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AUTHOR Will, MadeleineTITLE OSERS Programming for the Transition of Youth with

Disabilities: Bridges from School to Working Life.INSTITUTION Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative

Services (ED), Washington, DC.PUB DATE 183]NOTE 14p.PUB TYPE Viewpoints (120)

EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS *Disabilities; *Education Work Relationship; *Federal

Programs; Government Role; Models; PostsecondaryEducation; Secondary Education; *TransitionalPrograms

IDENTIFIERS *Office of Special Educ Rehabilitative Services

ABSTRACTThis document describes the concepts and policies

guiding the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services(OURS) in programming for services in the school to work transitionUnderlying assumptions address the complexity of post-schoolservices, the focus on all students with disabilities, andithe goalof employment as an important outcome of education. A conceptualframework of transition views tb ee bridges from school to,work:transition without special services, transition with time-limitedservices (such as vocational rehabilitation and postsecondaryvocational education), and ongoing services that allow disabledpersons to take advantage of work opportunities.' Additional modelcomponents center on the high school and employment foundations.OSERS initiatives related to each component are noted along withseveral broader research and evaluation issues, such as the need forcareful descriptions of current transition experiences. (CL)

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OSERS PROGRAMMING FOR THE TRANSITION OF YOUTH WITH of view or opinions stated in thls doom. t

DISABILITIES: BRIDGES FROM SCHOOL TO WORKING LIFE ment do not necessarily represent o'fficial NIE

Position or policy.

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Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

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C3 Youth with disabilities face an uncertain future when theyW leave the nation's public°schools. Qualification for

employment is an implied promise of American educationpbutbetween 50 and 80 percent of working age adults who report adisability are jobless (U.8. Commission on Civil Rights, 1983;U. S. Bureau of the Census, 1°982). Without employment, manyindividuals turn to community services only to find longwaiting lists. Those adults with disabilities who do gainentry into publicly-supported day and vocational services oftenexperience low wages, Slow movement toward employment, andsegregation ftom their non-tdisabled peers (U. S. Department ofGabor, 1979).

Madeleine Will Oi

Approximately one school generation after guaranteeing theright to a free appropriate public education for all childrenwith handicaps, it is appropriate that the federal governmentaddress the transition of persons with disabilities from schoolto working life. The cost of disability joblessness anddependence is high and rising. Approximately eight percent ofthe gross national product is spent each year in disabilityprograms, with most of this amount going to programs.that ,Asupport dependence (White 'House Working Group on Disability

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Policy, 1983). The public's investment in special educe ioncan do much to prevent this dependence and lead to fullcommunity participation, if systematic attention is now ivento the transition of youth with disabilities from school towork and adult life.

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The Office of S pecial Education and Rehabilitative Servipes(0:c1S) has responded to this need by establishing a nationalpri:;..:ity on improving =the transition from school to workinglife for all individuals with disabilities. This paperdescribes the concepts and policies that guide OSERS ihanalyzing transition issues and programming for transitionimprovements.

4 Transition Defined

Transitions are an important part of normal life. As roles,locations, or relationships change, all of us must adapt, andwe do so with more or less disruption or stress. Thetransition from school to working life calls for a range ofchoices about career options, living c.trangements, social life,and economic goals that often have life-long consequences. Forindividuals with disabilities, this transition is often made

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even more difficult by limitations that can be imposed byothers' perceptions of disability anti by the complex array ofservices that are intended to assist adult adjustment.

The transition from school to working life is anoutcome-oriented process encompassing a broad array ot: servicesand exgeriences that lead to employment. Transition is aperiod that includes high school, the point of graduation,additional post - secondary education or adult services, and theinitial years in employment. Transition is a bridge betweenthe security and structure offered by the school and theopportunities and risks of adult life. Any bridge requirpiboth a solid span and a secure foundation at either end. hetransition from school to work and adult life requires soiadpreparation in the secon'dary school, adequate support at thepoint of school leaving, and secure opportunities and services,if neededr in adult situations.

Since the services and experiences that lead to emplqyment varywidely across individuals and comunities, the traditrbnal viewof transition as a special linking service between school andadult opportunities is insufficient: The present definitionemphasizes the shared responsibility of all involved partiesfor transition success, and extends beyond traditional notionsof service coordination to address the quality andappropriateness of each service area.

