On Sunday, September 17th, College of Adaptive Arts (CAA) hosted its annual fundraising event that recognizes the intercollegiate partnership between CAA and West Valley College, which promotes the application of this inclusive model to other campuses of higher education. Historically, adults with disabilities have not had much access to higher education — an issue that founders, DeAnna Pursai and Dr. Pamela Lindsay, have dedicated themselves to changing at the College of Adaptive Arts. Offering a variety of courses, CAA encourages a communicative and hands-on learning environment that allows students to explore different fields of interest and work as assistant professors alongside the other CAA faculty. Describing the many opportunities for academic growth and workforce development that CAA offers to students with disabilities, keynote speakers included CAA Valedictorian Oliver Motiee, Chancellor Bradley Davis, and Senator Dave Cortese. Adding onto their uplifting words, I had the opportunity to share my personal experience volunteering as a teaching assistant and student mentor at CAA:
“Good afternoon everyone, I’m Lindsay; I’m a West Valley College student majoring in psychology currently in my second year, and I’ve been a College of Adaptive Arts volunteer since last October. While volunteering in the classes at CAA, including Chemistry, YANA Club, Concert Choir, and Sign Language; it has been so inspiring to see the students at CAA actively engaging in discussions by asking questions, presenting their work, and most of all, encouraging each other.
I remember during one of the chemistry classes, we put vinegar and baking soda in a bottle to make the balloon on top expand. Everyone produced varying sizes of balloons, but through these differences, we were able to figure out how different vinegar-to-baking soda ratios affect balloon size. It wasn’t about who could get the biggest balloon off the bat, but it was more of a collaborative effort where we could learn from each other's work. And I think when we feel comfortable sharing our knowledge with others in our own way and at our own pace, that’s when we’re able to take ownership of our educational experience, which is one of the ideas that CAA has always made their mission.
On the topic of learning from one another, I have been mentoring a CAA student, Victoria, since last February. When we first started our meetings, Victoria’s goal was to work at CAA, so we talked a lot about employment skills, effective communication, and self-reflection. As we were discussing our educational journeys, Victoria highlighted the difficulties students with disabilities face in gaining access to higher education. To address this issue, Victoria mentioned the idea of an official mentorship program between CAA and West Valley students to get to know each other and also advocate for greater accessibility and job opportunities both in our classrooms and workplaces. I’m excited to report that this idea is in development and that Victoria is now working as a student ambassador alongside other wonderful CAA students!
And finally, I wanted to reiterate that I have been so blessed working with all the students and faculty at CAA, and I am incredibly honored to help develop a greater intercollegiate partnership between College of Adaptive Arts and West Valley College. Thank you.”
While I discuss the ways CAA has had a positive impact on my life, there are many others — students enrolled from multiple states across the U.S. — who have benefitted from their experiences with CAA. As a non-profit organization, CAA receives some financial support from the government but mainly runs on private funds, which means every donation counts toward another invaluable opportunity for students with disabilities to grow in an equitable learning environment.