (1995). A BRIEFING BOOK ON ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES: AGES 18-64. Berkeley, CA: World Institute on Disabilities.

Friedlander, H. (1995). THE ORIGINS OF NAZI GENOCIDE: FROM EUTHANASIA TO THE FINAL SOLUTION. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.

Gadbow, N. F. & Du Bois, D. A. (1998). ADULT LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS: STRATEGIES AND RESOURCES FOR POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION AND WORKPLACE TRAINING. Malabar, FL: Krieger.

Harlow, C. W. (1998). PROFILE OF JAIL INMATES 1996. Washington, DC:
United States Department of Justice
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/ascii/pji96.txt

Henderson, C. (1995a). COLLEGE FRESHMAN WITH DISABILITIES: A TRIENNIAL STATISTICAL PROFILE. Washington, DC: American Council on Education, HEATH Resource Center.

Henderson, C. (1995b). Postsecondary students with disabilities: Where are they enrolled? RESEARCH BRIEFS (6)6. Washington, DC: American Council on Education, Division of Policy Analysis and Research.

Hiemstra, R. (1998). SELF-ADVOCACY AND SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING: A
POTENTIAL CONFLUENCE FOR ENHANCED PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT. A paper delivered at the SUNY Empire State College Conference: "Disabled, But Enabled and Empowered" March 20, 1998.
http://www-distabce.syr.edu/advocacy.html

Job Accommodation Network (1996). JOB ACCOMMODATION COST DATA
[brochure]. Washington, DC: President's Committee on Employment of People
with Disabilities.

Jordon, D.R. (1996). TEACHING ADULTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES.
Malabar, FL: Krieger.

Lifton, R.J. (1986). THE NAZI DOCTORS: MEDICAL KILLINGS AND THE
PSYCHOLOGY OF GENOCIDE. New York: Basic Books.

Marienau, C.& Taylor, K. (1995). LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS FOR WOMEN'S ADULT DEVELOPMENT: BRIDGES TOWARD CHANGE. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

National Council on Disability. (1996). ACHIEVING INDEPENDENCE: THE
CHALLENGE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY, A DECADE OF PROGRESS IN DISABILITY POLICY, SETTING AN AGENDA FOR THE FUTURE . Washington, DC: Author.
 
 

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National Organization on Disability/Louis Harris & Associates, Inc.
(July 23, 1998). SURVEY PROGRAM ON PARTICIPATION AND ATTITUDES (Executive Summary). Washington, DC: Author.

National Organization on Disability. (July 23, 1998). AMERICANS WITH
DISABILITIES STILL FACE SHARP GAPS IN SECURING JOBS, EDUCATION, TRANSPORTATION, AND IN MANY AREAS OF DAILY LIFE. [Press Release] Washington, DC: Author.

Peterson, E. A. (1996). FREEDOM ROAD: ADULT EDUCATION OF AFRICAN
AMERICANS. Malabar, FL: Krieger.

President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (1995).
DISABILITY AND DIVERSITY: NEW LEADERSHIP FOR A NEW ERA. Washington, DC: Author.

Shapiro, J.P. (1993). NO PITY: PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES FORGING A NEW CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. New York: Times Books.

Scherer, M.J. & Galvin, J.C. (1996). EVALUATING, SELECTING, AND USING
APPROPRIATE ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY. Gathersberg, MD: Aspen.

U.S. Census Bureau (1997). ONE IN TEN REPORTED A SEVERE DISABILITY IN 1994-1995. Washington, DC:
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb97-148.html
 
 

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A CHALLENGE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION: CONNECTING EDUCATION
AND EMPLOYMENT FOR ADULTS STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Mary M. Klinger, STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, Empire State College

ABSTRACT

More than 20% of the population of the United States have at least one disability and approximately 75% of this group are locked into unemployment due to a myriad of barriers, both in the educational and work arenas. Adult education can make a difference by recognizing and aiding people with disabilities to shatter the existing paradigm and be open to connections that will allow for successful educational experiences and future productive employment.
 