Underlying Assumptions

Three assumptions underly OSERS programming for transition.Stating these at the outset should clarify basic policypoiitions.

Complexity of Post School Services.

Public and priliate schools provide a range of services forstudentsewith disabilities in a relatively organized fashion.While the upper and lower ages for these services vary fromState to State, the comprehensive nature of the servicesorganized and, in many cases, funded by the schools isrelatively consistent. Upon leaving the schools, however,individuals enter into a world where there is competetion forscarce employment opportunities, an array of service providersand funding agencies, and differing eligibility requirements.The OSERS program assumes that students in transition fromschool are leaving a somewhat organized provider system andentering a more complex and confusing world, not fullyunderstood by most service professionals, much less parents orconsumers. This complexity is necessary, if adult services areto offer oportunities for normal adult living and working toall individuals with disabilities. Effective transitionrequires that relevant community opportunities and servicecombinations be developed to fit individual circumstances and

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needs.

Focus on All Students with Disabilities

The second assumption is that OSERS programming for transitionshould address all citizens with disabilities who leave schoolfor adult services and opportunities. An estimated 250,000 to300,000 students leave special education each year; no doubtmany others graduate from the regular curriculum, but becauseof a disability, require specialized services to obtainemployment. It might be possible to differentiate among themany types and levels of disability and thereby emphasize thecommitment to inculde all school leavers with disabilities. Wehave found it more useful, however, to focus on the serm,iceneeds of these individuals, identifying the kinds of servicesthat will assist the transition of all persons withdisabilities from school to working life.

The Goal of Employment

The final assumption is that sustained employment represents animportant outcome of education and transition for allAmericans. The goal of OSERS programming for transition isthat individuals leaving the school system obtain jobs, eitherimmediately after school or after a period of post-secondaryeducation or vocational services. Employment is -.a criticalaspect of the lives of most adults in our society, whethertheir work involves highly paid career specializations, entrylevel jobs, or working in,situations where ongoing supportservices are provided. Paid employment offers opportunities toexpand social contacts, contribute to society, demonstratecreativity, and establish an adult identity. The incomegenerated by work creates purchasing power in the community,makes community integration easier, expands the range ofavailable choices, enhances independence, and creates personalstatus. Of course, this concern with employment does notindicate a lack of interest in other aspects of adult living.Success in social, personal, leisure, and other adult tolesenhance opportunities both to obtain employment and to enjoyits benefits.

Equality in employment opportunity has been a consistent goalfor achieving participation and int4gration in the mainstreamof American society. Whenever people have held loweraspirations for the work potential of a particular group ofcitizens, those assumptions have been proven wrong., There hasbeen a long history when it WdS assumed that women could notenter sustained employment roles in our society. Similarly,there has been the assumption that people who were withoutsight or hearing or who were in wheel . chairs were not capableof employment roles in our society. In each case assumptionsof low work potential have been discounted as soon as equalopportunities or proper training became avaliable. The OSERS

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transition program is prepayed with the assumption that thegoal of

presence,employment should not be disregarded because

of the presence, nature, or severity of a disability. Ofcourse, traditional undupported job roles, in which individualsare expected.to function Without benefit of social services,may be difficult for many individuals to sustain. For thesepersons, aLternative supported employment opportunities can bedeveloped that combine work opportunitietuand ongoing supportservices.

The focus on employment as a central outcome of effectivetransition provides an objective measure of transition success.The quality of employment that results for individuals can be

_defined and assessed in' the same way that it is, difined forothers, using standard measures of labor economics. Onenational professional and advocacy organization put it thisway:

(T)he quality of employment and related day andvocational services for individuals'with...disabilities should be judged by thesame criteria used to evaluate the employmentof others in our society: income level and theresulting opportunities created by that income;quality of working life, including integrationof the work place, safety, and access tochallenging work; and security benefits,including job mobility, advancementopportunities, and protection from lifestyledisruptions 'due td illness or accident (TASH,1983).

