Transition Living

Young adults with disabilities are less likely than their nondisabled peers to be employed full-time, enroll in postsecondary education, earn a bachelor's degree, and engage in recreational activities such as going to the movies with their friends. Unlike their nondisabled peers, upon leaving school and entering the real world, young adults with disabilities tend to be more reliant on society and are less likely to engage in meaningful employment, postsecondary education, and independent living. In an effort to increase the ability of individuals with disabilities to become contributing members of society and to have a better quality of life, transition planning has become part of school programming. Coupled with the need for school programming to better prepare individuals with disabilities for postschool life is the need to provide appropriate education to a growing number of adolescents with disabilities. In 1974, federal legislation mandated public education, equal to their nondisabled peers, for all students with disabilities. As a result, a greater number of individuals with disabilities remain in the school system through middle and high school. However, a larger percentage of students with disabilities fail to graduate than do their nondisabled peers.

Outcome research indicates that many students with disabilities are not obtaining the same quality of life as their nondisabled peers. They are more likely to [Page 954]leave school before completing high school, be socially isolated, live with their parents, and be unemployed. Research shows that 22 percent of students with disabilities do not complete high school, compared to 9 percent of students without disabilities. Between the ages of 18 and 64, individuals with disability experience a 32 percent employment rate while their nondisabled peers experience an 81 percent employment rate. Sixteen percent of students with disabilities who enroll in postsecondary education earn bachelor's degrees, while 27 percent of their nondisabled peers earn bachelor's degrees. Approximately 60,000 individuals with disabilities ages 18–24 annually qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Income (SSDI). Once enrolled, fewer than 1 percent ever leaves. These statistics illustrate that many individuals with disabilities lead a dependent life rather than a life as an independent, engaged, and contributing member of society.