(1) The general assembly finds that:
The Colorado department of education reported in 2015 that an estimated six thousand five hundred thirty students with intellectual and developmental disabilities reside in Colorado;
Colorado students with intellectual and developmental disabilities are desirous ofentering institutions of higher education, but are limited to costly out-of-state placement with high tuition costs and long wait lists because no inclusive higher education options exist in Colorado;
Offering higher education options to students with intellectual and developmentaldisabilities allows these students to have all of the rights, responsibilities, privileges, benefits, and outcomes that result from a college experience to the greatest extent possible, including academic access, career development, campus engagement, self-determination, participation in paid work experiences, on-campus or off-campus living, inclusive social activities, and access to and instruction in technology;
The development of an inclusive higher education program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities allows a student to attend an institution of higher education, pay tuition, and have access to undergraduate courses that support the student's desired outcomes and job aspirations;
While forty-seven states offer opportunities for higher education for students withintellectual and developmental disabilities across two hundred fifty-three institutions of higher education, Colorado does not have an institution-approved inclusive higher education program accessible to students throughout the state;
Colorado institutions of higher education have expressed an interest in building capacity for inclusive higher education; and
High-quality inclusive college programs across the country are reporting competitivejob placement rates at over seventy percent within six months of graduation for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, compared to a competitive job placement rate of less than thirty percent for students without access to these types of programs, as reported in a national study conducted by the Gallup Poll and the Special Olympics. Placement in competitive jobs results in greater community participation and less dependence on government and family support.
(2) Therefore, the Colorado general assembly declares that it is beneficial for Colorado students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to create opportunities for inclusive higher education at Colorado institutions by providing financial resources for those institutions to work in collaboration with educational and nonprofit entities that have expertise in intellectual and developmental disabilities and inclusive higher education to develop inclusive higher education programs at Colorado institutions.
Source: L. 2016: Entire article added, (SB 16-196), ch. 226, p. 861, § 1, effective June 6.