On January 24, 2024, the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) hosted its annual Inclusive Post-Secondary Education (IPSE) Advocacy Day at the Georgia State Capitol. The event serves as an opportunity for students with intellectual disabilities (ID) to advocate to the General Assembly for state-supported funding for IPSE programs. There are nine active IPSE programs in Georgia, with an additional program opening in Rome, GA at Berry College. IPSE supports individuals with ID in obtaining a post-secondary education and serves as a means for individuals with ID to learn and deve…

Albany Technical College (ATC) provides unique opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to continue their education after high school through inclusive post secondary education (IPSE). IPSE programs like ATC’s Leveraging Education for Advancement Program (LEAP)  are gaining in popularity throughout the state of Georgia and across the country. There are now 314 IPSE programs in the U.S. with nine in Georgia. LEAP focuses on developing academic, personal, and self-advocacy skills that lead to employment. Now in its sixth year, LEAP has 12 a…

Michelle Haney has one question.  “Can we all agree that supporting students with higher support needs is a worthwhile investment?” Haney, the executive director of Berry College’s new inclusive post secondary education program, certainly thinks so. For many young adults with intellectual disabilities (ID), the transition from high school to adulthood can be filled with barriers that may limit their choices.  Without a high school diploma or the required academic credits for mainstream universities, students with ID can face significant challenges. Whether it’s pursuing higher ed…

“I always told my parents I want an actual normal college life,” said Hannah White, a first-year student at the EAGLE Academy of Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia. “I want to get the actual experience of interacting with other people and making friends and stuff like that,” she added.  Thanks to the EAGLE Academy, White is getting just that — a normal college life.  The EAGLE Academy is a two-year program within Georgia Southern University that provides individuals with intellectual disabilities a chance to gain independence, skills, knowledge and confidence along…

Established in 2016 at the Center for Leadership in Disability within Georgia State University’s (GSU) School of Public Health, the Inclusive Digital Expression and Literacy (IDEAL) program was founded to provide students with intellectual disabilities (ID) the same academic, social, and career opportunities as their peers.  Nestled in Atlanta's vibrant media hub, IDEAL at GSU focuses on giving students a well-rounded experience. It emphasizes academic enrichment, community engagement, and career development in creative media.  “Creative media industries are full of neurodivergent…

Navigating the world of employment after school is often daunting, and for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), this is particularly true. An inclusive post-secondary education (IPSE) program at Georgia Institute of Technology is striving to provide students with a foundational education that equips them with the necessary skills to succeed in their academic, professional, and personal lives. The EXCEL program at Georgia Tech was founded in 2015. Its primary goal: “Expanding Career, Education, and Leadership Opportunities for Students with Intellectual and Dev…

Inclusive Postsecondary Education (IPSE) programs in Georgia are creating opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities (ID) across the state. These programs enable students to access college life, pursue academic and career goals, and foster personal growth in an inclusive environment.  With a network of forward-thinking colleges and universities across the state, Georgia is now home to 10 schools across the state that offer inclusive programs for students with ID. A Vision for Inclusivity The concept of IPSE programs aligns with the broader goals of equity and inclusion…

“CHOICE is college, period. We are college, we do college, they do college. And so that's what CHOICE is. It's more than a program. It's college. That's the way I say it,” says Theresa Davis, confidently, about the inclusive post secondary education (IPSE) opportunity at East Georgia State College. Davis is the program director of Creating Higher Education Opportunities to Increase College Experiences (CHOICE), an inclusive certification program for students with intellectual disabilities (ID) pursuing their next steps. Nestled in Swainsboro, Georgia, East Georgia State College has been a t…

Thomas Harkins finds his academic pursuits keep him very busy. “My first class is at 12 o'clock all the way until 12:50. Then my last class is at 2:00 all the way until 2:50. And then after that, I have my tutoring session. So, I usually get home at around five, maybe six o'clock in the evening,” Harkins explains. In addition, he works in University Mail Center, earning an income while being part of a team. His supervisor notes that Harkins is ready to work when he enters the Center.  Harkins is a student at Columbus State University’s (CSU) GOALS program. “GOALS stands for Guidance a…