A-related index of successful transition is the communityintegration enjoyed by persons with disabilities leavingschool. Regular access to interactions with individualswithout identified handicaps and regular use of normalcommunity resources represent important results of the servicesand opportunities available to each person with a disability.Employment success can contribute to community integration intwo ways. first, if the work place itself is integrated, itaffords the opportunity for social contacts with coworkers,customers, or supervisors during work breaks and, in some jobs,throughout the day. Second, the income generated by workprovides the purchasing power that is necessary for integriltioninto much of a community's commercial, social, and recreationallife.

The OSERS View of Transition

A conceptual framework that describes transition opportunitiesis needed if public efforts to help individuals withdisabilities move from school to working life are to be wellplanned, coordinated across agencies, and evaluated

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responsibly. Programming for transition involves usingdifferent kinds and amounts of support with differentindividuals, so that each has the opportunity to work and 'joythe lifestyle benefits of working. There is a nearly infiniteset of services and experiences that could lead successfullyfrom school to work for some individuals. Naturally,distinctions must be made among these, in order to reflectimportant differences in policy, authority, and practige am Ongthe many public agencies that can be, involved in transition.services.

Por practical purposes, transition services can be grouped into/three classes that reflect the nature of public services usedto provide support as the passage is completed.. The firstinvolves movement from school either without services or withonly those that are available to the population at large; thesecond involves use of time-limited services that are designedto lead to independent employment at the termination ofservice; and the third involves use of ongoing services forthose disabled individuals who do not move to unsupported workroles. Each of these three transition strategies, or bridgesfrom school to work, is necessary if all individuals withdisabilities are to move successfully to working roles.Together with the foundations provided by the secondary schooland employment opportunities, these bridges form a five-partmodel of the transition process that underlies OSERSprogramming. Thelmodel is illustrated in Figure 1 anddescribed briefly below.

The High School Foundation

Secondary special education, in concert with vocationaledutation and other school-based services provides thefoundation in skills, attitudes, personal relationships, andoften, employer contacts that determines much of the success oflater transition. Curriculum content in special education andvocational education affects whether or not students leaveschool with entry level job skills that are saleable in thelocal community. Organization and location of the high schoolprogram often determines the extent to which students withdisabilities are experienced in interacting with non-disabledpeers and co-workers, and whether or not potential employershave been able to observe their competent performance ofcommunity jobs.. The instructional procedures used in highschool can greatly affect whether curriculum goals are achievedonly by the most capable students or by the full range ofpersons with disabilities. Transition success can also beaffected by the support for personal decision-making that isprovided in the schools through-the school counselor,individual assessment, vocational rehabilitation personnel inthe schools, and the IEP process. Whether the student goes tocollege, attends post-secondary education, utilizesrehabilitation services, or needs more extended support, the

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Figure 1

Major Components of the Transition Process

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No Special Ssrvioli

1.Timetknited Services

TOngoing Services

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initiatives of secondary school personnel can and do make adifference in the success of students facing the transitionfrom school to working life,

Transction Without Special Services

The first bridge frOm school to employment is shared by manyindividuals with disabilities and their non-disabled peers.Individuals making the transition in this way rely on their ownresources or those generally available to all citizens,locating and taking advantage,of work opportunities withoutusing special disability services. This is not to say specialaccomodations for the needs of persons with disabilities arenot made, but in this pathway these accomodations areincorporated within generic services. For example, someindividuals obtain employment at the end of high schoolprograms using contacts gained, through work experienceprograms. Otheihattend post-secondary education institutionsand gain skills/ at lead to more, advanced employment options.Still others loe*te their own employment through familycontacts, neighborhood networks, or short-term volunteer jobs.The number of disabled individuals who make their own way from,,school to employment is unknown, although the size of thisgroup probably varies with job availability, quality ofschooling, and access to generic services.

Post-secondary education institutions are a particularlyimportant segment of the generic services that comprise this

pathway. Community colleges, vocational and techicnal schools,,

and four-year institutions of higher education play importantroles in transition of youth without disabilities from schoolto work. That their potential contribution to those withdisabilities is equally as significant has now been shown in

many communities.

Transition with Time-Limited Services

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The second bridge from school to working life consists 4temporary services that lead to employment. After leav dgschool, individuals following this path use specializedtime-limited services like vocational rehabilitation,

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post-secondary vocaLional education, and other job training,

programs to gain entry into the labor market. The presence ofa disability often qualifies an individual for these servicesor creates special support for participation. For example, i .

many individuals find employment after recieving relativelybrief serivces in rehabilitation facilities. Others recievbsupport to attend specific job training and then obtainemployment at the close of the course. Access to such timelimited services is generally restricted to individuals thoughtcapable of making it on their own after services are completed.

