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Executive Summary (PDF 34 KB)
Full Report (PDF 232 KB)
Inclusive post-secondary education (IPSE) is relatively new, and sparsely researched. Usually developed through the efforts of parents who have a son or daughter with a developmental disability, IPSE is designed to provide the opportunity for young adults with developmental disabilities to take part in all aspects of the campus life of post-secondary institutions. In this context, the gold standard for inclusion is that the experience of students with developmental disabilities is roughly the same as that of other, more typical undergraduates. This means that students with developmental disabilities participate in regular classes, join clubs based on individual interests, and spend time in more casual environments and at social events.
The project described here is Phase 1 of a three-part study. The overall purpose of the larger study is to develop a comprehensive assessment protocol for inclusive post-secondary education in Canada.
The goal of this first phase of the study was to hold preliminary conversations with persons who had significant interests in inclusive post-secondary education in order to identify themes that should be included in an assessment.
We held conversations with British Columbia students, faculty, inclusion staff, non-academic staff and parents. An analysis of the data suggested a consensus among the groups about what was significant in inclusive post-secondary education. The following five themes were the most significant findings: