College of Adaptive Arts Joins with Laney College to Host Enrollment Event for Students with Intellectual and

College of Adaptive Arts, a nonprofit providing higher education for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), has partnered with Oakland based Laney College to host a free open house and enrollment day for any prospective adult student with IDD who is over 18 years of age and might be interested in pursuing their collegiate education.

“In all 50 states, adults with IDD are aged out of traditional post-secondary education at age 21 or 22, leaving a huge gap in access to collegiate programs and opportunities,” said Nicole Kim, Executive Director of College of Adaptive Arts. “There’s a huge portion of students with IDD who do not qualify or fit into the existing two or four-year disability programs. They may be non-verbal, or not able to read or write, but that should not preclude them from learning, growing, and contributing to their communities.”

College of Adaptive Arts, which is based in Saratoga on the West Valley College campus, is hoping to expand its programs and bring them to more schools and geographical locations, starting with the East Bay. The school aims to become similar to the Special Olympics model in that any adult with IDD, no matter their age, location or ability, has access to continued higher education choices with no age-out limits.

"Having the College of Adaptive Arts on the Laney Campus and in the City of Oakland is a great opportunity to truly support all students in the City of Oakland,” said Dr. Nate Failing, Head of Student Accessibility Services at Laney College. “This will truly make Laney College a Community College, not just a college in the community, as we will be able to support locations for students who have creative learning skills to continue to learn."

College of Adaptive Arts serves over 270 adults with IDD across nine different states and offers classes in 10 different schools of study, including Business, Visual Arts, Communication, Digital Media Studies and more. The majority of CAA’s students are online learners, which means that students can take classes from anywhere.

The free open house and enrollment event will take place Saturday, November 8 from 11am-1pm at the Laney College Student Center, located at 900 Fallon Street in Oakland. To learn more or register, visit https://bit.ly/4hLC8gf

ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF ADAPTIVE ARTS:

College of Adaptive Arts is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization providing equitable, accessible, and lifelong college programs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, wherever and whenever they need them. The vision of CAA is to transform the perception of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities by creating a world with innovative and inclusive access to ongoing college education. For more information, or to volunteer or donate, visit https://www.collegeofadaptivea...