in the spotlight

AB 86 and AB 104: A Regional Look at Psychiatric Disability Access in Adult Education

By: Laurence Jones, Program Coordinator for Public Awareness and Education

In California, Assembly Bill 86 (AB 86) provided $25 million [¹] in planning grants to 71 regional consortia of community colleges, adult schools and local school districts to improve adult education. AB 86 had five criteria for each of the awardees to consider:[2]

1. Elementary and secondary basic skills
2. Offerings for immigrants – citizenship, ESL and workforce preparation classes in basic skills
3. Education programs for adults with disabilities
4. Short-term career technical education programs with high employment potential
5. Programs for apprentices

Each consortia faces complex educational objectives while trying to address the nuanced issues of adult students. Concerns include a rapidly diversifying adult education population in California, alongside addressing trends particular to their region. One area of concern is the diminished access for students with disabilities. Some consortia report prior drastic cuts to their efforts for disabled students as funding for programming evaporated in recent years. For instance, the consortium that includes Oakland notes that funding for adult students with disabilities was cut by 98% in Oakland.[3] Other consortia report similarly draconian cuts.[4]

Specific classes or support services designed for Adult with Disabilities (AWD) populations have been nearly eliminated in the adult schools and cut severely in the colleges. Services to support AWD in pursuit of education still exist, but with smaller budgets than in the past, which make it nearly impossible for educators to serve the range of accommodations and support service needs of this vulnerable population. For instance, the Chabot-Los Positas Community College District finds itself at maximum capacity with 90 students.[5]  Students who wish to participate are on a waiting list.[6]

One area of concern highlighted in the Mid-Alameda County Consortium for Adult Education plan was the lack of diagnosis for mental and developmental disabilities in adult education populations. This gap in information can lead to diminished service for these populations. Mid-Alameda County Consortium notes in particular the continuing impact associated with mental and developmental disabilities creates barriers between the target population and services that already exist.[7]

Mid-Alameda County Consortium for Adult Education plans to do outreach to a broad spectrum of underserved populations. Mid-Alameda County Consortium for Adult Education hopes to then focus on areas of service for students with disabilities that include development of a career plan and support system, alongside development of skills in a chosen occupational field.[8]

City College of San Francisco (CCSF) has maintained their Disabled Students Program and Services (DSPS) department. Included in their outreach services are an in-person group orientation to prospective students with disabilities, which is offered up to three times a semester depending on demand. DSPS counselors “conduct intake and gather disability related documents to assess functional limitations in the classroom and provide academic accommodations to the student.”[9]

Other consortia report that they use community-based organizations (CBO’s) as stop gaps to help continue service to disabled populations.[¹⁰]  In these cases, the surviving disabled student outreach and administration of programs may heavily rely on collaboration with multiple agencies.

Although disabled populations were an area of focus suggested by AB 86 and AB 104, not all consortia included increased services for adult students with disabilities in their final implementation plans. Some consortia chose to focus on “anchor skills” such as critical thinking and analysis for students as their main objective.[¹¹]

As of March 2016, the regional consortia moved from planning stages associated with AB 86 to the 3-year implementation stages associated with AB 104.  AB 104 funding will constitute approximately $500 million[12] in state funds for adult education through block grants to the consortia through the Adult Education Block Grant, or “AEBG” Program.  For 2015-16, nearly $337 million will be dedicated to maintenance of effort.  The remainder ($158-$163 million) will be dedicated to increasing needs-based program areas, which may include those for disabled adults.[13]  

It is notable that the various consortia often do not clarify their intentions for addressing psychiatric and/or developmental disabilities with concrete action plans. In a state survey of the 71 consortia, individuals with psychiatric and/or developmental disabilities were included in the overall statistic of 3.8 million Californians with disabilities of any type.[14] Psychology Today reports that “[I]ndividuals with depression, mental, emotional, or psychiatric conditions now represent approximately 24% of college students with disabilities and have become the largest cohort of post secondary students who identify having a disability.”[15] Without analyzing the differing impairments of various disabilities, students with disabilities will most likely not receive the informed outreach, assistance and integration they deserve.