Rose is getting into her car, having just exited from another job interview. She is a 25- year-old mother of two young children. She had worked as a part-time receptionist at a manufacturing company since her marriage seven years ago. Rose is interested in getting into the computer business and has been applying for months for jobs advertising "no experience necessary, will train." She has become discouraged. Since the car accident and the subsequent breakup of her marriage, she and her children have been relying on social programs in order to live. She desperately wants to build a new life for her family and is more than willing to start at the bottom of a business that might give her the potential of a secure economic future. However, in every interview, there are the inevitable questions concerning experience and education, neither of which she has. She wonders for the hundredth time if she will ever be able to work again. With a sense of resignation, she finishes securing her wheelchair in the back seat and heads home to her children.

This is not an isolated example. In the United States, 54 million people have at least one disability (McNeil,1995). In general, in the last decade, there has been a slight improvement in the number of people with disabilities who have found employment, although the quality of the employment can be brought into question. However, people with severe disabilities continue to have serious problems obtaining employment. A person with a severe disability cannot perform one or more activities of daily living, has at least one specific impairment, or is a long-term user of assistive devices (Hirschman,1997). Approximately seventy-five percent of this population are unemployed. Most of these people want to work and are unable to gain employment (Beziat, 1990). Compounding their situation is the cycle of social service programs that they must often access and then become locked into in order to survive. Persons with disabilities are often denied access to educational and employment opportunities that many people take for granted. It is general knowledge that the level ofeducation one possesses is a primary factor in expanding the number of possible employment opportunities. Without a good education, one is limited in the search and acquisition of employment both now and in the future.

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The distribution of American jobs can be divided into thirds: one-third require elementary schooling; one-third require high school education plus two years of postsecondary schooling; and one-third require college education. Since the early 1970s, the proportion of jobs requiring only grade school has declined while the proportion of jobs requiring postsecondary schooling has increased steadily. (Carnevale, 1991, p. 87)

Adults with disabilities need to function in this same job environment. Despite efforts to increase educational opportunities with the goal of fostering eventual employment, persons with disabilities, in general, have not seen significant improvements in employment.

The 1998 National Organization on Disability (NOD)/Harris Survey of Americans with Disabilities conducted a nationwide survey of 1,000 Americans with disabilities aged 16 and older, which confirms the lack of employment improvement:

Employment continues to be the area with the widest gulf between those who are disabled and those who are not. Only three in ten working-age adults with disabilities are employed full or part-time, compared to eight in ten non-disabled adults. Working age adults with disabilities are no more likely to be employed today than they were a decade ago, even though almost three out of four who are not working say that they would prefer to be working.

The reason for this may be, in part, the perceptions of potential employers. Research shows that in the employment market, people with disabilities have found that they need to prove themselves to a much greater extent than people without disabilities in order to gain employment (Klinger,1996). Every time an employer hires a new worker, there is a question as to whether the person is a good choice. It seems that for persons with disabilities, the employers want something more like a guarantee before the hire. Therefore, the connection between college and the workplace is more important for people with disabilities than the general population. The need for a strong educational background and experience is pivotal in the solution to this problem.

Students with disabilities have a variety of barriers that they must deal with in order to successfully access educational opportunities. Despite the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, there are still difficulties that inhibit full access, such as transportation to educational facilities, finances, energy levels of the students, lack of useful assistive equipment, availability of programs,
lack of access to alternative approaches, and scheduling problems (Klinger,1996).

How can adult educators assist this population to be productive and successful throughout the educational challenges leading to employment? Three points stand out as crucial. One of the most important skills for people with disabilities is the ability to advocate for themselves and for educators to be open to this self-advocacy approach. People with disabilities generally know their abilities. Educators can help them become comfortable with their strengths and learning styles and aid them to use that information to plan a learning experience that suits them. Then these learners with disabilities may need help to develop the skills to articulate this knowledge to the various

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groups within the educational institution. This self-advocacy model is a paradigm shift from the traditional educational model, prevalent in higher education today. The accepted practice in higher education is the use of an institutional support person who knows what is best for the student and then plans the accommodation. Successfully building the skills needed for self-advocacy will help prepare the student with skills essential in the workplace.

