Post-Graduation Life for People with IDD
(Image Description: A group of students are shown at their college graduation. The camera is positioned toward the students' caps and gowns.)
Post-Graduation Life for People with IDD
As summer starts to approach, many individuals are celebrating an important landmark in their lives: high school or college graduation. While this is certainly a big achievement, life after college for people with disabilities can be especially challenging. In this blog, I want to share some recent events surrounding graduation for people with IDD and some tips I have for recent graduates.
Zachary's Law
How can people with disabilities be included in their high school graduation ceremonies? That's the question that Zachary's Law aimed to answer. Passed in New York in November 2017, this law "mandates that school districts will have to create policies that will allow students with disabilities to participate in graduation ceremonies if they have earned commencement credentials." Zachary's Law was named after Zachary Lerman, a New York student with IDD who was able to participate in his school's graduation with his friends and other students he had grown up with.
Prior to this statewide ruling, students with disabilities in New York were unable to attend graduation with their fellow peers if they did not earn a traditional diploma. Now, many U.S. states have adopted laws to allow all individuals with IDD to partake in high school graduations as they deserve. I think this is a big step toward making sure people with IDD have the same opportunities as their peers and sets them up for a positive trajectory for the rest of their lives.
Tips for Navigating Post-Graduation Life
For people with disabilities, it can be difficult to grapple with life challenges after one graduates from high school or college. After graduation, you often land a new job or move to a new place. Additionally, your friends and sometimes family move away. These can be hard adjustments since most of your earlier life has revolved around this network of people.
My advice is to make new friends wherever you end up and contact your old friends, whether that be through Zoom calls or arranging an in-person visit in your new state. That way, you can establish a new support system while also staying in touch with those important people who you grew up most of your life with. You can also make new friends at your job. And remember that when looking for your dream job, always follow your heart and consider what matters most to you.
Outside of close relationships, you could also join your local gym or participate in spiritual life like church. These are great ways to stay active in your nearby community. You can also still have lots of fun after you finish high school or college! Arrange a time to see a movie with friends or have a group dinner where you all catch up. And if you don't want to work right away, you can always go back to school to advance your education or even travel the world.
Life after high school or college for people with IDD can be hard to adapt to at first. However, using some of my tips, I hope that this journey can become smoother. Wishing you the best of luck in your future endeavors!
In friendship,
Jamie Galvin
YLC Member, Tennessee
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