PWDF notes that without clarification and direct advocacy for students with psychiatric and/or developmental disabilities, they are prone to receive generalized service that may not address their specific needs.[¹⁶] PWDF recommends including more specialized focus on students with psychiatric and/or developmental disabilities so that they can thrive in higher education environments. With newly allotted resources focused on access for diverse community college populations, we advocate for more refinement in consortia planning and implementation regarding psychiatric and developmental disabilities. Our recommendations are informed by similar recommendations published by The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law.[17]

Areas of concern specific to students with psychiatric disabilities include:[¹⁸]

• Difficulty with medication side effects
• Screening out environmental stimuli
• Sustaining concentration
• Maintaining stamina
• Handling time pressures and multiple tasks
• Interacting with others
• Fear of authority figures
• Responding to negative feedback
• Severe test anxiety

A number of PWDF’s recommendations for accommodations reflect similar recommendations that PWDF makes in terms of equality for people with psychiatric and/or developmental disabilities in general. One general area of focus includes allowing students with psychiatric disabilities to have more flexibility related to time periods. For example, one reasonable accommodation would be to allow extended or flexible time periods for exams. Another area to accommodate diverse populations would be to create individualized plans based upon each student’s needs, similar to IEPs (Individualized Education Programs) developed for elementary and secondary school students.

Reasonable accommodations for post-secondary students with psychiatric disabilities can take into consideration the potential impairments listed above by including strategies and itemized accommodations in individualized plans.  A number of reasonable accommodations may be appropriate for adult students with psychiatric and/or developmental disabilities:[¹⁹]

Classroom Accommodations: such as prearranged or frequent breaks, availability of course materials (lectures, handouts) on disk, and private feedback on academic performance.

Assignment Accommodations: such as advance notice of assignments, extended time to complete assignments and assignment assistance during hospitalization.

Examination Accommodations: such as extended time for test taking, use of assistive computer software, or administration of exams in separate, quiet, and non-distracting rooms.

As AB 86 and AB 104 implementation get underway, the AEBG website now features a “Practices with Promise” section,[20] which highlights strategies individual consortia have successfully used to reach the populations targeted by AB 104. As more development continues, PWDF looks forward to viewing best practices in terms of access for students with psychiatric and/or developmental disabilities during the implementation process and encourage individual consortia to do the same.

PWDF recognizes that these reasonable accommodations and best practices should promote the empowerment and fulfillment of educational goals for those with psychiatric and/or developmental disabilities.  As they conduct outreach to their students, we hope community colleges throughout the state will make efforts to include greater awareness of the complexities these student populations face, resulting in fair and equitable policies and procedures for their students with psychiatric and/or developmental disabilities. By providing welcoming environments and reasonable accommodations for students with psychiatric and/or developmental disabilities, community colleges could provide yet another avenue for people with disabilities to thrive in society.

PWDF Profile

Who We Are

People With Disabilities Foundation is an operating 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California, which focuses on the rights of the mentally and developmentally disabled.

Services

Advocacy: PWDF advocates for Social Security claimant’s disability benefits in eight Bay Area counties. We also provide services in disability rights, on issues regarding returning to work, and in ADA consultations, including areas of employment, health care, and education, among others. There is representation before all levels of federal court and Administrative Law Judges. No one is declined due to their inability to pay, and we offer a sliding scale for attorney’s fees.

Education/Public Awareness: To help eliminate the stigma against people with mental disabilities in society, PWDF’s educational program organizes workshops and public seminars, provides guest speakers with backgrounds in mental health, and produces educational materials such as videos.

Continuing Education Provider: State Bar of California MCLE, California Board of Behavioral Sciences Continuing Education, and Commission of Rehabilitation Counselor Certification.