Model Program: College Resource Directory

Houston Mayor's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities

Lillian Villarreal
713-853-7092
lillian.villarreal@enron.com

The Houston Mayor's Committee published a directory to provide information on 39 colleges and universities within a 200-mile radius of Houston. Included in the directory are the names of contact persons, phone numbers, addresses, a listing of services and typical accommodations provided, etc.

For many students, transition from public school to adult life includes a desire to attend post secondary school and continue their education. Barriers to college entry include ineffective planning and lack of information about accommodations. This directory has been disseminated to local high schools, families of students with disabilities, and individuals interested in accessing post secondary education.

To replicate this directory, follow these key steps:

• Identify the colleges and universities to be surveyed and obtain contact names and telephone numbers
• Develop a set of questions to use when interviewing college personnel
• Train volunteers in the interview process and make contact assignments
• Use volunteers to telephone each college and university and interview the person responsible for coordinating services for students with disabilities
• Compile responses and develop a copy for each college and university surveyed
• Investigate sources for inexpensive printing
• Develop a cover page, an index, an order form, and an acknowledgment page
• Develop a marketing plan
• Develop a cover page, an index, an order form, and an acknowledgment page
• Print copies (500 to start)
• Use volunteers to market the product
• Conduct follow-up surveys to determine product effectiveness