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Vocational rehabilitation offers perhaps the best knowntime-limited services. Individuals with employment-relateddisabilities qualify for services if there is a reasonalo/eexpectation of employment at the close of services. Onceaccepted the program allols for quite flexible use of funds toprovide whetever support is needed by the individual to enteror re-enter the workforce. While there are many cases of quiteextended services to individual clients, vocationalrehabilitation services are normally terminated after anindividual obtmins employment or other service objectives.

Transition with Ongoing Servicet

The third bridge from school to working life consists ofongoing services that allow individuals with disabilities totake advantage of work opportunities. Unlike the first twoalternatives, this bridge represents a fundamental change inmuch current policy and proctice. At present, ongoing adultservices are typically designed to be non-vocational, eitherproviding lifelong custodial care of preparing consumers forlater vocational services. The lack of significant movementfrom these programs to rehabilitation and employment, however,has meant that they actually serve as an alternative to work,functionally excluding participants from both work-relatedservices and employment opportunities. Consistent with theassumptions defined earlier, the alternative proposed here isemployment, with whatever ongoing support is. necessary to ,

maintain that employment. For example, an individual usingthis bridge from school to working life might leave school andobtain employment as part'of a seall team of disabledindividuals in an electronics manufacturing plant, where thestate agency responsible'for ongoing services paid for a worksupervisor in the company.

Making this pathway a viable transition alternative , involvesestablishing local serivces and supportive policies that allowcombinations of work opportunities and ongoing support. Such"supported employment" programs could occur in a variety ofcircumstances: in an industry like that mentioned above, wherea small group of disabled workers received publicly suppottedsupervision; in dispersed individual placements in a complinity,with publicly-funded support staff rotating among sites; in amobile crew that works in community settings; or in a formerday activity program that operates a business that issuccessful enough to offer fu,1 time employment opportunitieito participants. in each case, individual participants shouldenjoy the full range of employment benefits mentioned above.

Establishing these services will involve assisting States,since no single federal agency is responsible for programassistance, evaluation, or funding. Different States rely,ondifferent agencies for management of ongoing services, withMental Health, Mental Retardation, Public Welfare, and

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Vocational Rehabilitation agencies all having responsibility insome states. Programs are supported by a mixture of Stateappropriations and federal assistance through the SocialService Block Grant and Medicaid.

The Employment Foundation

Regardless of the quality of schooling and, the availability andappropriateness of bridging services, successful transitionultimately requires employment opportunities. The probabilitythat any individual will find suitable opportunities may beenhanced by family and neighborhood networks, individualpresence and participation in community activities, and jobsearch effortt. The overall percent of individuals withdisabilities who find work may reflect quite different factors,including the overall status of the economy, the extent of jobdiscrimination, and structural unemployment affecting, youth,unskilled workers, and other groups. Consequently, programmingfor transition from school to working life c nnot be.addressedadequately without simultaneous attention to such labor issues.as minimum wage levels, business incentives o offeremployment, equal employment opportunity, a d efforts toaddress structural unemployment problems.

m lications for OSERS A ion

The five-part model of the transition process provides a way oforganizing activities and plans to improVe transition,effectiveness. While each component of the model is importantif all individuals with disabilities are to be included, theobjectives a'hd strategies are different in the five areas.This final section highlights some of the most zignificantaspects of the OSERS plan in each of the transition components.

To improve the foundation provided in the secondary. school,OSERS will rely on a broadly based strategy of reseearch,development, demonstration, and replication that addresses allaspects of high schoo,1 services. Particular interests include:renewed efforts to develop cooperative programs with

vocational education and vocational,rehabilitation to serve allstudents with disabilities; improvement of community-based jobtraining and placement within the school's vocationalpreparatiOn program; and 'development of service models for allstudents that allow regular and frequent contact withnon-disabled peers. . /

One of the most important initiatives in assisting studentsmake the transition without,special services relates topoSt-secondary education. Community colleges and vocationaltechnical sohools offer an age-appropriatei integrated contextin which youth and young adults/with disabilities can expandpersonal, social, academic, and vocational skills. Whileemerging post-secondary programs will no doubt address the

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needs of all disability groups, OSERS is particularly concernedwith stimulating research and program development for personswith learning disabilities and other mild educationalhandicaps.

