Access to Independence has formed a partnership with SUNY Cortland’s Foundations and Social Advocacy Department to assess the unmet needs of youth transition services in Cortland County. The ultimate goal of the study is to encourage the implementation of innovative services to supplement those provided by local public schools, and to maximize the successful transition to life after high school for youth ages 14-21 who have Individualized Education Plans. The study aims to address evidence-based components of ideal transition planning and implementation: competence, self-determination, belonging, and enjoyment.

            Nationally, approximately eighty-five percent of high school dropouts have some kind of disability. Their prospects for meaningful and self-supporting employment are increasingly restricted. Individuals with disabilities are twice as likely to live below the poverty line as individuals without disabilities. According to the National Council on Disability, individuals with disabilities across all age groups are less likely to be employed.

            Students with and without disabilities who earn a Bachelor of Arts degree are almost equal in terms of getting jobs after college, and most post-secondary education institutions enrolling students with disabilities provide some level of services, support, or accommodations. But there are significant gaps in the knowledge of promising practices to maximize the success of students with disabilities in high school, and in post-secondary education.

            While the percentage of college freshmen with disabilities has more than tripled over the last 20 years to nearly 10%, many will not graduate; and most students with disabilities will never even get as far as college. Nearly half of students with disabilities who enroll in post-secondary education drop out before acquiring a degree or credential.       In college, these students face inconsistent interpretation of accommodation requirements, a mismatch between high school and post-secondary disability documentation, and a lack of awareness among faculty members regarding disability issues and effective teaching strategies. Preliminary data from the needs assessment indicates that these trends are also represented in Cortland County.

            However, more data is needed to validate the Cortland County study. The Access to Independence / SUNY Cortland collaborative needs assessment requires the support of school districts, administrators, service providers, and most importantly, students, and their parents and teachers, by participating in focus groups and pencil-and-paper surveys.           Access to Independence and SUNY Cortland are currently working with Cortland County school districts to facilitate surveys of students age 14-21, who have Individualized Education Plans provided by the schools.

            The Access to Independence / SUNY Cortland collaborative needs assessment data will be aggregated so that school-specific trends will not be identified. Individual schools, individual students and individual answers will be identified by numerical codes and not by name or location. All aspects of the study have been approved, and principal investigators have been trained and certified by the SUNY Cortland Institutional Review Board (IRB), in ethical and confidential research practices.

            While Cortland County offers a variety of services for its youth, the 900+ disadvantaged youth and youth with disabilities remain underserved. Fortunately, the Cortland Area Communities That Care (CACTC) Coalition provides a forum for a number of key community organizations to work earnestly to close these gaps in services.             This is essential in order to ensure that those youth avoid risks that lead to problem behaviors, including substance abuse, delinquency, teen pregnancy, school drop-out and violence. Access to Independence of Cortland County, Inc. is a proud supporter and contributor to the CACTC coalition.

For more information about the Access to Independence / SUNY Cortland study, contact Chad W. Underwood, Chief Operating Officer, by phone at: (607) 753-7363, or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .