The Latest News from Think Inclusive College West Coast Coalition
A lot of work that has been taking place at institutions of higher education, our organization, and beyond in effort to open doors to college for students with intellectual disability (ID).

NWDSA/ABI community member brings accessibility to the beach
Randy Anderson noticed that, while the Seaside promenade is accessible for wheelchairs, individuals with mobility challenges weren't able to experience the sand and surf up close.

A year of growth
One of our biggest accomplishments this year was offering our Kindergarten Transition Bootcamp in Spanish for the first time.

Un año de crecimiento
Uno de nuestros mayores logros este año fue poder ofrecer nuestro taller de entrenamiento de transición de kínder y más! en español por primera vez.

Pedi power
Getting a pedicure can be tricky for me. Sometimes having my feet touched is a little uncomfortable. My mom says the technical term is Sensory Defensiveness.

Looking ahead: What comes after high school?
Seventeen years passed and my son was about to finish high school. I began to ask myself, “What will there be for my son after high school?”

Mirando al futuro: ¿Qué viene después de la secundaria?
Pasaron diecisiete años y mi hijo estaba a punto de terminar la escuela secundaria. Comencé a preguntarme: “¿Qué habrá para mi hijo después de la secundaria?”

Co-taught Head Start inclusive classrooms
Teachers work together on lesson plans, ensuring that all children are offered rigorous instruction in developmentally-appropriate content and that any child with a disability is supported in fully participating in the activities with their peers.

Circle of support: Kindergarten Inclusion Cohort & the importance of relationships
Kindergarten Inclusion Cohort provides an additional vital resource—a community of other parents to lean into for support.

Adult Transition Summit: Thank you and what’s next
130 friends of inclusive college share a full day of information, networking, and advocacy to create powerful, positive change to open more doors to inclusive college options for students with intellectual disability.

2019 All Born (in) Conference recap
The 14th Annual All Born (in) Cross-Disability Best Practices Educational Inclusion Conference on April 6th was a Success!

Dune buggy bandits inspire do-gooding
The pink and purple dune buggy that Alexis, a 7-year-old from Washougal, received for her birthday became one of her favorite toys

Sharing a dream of college
Emma Frome and Dan Jarvis-Holland attended their first advocacy rally with us as small children 18 years ago in Salem as we protested cuts to Early Intervention.
Expanding inclusive college options in the Northwest
Parents and professionals learned how to amplify the youth voice, work together to advocate for more post-secondary programs, and support the dream to make inclusive college a reality.

Finding friends and support at Buddy Fest NW
It’s amazing to see the friendships that inclusion have developed for Parker, and how much his friends and peers value and respect him.
Rompiendo barreras
Como la nueva Coordinadora de alcance bilingüe, estoy trabajando para que los entrenamientos, eventos, recursos, apoyo para padres y conferencias sean más accesibles para nuestra comunidad de habla hispana.

A day of community and love
This will be our ninth walk this year and each year Nickel grows more eager to attend.
Brave, not perfect
I’m proud of the tone I set—checking every detail, speaking my mind, and building working relationships. I do wish the percentage of inclusion for my child was higher. I wasn’t prepared for feeling so mixed, but truly it is a preview of the next 15 years.

Los talleres de RLC ayudan a construir comunidad
Mi experiencia en el último taller fue de muchísima ayuda, me enseñó que ser paciente es la mejor clave para obtener los mejores resultados y que siempre existen mas de una forma de ayudar a nuestros pequeños a aprender.

Honoring Donald Prescott
Supporting the Down syndrome community has always been important to Donald and Mary Prescott.