A Look into Transition Programs for First Year Students with Disabilities in Higher Education: How to Create a Transition Program to Support Student Success

Students with disabilities face a myriad of challenges to persistence and success in higher education (Weis et al., 2016). This is largely caused by the fact that there are different laws and policies that govern secondary education and higher education, which can result in an adverse impact on transition services for students with disabilities. Therefore, this project analyzes the transition from secondary education to higher education for students with disabilities and looks at transition programs as a tool to support student success. Students with disabilities often have issues building community, navigating support services and accommodations, as well as practicing self-advocacy (Connor, 2013; Janiga & Costenbader, 2002; McGregor et al., 2016). Therefore, it is imperative that transition programs are offered to students with disabilities to support their transition to higher education and provide resources for an equitable experience. The culmination of this project is the outline for a transition program for students with disabilities registered with the Accessibility Services Office at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI