When I say college, you might think about pulling all-nighters, studying on the quad, eating cold pizza for breakfast, football games, parties, or Greek life. For most people, you may not see a person with an intellectual disability in that vision. That’s probably because the reality is only 2% of people with intellectual disabilities (ID), already a small population within the world, attend a college or university program.
There are now more than 350 inclusive postsecondary programs (IPSE) across the United States. However, several barriers to them remain.
Some barriers to these opportunities for people with ID are lack of awareness, low expectations, and disbelief. Despite the myth and mindset that college is out of reach for people with intellectual disabilities, the benefits are enormous.
Graduates of these programs are much more likely to develop workplace-ready skills, build confidence and professional networks, and ultimately secure competitive employment. In fact, Think College reports that 67% of IPSE program graduates secure competitive integrated employment within one year, while only 16-19% of the intellectually disabled population is employed at all. Think College also reports that people who participate in postsecondary opportunities with vocational rehabilitation support earn 51% more income than those who do not.
The barriers
Lack of awareness
The first stumbling block is that there is a huge lack of awareness among individuals, families, and educators, including guidance counselors. If you don’t know a program is an option for you, you can’t prepare or apply.
Think College has a search tool that allows individuals and families to find programs throughout the country by location, enrollment type, disability, and other factors.
There are also state associations that can provide information in some areas.
And as with many things along the journey, learning from others with the same lived experience is often one of the best ways to seek information. There are online social media networks where individuals and families can learn about the experiences of others and ask questions.
Low expectations and disbelief
Now that you know there are hundreds of programs out there uniquely designed for people with ID, you should also know that there are people who don’t look at many or all of these students with the expectation that such programs are actually right for them.
Low expectations and disbelief, I believe, are among the most dangerous of barriers to people with disabilities.
There are many theories that would support the notion that the thoughts and attitudes of adults with influence over young people impact those students in how they feel about themselves and ultimately their outcomes.
Albert Bandura’s work would, for example, suggest our beliefs about our own capabilities are partly shaped by feedback and social persuasion from others.
It’s why when Rita Pierson so famously said this, it stuck with us and has been repeated over and over:
“Every child deserves a champion: an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists they become the best they can possibly be.”
Many students with ID across our country are already going into school settings each day that are not set up for their success and inclusion. And with that, they are facing educators who have already decided what their future will look like before even getting to know them as a unique individual—their strengths, interests, and dreams.
For those who have taught students with ID for one year or 30 years, you have not yet met the brand-new student entering your classroom. And just because you’ve never met someone with ID who has gone to college doesn’t make it impossible.
For those stuck in the lane of skepticism about these programs, I encourage you to consider Carol Dweck’s philosophy of The Power of Yet.
Dwecker is a researcher in the field of motivation and mindset at Stanford University. Her concept encourages us to reframe limitations as opportunities, emphasize potential over perceived barriers, and remind ourselves that success looks different for everyone. When we focus on the power of yet, we allow ourselves to keep the door open for students to strive for those dreams, their dreams, without putting limitations on them based on our preconceived notions.
The benefits
When you think about the benefits of a residential college program, think about why you would send any young person. The chance to live independently from your family offers opportunity for autonomy and growth in a way you cannot get at home. Along with opportunities to grow in self-determination and independence, students have the opportunity to make new friends, expand life and job skills, explore academic areas of interest, expand life experiences, and have some cold pizza along the way.
Think College reports the outcomes in employability and earning potential to be vastly higher for those who graduate from an IPSE program.
What can you do?
On IPSE day and each day forward, here are some ways to support postsecondary opportunities for people with ID:
Educate yourself: Take the initiative to learn more about inclusive educational programs (see resources below) and the challenges faced by individuals with intellectual disabilities in accessing higher education.
Raise awareness and challenge assumptions: Use your voice and platforms to raise awareness about IPSE Day and the benefits of inclusive education. Sharing this information further amplifies the narrative around people with ID attending college. See some tools from Think College here.
Get involved: Most IPSE programs rely on mentors, students at the college or university who support fellow students within the IPSE program. This can include tutoring, going to an exercise class, having lunch, social time, and more. It can be a limited number of hours per week or more.
The future is bright
It’s clear that IPSE programs hold strong benefits for those who have the privilege of attending. As we work to dismantle the barriers, and on IPSE Day 2025, I think about the question at the heart of the Think College campaign: What if young adults with intellectual disability saw college as an option?
And I ask myself (and you), what if society as a whole recognized college as an option for young adults with intellectual disabilities? How much more access and possibility would there be?
inclusion AMPLIFIED 
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