Integrating Students With Intellectual Disabilities Into Higher Ed

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 9, 2012) — Parents, UK students and staff/faculty, as well as professionals who support people with intellectual and other disabilities are invited to a free seminar sponsored by the University of Kentucky's Human Development Institute on Friday, March 23.

The seminar will present the Kentucky Supported Higher Education Project, funded through the U.S. Office of Postsecondary Education under the Higher Education Opportunities Act of 2008.

Presenters will be Melissa Jones, associate professor of education at Northern Kentucky University, and Wendy Willeroy, project coordinator for the Supported Higher Education Project. They will discuss the importance of students with intellectual disabilities participating in higher education and the benefits to other college students who interact with these students in classes and campus life.

A mentoring video that includes mentors/mentees talking about their experiences on three Kentucky campuses will be shown. The seminar will highlight the impressions and experiences of students with intellectual disabilities going to college before and after participating in a mentoring experience. 

The seminar will be conducted from 1-3 p.m. Friday, March 23, in the Human Development Training Room at UK's Coldstream Research Campus, and it will be video-conferenced live to various sites in Lexington and around the state to enable broader participation. Registration is required, as space is limited. Those who wish to participate may register online at https://public.hdiuk.org/sites/seminars/SupportedHigherEd. Continuing Education Units may be available.

For more information, please contact Jerry Chaney at (859) 257-1714 or jerry.chaney@uky.edu.

MEDIA CONTACT: Keith Hautala, (859) 323-2396; keith.hautala@uky.edu