Fresno lawmaker’s bill opens colleges to students with intellectual disabilities | Opinion

California prides itself on the quality of its public higher education system and the breadth of the opportunities it can offer. Many young people look to our state’s four-year universities to pursue their dreams and futures.

However, students with developmental and intellectual disabilities have not had these opportunities. Their access to our state’s four-year public institutions, to be blunt, has been limited.

To be fair, there are inclusive programs at some public universities, such as Fresno State’s Wayfinders program and the Redwood SEED Program at the UC Davis. But these programs are not consistently offered throughout the California State University or University of California systems.

Assembly Bill 447, which I authored and has been passed by the Legislature, now sits on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. It is my hope — and the hope of resolute advocates who have championed this cause — that he signs it into law.

The bill is a significant step toward disability justice. In California, there currently are 66,000 transition-age students with intellectual disabilities waiting for a door to open to these universities

As a legislative act, AB 447 establishes guidelines for inclusive higher education to be in alignment with the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) and other related directives. This change, by the way, doesn’t mean more state funds will have to be allocated. The bill would have California’s public universities partner with state agencies, such as the Department of Rehabilitation and state Regional Centers. This means the authorization for state funds already allocated for these young people can be used for inclusive education programs at four-year public universities.

But AB 447 is more than just legislation. It will open a world of possibilities to these students in the way that only a university experience can. The access to academic courses is crucial, allowing them to continue their educational quests and aspirations to learn.

By doing this, AB 447 will support and nurture their personal journeys to independence. They will benefit and blossom from forming relationships with other students and educators. They will gain the skills and the confidence to seek and secure jobs.

They will experience success.

When I presented AB 447 to the state Senate Education Committee in June, a former Wayfinders student named Maria testified why these inclusive programs are vital. She said her two older sisters had gone to college, and she wanted that for herself. Through Wayfinders, she took courses, learned practical life skills, volunteered, and acquired some work experience.

“I learned how to be my own advocate,” Maria said. She eventually landed a job and achieved her biggest goal — living independently in her own apartment.

She told the committee: “I am now a person who can be independent and contribute to my community.”

AB 447 is about giving all young people the freedom to dream and the opportunity to make those dreams a reality. In doing this, our students with developmental and intellectual disabilities will make meaningful connections that enrich their lives — and ours.