Throughout this chapter I argue that universities in the U.S are not doing their part in creating programs that include people with intellectual disabilities. This chapter aims to uncover why there is such low representation of people with intellectual disabilities attending. higher education in the U.S through exploration of the historical exclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. I begin by give context behind why this issue is important and how access to higher education impacts the life outcomes of people with intellectual disabilities. I then share the historical treatment of people with intellectual disabilities in the U.S which has pushed this population to the margins of society. I then share the activism towards inclusion of this population in public primary and secondary education and how it was fueled by activism against segregation by race. I go on to explore the impacts of activism which have resulted in policies which promote inclusion. Next, I assess the current representation of people with intellectual disabilities in U.S higher education. Lastly, I share how we can improve higher education policies in ways that will serve to improve representation of people with intellectual disabilities. As Peterkin (2010) claims, colleges and universities are organisms like humans that are living and breathing, constantly evolving, and changing overtime. We have plenty of room to change our policies
