By John LaConte
Special to The Salem News
February 15, 2008 06:54 am WASHINGTON — Congressman John Tierney and North Shore Community College President Wayne Burton spoke on behalf of adults with developmental disabilities yesterday at an autism summit on Capitol Hill. Their work could also help give North Shore residents with developmental disabilities a shot at a college education. Taft College, a community college in Taft, Calif., arranged the summit in an effort to "inform community colleges across the nation about the opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities provided for by HR 4137 (the Higher Education Re-Authorization Act of 2007)" said Taft College President William Duncan. The legislation provides for a pilot grant program to support model demonstration programs that "promote the successful transition of students with intellectual disabilities into higher education." Tierney, a Salem Democrat, expressed his support for programs that help adults with developmental disabilities transition into their respective communities. "Community colleges need to roll up their sleeves and help usher this through," Tierney said. "We just need to step up and do it." The legislation is estimated to provide approximately $2 million per year per institution to cover the operational costs of a Transition to Independent Living (TIL) pilot program, to be modeled after programs like Taft College's successful TIL program. "A program like that is badly needed," Burton said. "And I would definitely like to explore the possibility. Thanks to the leadership of Congressman Tierney and Sen. (Edward) Kennedy, we now see that it could actually happen." An early version of HR 4137 provided for the formation of six such programs across the country. However, Kennedy, a strong supporter of efforts to help those with developmental disabilities, helped change the language in the act to provide pilot programs for an additional 45 schools, including North Shore Community College. The bill passed both houses last September, however appropriations have not yet begun for the measure. For North Shore Community College to receive the funding to start a program like TIL, HR 4137 would need to remain intact through the appropriations process. "It could be difficult," said Congressman Jim Walsh of New York, the ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, who also spoke at the summit. "But the most important thing you can do is continue to get together like this to show all the support this effort has gained." Burton is scheduled to participate in a conference call next week with other community college presidents to continue to brainstorm on how to help jump-start the funding process.
John LaConte is the editor of the Taft Independent newspaper in Taft, Calif.
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