Coordinating Transition Services and Postsecondary Access: Guidance on Requirements under the IDEA and the Rehabilitation Act

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) is committed to ensuring that students and youth with disabilities are held to high expectations and have the resources and supports needed to expand their learning opportunities and prepare them for success in postsecondary education and competitive integrated employment (CIE). In the 2019-2020 academic year, approximately 21 percent of undergraduate students reported having a disability--which is a marked increase from the six percent of undergraduate students who reported having a disability during the 1995-1996 academic year. This guidance builds on the Department's guidance "A Transition Guide to Postsecondary Education and Employment for Students and Youth with Disabilities" (August 30, 2020), as well as prior policy letters, and describes how State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and State vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies may coordinate to assist students with disabilities, including students with intellectual disabilities, who are in high school and will be transitioning out of high school and will potentially receive services as an adult funded by programs authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehabilitation Act) and other Federal or State funding sources. The Department supports States in their work to increase postsecondary education options and opportunities for individuals with disabilities, including students and youth with intellectual disabilities, through participation in comprehensive transition programs and postsecondary education at institutions of higher education (IHEs).