Olds College to welcome students with developmental disabilities

Students with developmental disabilities will soon be able to study at Olds College.

Inclusion Alberta is partnering with Olds College in providing inclusive post-secondary education in central Alberta.

Starting this fall, people with developmental disabilities will be able to learn about agriculture, horticulture, animal science, and beer making. Those who don't live in Olds can learn more about what living in college housing at Olds College is like.

"As a parent of a teen with a developmental disability, I am so very happy to learn of the new Inclusive Post-Secondary Initiative at Olds College," says central Alberta resident Dawne Hammerschmidt.

"This opens up so many more possibilities that were not previously available and breaks down some of the barriers we face. It is exciting to me and my family that this is happening in central Alberta so close to home."

Anyone interested is encouraged to visit www.inclusionalberta.org.

Inclusion Alberta, a family based, non-profit federation that advocates on behalf of children and adults with developmental disabilities, has been partnering with post-secondary institutions across the province for more than 30 years. The goal is including people with developmental disabilities in regular programs of study and campus life.

Alberta has more post-secondary institutions providing fully inclusive post-secondary opportunities for students with developmental disabilities than any other jurisdiction in the world. On average, the employment outcome for students completing their studies is between 70-80 per cent (versus an up-to-80 per cent unemployment rate for individuals with developmental disabilities in Alberta).