Post Secondary Education Options in Florida
In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed. This had a great influence on postsecondary education trends among deaf and hard of hearing people, and other people with disabilities, too. For example, before 1990, only five to ten postsecondary institutions in Florida were known to be serving just 100+ Deaf or Hard of Hearing students.
Currently in Florida, approximately 70 postsecondary institutions (four-year colleges and universities, community colleges, private colleges, and vocational-technical schools) have served 700+ Deaf and Hard of Hearing students.
Which colleges have worked with Deaf and Hard of Hearing students? Go to www.pecfla.org and click on 'News' page. Scroll down a bit to see the listing of schools and the number of Deaf/Hard of Hearing students they have served. Deaf and Hard of Hearing students in Florida and throughout the U.S. have many more options than they did prior to 1990 regarding their postsecondary education.
The PEC-FLA SOTAC- What is it? This office promotes quality educational activities and
outreach services through statewide collaboration and information exchange with educators, families, service providers and others whose work impacts students who are deaf,
late-deafened or hard of hearing as they pursue postsecondary education or are in transition from secondary to postsecondary education.
The PEC-FLA SOTAC is housed at SPC-St Petersburg College, on the Clearwater campus, and is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
This article was submitted by Rebecca Herman - Herman.Rebecca@spcollege.edu
Postsecondary Education Consortium (PEC)
Florida's State Outreach and Technical Assistance Center (SOTAC)