Public Policy Impact on Transitional Services as Indicated by Experiences of College Students With High-Incidence Disabilities
Date of Conferral
10-10-2023
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Public Policy and Administration
Advisor
William Benet
Abstract
Education for individuals with disabilities is complicated by a lack of access to educational services, partly due to the gaps created by different policies meant to provide equal access to services in high school and college. The purpose of this generic qualitative study is to explore the perceptions of college students with disabilities as they transition from receiving services primarily under IDEA in high school to ADA in college. Benet’s polarities of democracy theory served as the theoretical framework for this study. The research question explored the perceptions of college students with high-incidence disabilities about their transitional services as they transition from receiving IDEA-based services in high school to ADA-mandated services in college. Data were collected through document analysis and participant interviews and analyzed using thematic coding with constant comparison of participants’ final high school IEP or 504 plan and interview transcripts. The study found that transitional services for these students needed to be addressed through the use of public policy addressing services received, advocacy, and procedural matters. Further, the research suggested that implementation at all educational levels of programs and curriculums that provide skills and knowledge needed during their transition along with stronger partnerships between stakeholders may provide a solution that can be implemented in daily practice. Pursuing the recommendations and implications of this research could lead to positive social change through greater access to postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities, creating more equitable access to higher education and future employment and participation in society for these individuals throughout their lives.
Recommended Citation
Gansler, Ira Matthew, "Public Policy Impact on Transitional Services as Indicated by Experiences of College Students With High-Incidence Disabilities" (2023). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 14945.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/14945
