Open the Doors to College
Open the Doors to College is a program initiative of the Tarjan Center at UCLA, A University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). It was developed by the California Consortium on Postsecondary Options for People with Developmental Disabilities in 2005 and received its initial support from the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities (Community Program Development Grant Cycle 30). Since 2008, Open the Doors has been the designated developmental disability and autism consultant to the California Community College Chancellor’s Office and its 114 community colleges.
Open the Doors to College provides information, technical assistance and training that is focused on four primary goals:
- To increase awareness about the need for and benefits of postsecondary opportunities as a pathway towards adult independent living, meaningful employment and participation in community life.
- To provide information and resources about transition to postsecondary education for students with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.
- To increase postsecondary options in California.
- To improve collaboration, system linkages and public policy at the local, state and national levels in support of student access to postsecondary education.
Open the Doors to College supports these goals through:
- Training
- Technical Assistance
- Program Evaluation
- Demonstration of Existing Programs
- Information Dissemination
Webinars from our community training can be accessed here
A PDF version of some recent conference presentations may be accessed here
For additional information regarding Open the Doors to College contact Wilbert Francis at wfrancis@mednet.ucla.ed or call at (310) 206-2626.