Improvement of :ime- limited services has been the fous of mostof the previous attention to transition, and much of theearlier work is still needed today. Cooperative relationshipsbetween special education, vocational rehabilitation, andvocational educ tion can do much to facilitate vocationalplanning and en ure smooth changes in service responsibility,.In addition, in bvationslin on-site job training and placementprograms offer romise of greater effectiveness in time-limitedservices, and s rategies will be developed to promote broaderuse of these approaches.

To improve emplioyment with ongoing support OSERS has developeda new supported' employment initiative which would assist

ITheStates

program would offer competitive grant* tos shift from day activity programs to wo ;k

alternatives.state agencies responsible for ongoing services, providingsupport for staff training, program development anddemonstration, and other start-up activities. States wouldretain the re4ponsibility for ongoing funding of services asthe focus of programming shifts from day care or pre-vocationalactivities to supported employment.

Efforts to improve employment opportunities will involvecooperative nitxatives with other agencies. Of particularconcern to 0 ERS is development of a broader range ofincentives f r employers who offer jobs to individuals wtio mayrequire special equipment, building modifications, longertraining periods, or other investments.

In additionI

to iniatives directly related to the fivecomponents of the transition model, a'few broader research andevaluation issues seem particularly important. First, toolittle is known about current transition experiences. We canonly estimate the number of individuals who make their way intothe workforce by each of the three bridges described earlierand the number who remain jobless despite current serviceefforts. 'Careful descriptions of the school population andfollow-up studies of special education graduates could assistboth schools and post-school services plan for transition,establish policies and prgrams, and evaluate results. Arelated issue concerns program evaluation strategies. Anadequate/ evrAluation of any transition effort should take theentire tiransition model into account, for changes in the numberof people gho use each of the three bridges may well be themost important result of improved transition. For example,little 4s gained if a time-limited or ongoing service provigesefficient employment for individuals who otherwise would haveobtained similar jobs on their own.

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OSERS programming for the transition from school to workinglife will offer federal leadership to state and local effortsto improve the lives of ,young adults with disabilities. Toimprove transition efforts while preserving the discretioq f

1other levels of government, federal activities will focus odisseminating effective practices, providing assistance tostates, and building the capacity of the professional communityto deliver improved services. Because of the right toeducation legislation of the last decade, an unprecedentednumber of students with disabilities are nearing school leavingage. Special education for these individuals shoup lead tohigher education, competetive work, or supported employment.It is time that, by working together, we help all citizens withdisabilities achieve these outcomes, along with the personalstatus and community integration that they create.

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FOOTNOTE

This paper is a preliminary statement of policy that wi14 guidethe Office of Special Education and Rehapili:ative Services in

%programming for transition. The papeF reflects the work of aspecial task force representing the Office of Special EducationPrograms, the 'Rehabilitation Services Administration, and theNational Institote-of Handicapped Research: Garry McDaniels,Douglas Fenderson, David Henderson,. Ed Sontag, Joan Standlee,Thomas Bellamy, Michael Herrell, Wes Geigel, Martin Spickler,Carol Inman, Tom Nerney, Fred Sachs, Harvey Hirschi, DavidRostetter, and Richard Melia. For his assistance inpreparation of the paper, I want to express particular thanksto Thomas Bellamy., Comments on the paper are welcome and,,should be sent to Dr. Bellamy, 330 C Street SW, Room 3006,Washington, D.C. 20202.

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References

The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps. TASH ellsfor adult service reform. Seattie: The Association forPersons with Severe Handicaps, 1983.

U, S. Bureau of the Census. Labor force status and otherchitracteristics of persons with a work disability. Washing on,D. C.: U. S. Bureau,of the Census, 1982.

U. S., Commission on Civil Rights. Accomodating the spectrum oildisabilities. Washington, D. C.: U. S. Commission on Civil i

Rights, 1983.

U. S. Department of Labor. Study of handicapped clients insheltered workshops. WashingtOn, D. C.: U. S. Department ofLabor, 1979.

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