Inclusive post-secondary education (IPSE) for individuals with ID, which are programmes housed in
traditional colleges and universities, is a relatively new practice that holds much promise for improved
adult outcomes. Currently in Europe, however, relatively few IPSE programmes for young adults with
ID exist. This suggests there is both a need and an opportunity to greatly increase these programmes. This is the primary objective of the proposed project.
We have recently identified nine IPSE programmes in five countries, and seven of these institutions are partners in this proposed project:
• Austria: University of Education Salzburg
• Germany: Catholic University of Applied Sciences Berlin
• Iceland: University of Iceland
• Ireland: University College Cork, Waterford Institute of Technology, Trinity College Dublin
• Switzerland (as an associated partner): University of Education Zürich
All the partners have significant experience and competence related to operating IPSE programmes
at their universities, and each has demonstrated unique strengths in key areas. Because of their
expertise, we feel the proposed project will greatly benefit from each partner’s contribution.
The proposed project has five distinct goals:
1) Increase the access of persons with ID to IPSE programmes throughout Europe;
2) Focus on developing fully inclusive programmes for persons with ID in current and future IPSE
programmes;
3) Enhance IPSE programmes to focus on employment outcomes for persons with ID in selfdetermined career areas;
4) Develop instruction for IPSE staff and student volunteers to improve their knowledge of strategies
promoting inclusion and self-determination for persons with ID;
5) Develop and disseminate quality indicators for IPSE programmes to colleges and universities
throughout Europe.
The following products will be developed during the project to help achieve the above goals:
1) IPSE Curriculum Framework:
Currently, IPSE programmes offer a range of curricular options. While all programmes have different
valuable features and strengths, no standard curriculum model is broadly implemented. We feel there is a need for a broad curriculum framework across IPSE programmes to better assure the direction and quality of programmes.
2) Strategic Inclusive Information Training Modules:
For IPSE programmes to develop fully inclusive models, there is a need to prepare two key
constituency groups to implement these models: a) professional staff who operate IPSE
programmes; and b) college students with and without disabilities who populate the programmes.
During the project, to prepare these groups for inclusion, we will develop and test two sets of
instructional modules, one set for each group. The modules will be developed for use in live, face-to-face sessions, or in online webinars. They will address these critical topics: What is inclusion (what
does it look like)? Why is inclusion important (what does research say about the effects of inclusion)?
And, How does inclusion work (what strategies can be used in IPSE programmes to implement
inclusion successfully)?
3) IPSE Knowledge Centre:
A Web-Based Resource for Programmes, Students, and Families. To provide a wide array of
information about IPSE programmes for students and their families, and to provide practical
information for current and developing programmes in Europe, we will develop „IPSE Centre“. This
web-based programme will digitally house different kinds of information and various resources.
