For young people with disabilities, transitional periods offer both challenges and opportunities. These include the transition to high school, from high school to college or work, or the transition to other adult phases like moving toward independence in the community. NARIC’s information specialists are often asked for information on transition by our patrons. To assist our readers with questions about the transition to adulthood, we would like to highlight some of the consumer products on this topic developed by the NIDILRR community for people with disabilities, their families, and the professionals who support them. These consumer products may include factsheets, guides, calendars, comics, and courses.
Below, you will find just a few examples of evidence-based consumer products produced by the NIDILRR community:
- The Learning and Working During the Transition to Adulthood Rehabilitation Research and Training Center develops informative products for youth with disabilities in transition to adulthood and their families. These products include tip sheets on supports, life skills, education, and employment; infocomics on interviewing and college accommodations; ComebackTV, a show made by young adults for young adults about resources to help young adults with mental health conditions on their path to successful and independent lives; and three blogs for youth, young adults, and families. This Center also provides consumer products for people with disabilities who speak Spanish and Vietnamese.
- The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities developed a six week, interactive course for higher education professionals on supported employment in college, which is designed to provide higher education professionals with the tools and knowledge on evidence-based employment practices that are designed to increase paid employment opportunities for college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
- The project Place-Based Solutions for Rural Community Participation, Health, and Employment developed the Advocacy Skill Building Toolkit as a guide for Centers for Independent Living and others to conduct interactive and engaging workshops to facilitate the development of advocacy skills among youth with disabilities. The toolkit uses improvisation as a unique approach to introduce, invite, and engage others into and with the world of advocacy.
- The RRTC on Improving Employment Outcomes or People who are Blind or Have Low Vision developed several informative products on transitioning to adulthood for youth who are blind, have low vision, or other visual disabilities and their parents. These products include a factsheet for youth and a factsheet for parents on working and receiving SSI. They also include a program and videos on preparing for a video interview and a calendar full of transition related activities.
To learn more about these and other products from the NIDILRR community, contact NARIC’s information specialists.
Collection Spotlight from the National Rehabilitation Information Center 