July 26th, 2022 marked the 32nd anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act, landmark legislation that offers equal opportunity for people with disabilities. Full participation in all aspects of life is incomplete without access to educational opportunities that promote independent living and practical work-related skills.
As the Executive Director at the Inclusive Higher Education Certificate Program (IHECP), I teach students with learning, intellectual, and developmental disabilities. We celebrate intellectual diversity and are dedicated to raising expectations of what our students can accomplish, especially in seeking meaningful employment and independence. Most of all, we challenge the idea that students with these particular disabilities cannot pursue their dreams of higher education, which is a widespread misconception.
The inclusive college experience has many lessons for the educational community in general. For many years, we have taught in classrooms where the norm is that students listen, and the teacher speaks. However, this traditional method doesn’t work as well in special education. To be truly inclusive, we need to flip the script. Edtech is a major part of this paradigm shift, which enables us to be more intentional in the way we use it to benefit students.
As with most educational institutions, we could not have continued teaching without technology. Edtech remains a major part of our program and a major reason why we succeeded with remote learning even before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Offering effective and inclusive online learning was years in the making. Here are some thoughts based on my experience as a special education instructor.
Technology and the inclusive college experience
We have been offering online learning through a blended format for most of IHECP’s existence. Some of our services, including college preparation classes and academic coaching, are offered online, but our students also engage in independent study at home.
Cathi Allen is the founder and Executive Director of the Inclusive Higher Education Certificate Program (IHECP), in partnership with the Metropolitan State University of Denver School of Education, located on the downtown Denver, Colorado Auraria Campus. The IHECP creates and administers higher education programming and supports students with learning, intellectual, and developmental disabilities who wish to continue their education beyond secondary school.
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