Resource Fair Hosts Hundreds of Students with Disabilities
October 25, 2024 - 榴莲直播 Institute on Disability (UMID) hosted over 200 high school
students who have intellectual and/or physical disabilities from Memphis-area school
districts for a resource fair which featured community resources that can help these
students lead meaningful lives after graduating high school.
The fair also featured Inclusive Higher Education (IHE) programs from across Tennessee. There are nine programs across the state鈥檚 institutions. UMID rolled out their table for prospective students, as well as other institutions.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 just say 鈥榦nly come here.鈥� We had Vanderbilt here. We had Lipscomb. Part of what we want is to be person-centered, to be person-driven,鈥� said Dr. Chrisann Schiro-Geist, UMID鈥檚 director and a faculty member within UofM鈥檚 College of Education. 鈥淎nd so, if the best choice for somebody is to go to Vanderbilt, then they should know what鈥檚 available at Vanderbilt. We happen to think we鈥檙e the best place for everybody to go, but for each individual, they have to make that plan around what really works for them.鈥�
Memphis Mayor Paul Young served as the keynote speaker, engaging with students and
answering their questions about opportunities in Memphis for people with disabilities.
His recent efforts to revitalize the Mayor鈥檚 Council for Citizens with Disabilities,
which includes a UofM alum, reflect his commitment to inclusivity.
鈥淚 think (Young) was wonderful because he spoke from the heart,鈥� said Schiro-Geist. 鈥淵ou could tell. That means so much to the people in the audience, the people with disabilities.鈥�
UMID鈥檚 two programs, Tigers Learning Independence Fostering Education and Employment Program (TigerLIFE) and the College Campus Transition Program (CCTP), which is a partnership through Memphis Shelby County Schools, have collectively instructed hundreds of disabled students and boast high rates of employment for program graduates including 71% for TigerLIFE and 81% for CCTP.
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