The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-315) (HEOA) was passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law in August 2008. Five years overdue and several years in the making, the newly reau- thorized Act will now direct the advance- ment of postsecondary education for at least the next five years. The Act authorizes a number of new grant programs, imposes a number of new reporting requirements on institutions, attempts to increase the integrity of student loan programs, simplifies the federal stu- dent aid application process, and adds pro- visions meant to control textbook costs, among just a few of its provisions. The Act also has a number of important provisions intended to improve both access and suc- cess for students with disabilities in postsec- ondary education. This article provides an overview of several new provisions specific to students with disabilities. National Center for Information and Technical Support for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities This new National Center will provide tech- nical assistance and information on best and promising practices to students with disabilities, the families of students with dis- abilities, as well as entities awarded grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to improve the postsecondary recruitment, transition, retention, and completion rates of students with disabilities. Student and family assistance will include information for prospective postsecondary students to use in transition planning while in second- ary school; information and technical assis- tance provided to individualized education program (IEP) teams; research-based sup- ports, services, and accommodations, which are available in postsecondary set- tings; information on student mentoring and networking opportunities for students with disabilities; and effective recruitment and transition programs at postsecondary educational institutions. The Center will also maintain a national Web-based database of disability support services information with respect to institu- tions of higher education, including avail- able information on disability documenta- tion requirements; support services avail- able; links to financial aid; accommodations policies; accessible instructional materials; and other topics relevant to students with disabilities. Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities The Act establishes a new grant program to promote the successful transition of stu- dents with intellectual disabilities into higher education. Grant funds will be made available to institutions of higher education to support the development of programs that provide individual supports and services for the academic and social inclusion of students with intellectual dis- abilities in academic courses, extracurricu- lar activities, and other aspects of the insti- tution of higher education’s regular post- secondary program. The Act defines “student with an intel- lectual disability” as a student with mental retardation or a cognitive impairment, characterized by significant limitations in intellectual and cognitive functioning; adaptive behavior as expressed in concep- tual, social, and practical adaptive skills; and who is currently, or was formerly, eli- gible for a free appropriate public educa- tion under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Programs funded by this grant program must be designed to support students with intellectual disabilities, who are seeking to continue academic, career, and technical, and independent living instruc- tion at an institution of higher education in order to prepare for gainful employ- ment. 58 February 2009 • EP MAGAZINE/www.eparent.com New Federal Law Promotes Success in Postsecondary Education for Students with Disabilities By Candace Cortiella This month’s focus: Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) Five years overdue and several years in the making, the newly reauthorized Act will now direct the advancement of postsecondary education for at least the next five years. Advisory Commission on Accessible Instructional Materials in Postsecondary Education for Students with Disabilities The Act authorizes a new Commission on Accessible Instructional Materials tasked with conducting a comprehensive study to assess the barriers and systemic issues that interfere with the timely provision of acces- sible instructional materials and to make recommendations related to the develop- ment of a comprehensive approach that can ensure access to these materials in a time- frame comparable to when students with- out disabilities have standard print text- books available. The Commission is also to examine the feasibility of a standardized electronic file format, similar to the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) mandated by IDEA 2004. (See Exceptional Parent, February 2008, “What You Need to Know About NIMAS.”) Model Demonstration Programs to Support Improved Access to Postsecondary Instructional Materials for Students with Print Disabilities In addition to the Commission on Accessible Instructional Materials, the Act also authoriz- es model demonstration programs designed to encourage the development of systems to improve the availability of accessible format instructional materials for students with print disabilities in a timely manner. The Act defines a “student with a print disability” as a student with a disability, who experiences barriers to accessing instructional material in non-specialized formats. These model programs are tasked with conducting activities such as supporting the development and implementation of processes and systems in helping to identify and verify the eligibility of students with print disabilities who need materials in spe- cialized formats; in simplifying ways the stu- dent request process takes place; in improv- ing coordination between institutions and publishers; in establishing copyright protec- tion of electronic textbook files; and in build- ing awareness, outreach, and training activi- ties for faculty, staff, and students related to the acquisition and dissemination of instruc- tional materials in specialized formats. Demonstration Projects to Support Postsecondary Faculty, Staff, and Administrators in Educating Students with Disabilities The Act continues and expands upon a grant program to institutions of higher edu- cation designed to develop innovative, effec- tive, and efficient teaching methods and strategies, consistent with the principles of universal design for learning, to provide postsecondary faculty, staff, and administra- tors with the skills and supports necessary to teach and meet the academic and pro- grammatic needs of students with disabili- ties, in order to improve the retention of such students in, and the completion by such students of, postsecondary education. Demonstration projects can also work to ensure the successful and smooth transition of students with disabilities from secondary school to postsecondary education and the provision of accessible distance education programs or classes that would enhance the access of students with disabilities to post- secondary education, including the use of accessible curricula and electronic commu- nication for instruction and advising. GAO Study on Postsecondary Education and Students with Disabilities In addition to these exciting new provisions in the HEOA, the U.S. Congress has directed the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study to: • Examine the extent and manner in which students with disabilities are applying to, being accepted to, enrolling in, and graduat- ing from different types of institutions of higher education. • Determine the factors that influence the physical, academic, social, and economic access for students with intellectual, emo- tional, and physical disabilities in higher education. • Collect and identify the rates of requests for, and access to, accommodations on col- lege and graduate admissions tests. • Examine the effectiveness and capacity of disability support service offices in insti- tutions of higher education. • Determine the extent to which institu- tions of higher education partner and coor- dinate services with other programs to assist students with disabilities. • Examine the program characteristics of institutions of higher education that have been effective in recruiting and graduating students with all types of disabilities. The findings of this study will help inform the U.S. Department of Education and the Congress as it continues to design and implement legislation and policies to improve postsecondary education success for students with disabilities. • Candace Cortiella is Director of The Advocacy Institute (www.AdvocacyInstitute.org), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the development of products, projects, and services that work to improve the lives of people with disabilities. The mother of a young adult with learning disabilities and a disability rights advocate for over 17 years, she lives in the Washington, DC area. www.eparent.com/EP MAGAZINE • February 2009 59 The Commission is also to examine the feasibility of a standardized electronic file format, similar to the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) mandated by IDEA 2004.