Join the 25th anniversary celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on Monday, May 4, 2015 at UNC Greensboro, hosted by the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities, NC ADA Network, Beyond Academics at UNCG, and The ADA Legacy Project. The event will begin at 11:00 am at the Elliot University Center Auditorium, commemorating the landmark legislation and its future. Visit the ADA Legacy Tour Bus, learn the history, and be a part of the celebration! Food trucks will also be parked behind the EUC near the ADA Legacy Tour Bus. For parking information, please visit http://parking.uncg.edu/ or follow signs on campus the day of the event.

Additional information about the ADA Legacy Project can be found on their website.

Via PRWeb on August 07, 2014:

UNCG students with intellectual and developmental disabilities can now apply for federal student aid.

UNCG’s Beyond Academics program is now one of only 34 similar programs in the country approved to participate in federal student aid programs. The approval came July 1 when Beyond Academics was designated a Comprehensive Training Program (CTP) by the U.S. Department of Education, giving eligible students access to federal grants.

Joan Johnson, UNCG’s CTP director, said the opportunity is “an exciting option in transforming lives.”

“The Integrative Community Studies certificate program has underscored UNCG’s vision and commitment to diversity, access and inclusion for more than seven years,” Johnson said. “The pursuit of and participation in higher education is a demonstrated and effective means to improvement in the quality of life for all citizens. The relatively new access to higher education for students with intellectual disabilities is showing significant results in higher success rates for self-sufficiency, employment and engaged citizenship.”

Post-secondary education prepares individuals with intellectual disabilities for 21st century jobs, independent living, and fulfilling personal, social, and civic responsibilities. UNCG houses one of the largest CTP programs in the nation, and is one of only three institutions offering a four-year curriculum. CTP partners with the nonprofit Beyond Academics.

Qualifying UNCG students may apply for funding from the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant, and Federal Work-Study programs. Students with intellectual disabilities are eligible for federal financial aid thanks to the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008.

North Carolina is also seeking to ease financial burdens for students with intellectual disabilities and their families. Senators Richard Burr and Kay Hagan and Representatives David Price, Howard Coble, and Patrick McHenry are among those cosponsoring The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act. The bill would allow individuals with a disability to establish tax-free accounts to pay for expenses such as higher education, health and wellness, and employment training. The ABLE Act was introduced into Congress in 2013 by a bipartisan bicameral set of Congress members and currently has 377 co-sponsors.

For more information about aid for students with intellectual disabilities, go tohttps://studentaid.ed.gov/eligibility/intellectual-disabilities. Learn more about the ABLE Act athttps://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/647.

Nine accomplished graduates who have been supported by Beyond Academics while at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro marched in today’s commencement ceremony at the Greensboro Coliseum! In his address entitled Roller Coaster, commencement speaker Dominick Amendum (Class of ’01)  shared with the graduates and audience “Do what you love and keep fear in its place.” Congratulations to these nine students who have had the opportunities to face their fears and discover what they are truly passionate about while here at UNCG!

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Beyond Academics recently contributed to a news story with WGHP Fox 8 centered around diversity and inclusion. UNCG is well-known as an inclusive, collaborative, and responsive institution making a difference in the lives of students and the communities it serves. Currently, fifty students at UNCG that are receiving support from Beyond Academics have access to academic courses, student services and student housing at UNCG. See the full story at http://myfox8.com/2014/02/24/beyond-academics-program-helps-students-with-disabilities-at-uncg/.

Beyond Academics is a proud participant in the 2013 North Carolina State Employees Combined Campaign. North Carolina state employees may designate a gift to Beyond Academics by payroll deduction or credit card through the NC SECC website . If you wish to pledge by cash or check, you must complete a Pledge form and submit to your solicitor. Beyond Academics’ SECC Code is 1844. Additional information about how to donate can be found at www.ncsecc.org/donate.

UNCG Integrative Community Studies will hold its commencement ceremony on Tuesday, May 7. The public is invited to attend the event at 9:30 a.m. in Aycock Auditorium.

Integrative Community Studies (ICS) students attend UNCG through the Beyond Academics program, an inclusive post-secondary education option for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. During their four years at the university, ICS students work to earn course credits and meet requirements in the areas of community inclusion, self-determination, and independent living, with a particular focus on developing meaningful career plans.

Graduating students receive ICS certificates from the UNCG Office of Undergraduate Studies. UNCG ICS certification indicates that students are prepared for 21st century jobs and engagement in civic, social, and personal responsibilities that will improve the communities in which they live.

Dr. Patricia Porter will deliver the 2013 UNCG Integrative Community Studies commencement address. Dr. Porter served fourteen years as Chief of the Developmental Disability Services Section of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Over her tenure, North Carolina experienced the greatest growth in community programs and services for persons with developmental disabilities in the history of the state, far exceeding the national average. Dr. Porter, who has also served as Clinical Director of the Center for Disorders of Development and Learning at The University of North Carolina School of Medicine, holds a Ph.D. in Special Education with an emphasis in Human Services Management from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

For more information, contact Eric Marshburn, Office of Comprehensive Transition & Postsecondary Education, UNCG, at ericmarshburn@uncg.edu or 336.334.3905.

For an in-depth article about the programs, check out the 2011 UNCG Magazine issue.

On Tuesday, April 9th at 7:00 The Green Bean Coffeehouse will host an event featuring InFocus, an advocacy-photography program that empowers individuals with and without disabilities to share their voices through the use of photography, in partnership with UNCG and The Arc of Greensboro. For more information on the event, visit http://infocus.uncg.edu/wordpress/.

Learn about NC’s inclusive postsecondary education for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities and how we can expand PSE opportunities across the state.

Register Now! 

Registration closes February 25th. Space is limited!

National Keynote Speakers 

::  Stephan Hamlin-Smith, Executive Director of AHEAD (Association of Higher Education and Disability) “The Next Frontier: PSE Possibilities”

::  Cate Weir, Coordinator of Think College, Institute for Community Inclusion, UMASS. “PSE Success Through National Standards”

North Carolina PSE options  ::  Highlights of the nine current NC PSE options presented by representatives: students, faculty, support staff, and others.

Reception  ::  Special recognition presented to Representative Verla Inkso. Celebrate all nine PSE options—visit their booths and learn their stories. Featuring musician Chris Hendricks.

Planning opportunity  ::  Tools and technical assistance for developing or expanding a PSE option; offer input for an option in your area.

Breakout sessions  ::  Explore issues and resources related to building collaboration around PSE; learn/share  specifics at “how-to” sessions.

Visit the UNC Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities website for more details: http://cidd.unc.edu/psea/

Beyond Academics is proud to launch its new website which will be an information hub centered around the work of The Comprehensive Transition to Post-Secondary Education Program.