Once this paradigm shift is accepted, the next logical step is to foster flexibility in our educational institutions. As mentioned previously, some of the barriers for this population include transportation needs, personal energy levels, availability of programs, lack of access to alternative approaches of learning, and scheduling. Beyond the set of demands typically dealt with by adult learners (such as family obligations), students with disabilities face these other barriers. If higher educational institutions can eliminate or modify for some of these obstacles, student with disabilities would be more able to access and benefit from the wealth of opportunities available from higher education.

Finally, the availability and accessibility of internships for students with disabilities would allow them to gain the practical knowledge for which employers so eagerly search. If Rose (the person described in the opening scenario) had been able to gain some college credit and an introductory-type internship in the area of computers, her quest very likely would have been more successful.

Self-advocacy, institutional flexibility, and hands-on experience can make the difference for people with disabilities, helping them to be able to jump the barriers constraining them from a successful educational experience and future productive employment. In actuality, these steps could be useful for all students. As educational institutions prepare to face new challenges in adult education, they need to recognize the changing populations educators serve and be open to connect in new and innovative ways.
 

References

Beziat, C. (1990). Educating America's last minority: Adult education's role in the Americans with Disabilities Act. ADULT LEARNING, 87(2), p. 32.

Carnevale, A. (1991). AMERICA AND THE NEW ECONOMY. United States Department of Labor.

Hirschman, C. (1997). Reasonable accommodations at a reasonable cost. HRMAGAZINE, 42(9), p. 106.

Klinger, M. (1996). EMPLOYER-SPONSORED TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS SERVING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The Union Institute, Cincinnati, Ohio.

McNeil, J. (1995). CURRENT POPULATION REPORT: AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Census Bureau, p.70.

National Organization on Disability. (1998). N.O.D./HARRIS 1998 SURVEY OF AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES: http:/www.org/presssurvey.html

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HOW TO RESPOND TO ARTICLES ON AEDNET

To respond to the article Institutional and Individual Support of Growth among Adult Learners, please send your comments to AEDNET identifying the subject as "Adult Learners with Disabilities for" the first article and "A Challenge for Higher Education" for the second article. Responses and discussion on these articles are encouraged until January 5, 1999.

HOW TO OBTAIN BACK ISSUES AND CUMULATIVE INDEX OF NEW HORIZONS

It is now possible to search the AEDNET archives via a web browser.
All the archived issues of NEW HORIZONS IN ADULT EDUCATION can be
located at the following: http://www.nova.edu/~aed
 
 

            NEW HORIZONS IN ADULT EDUCATION, founded in 1987, is a refereed
electronic journal that provides faculty, graduate students, researchers, and practitioners with a means for publishing their current thinking and research within adult education and related fields. The journal is published two or three times a year and is transmitted through this electronic network --AEDNET. New Horizons publishes research, thought pieces, book reviews, point-counter-point articles, conceptual analysis, case studies, interactive articles, and invitational columns.

SPECIAL THEME ISSUE

Although we welcome at any time submission of articles that are relevant to the field of adult education, a special theme issue is planned for the beginning of the new year 2000 and the millennium. This issue will focus on reflections on the field of adult education, its successes, challenges, and changing directions over the past century. In addition, as we look to the future we encourage submission of articles that will help us think about the role of adult education in the next century and the issues we will be addressing.

We will also seek short papers (300 – 500 words) from  scholars and practitioners in adult education who would like to focus on a particular topic that they believe is important for the future directions in adult education.  We will publish a second issue early in 2000 on this special theme, if necessary to include all accepted submissions.

Nancy Gadbow
New Horizons Editor
horizons@fcae.nova.edu
 

The editorial staff welcomes articles for review submitted either electronically
AEDNET or as conventional paper copies through regular mail.  Guidelines for manuscript submission are available on the AEDNET and New Horizons in Adult Education web page at  http://www.nova.edu/~aed/newhorizons.html

If you would like to submit an article, you may contact New Horizons in Adult Education by e-mail or mail.