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When Ryan Fitch moved into his dormitory at �������� last fall, he had to leave his drum set at home in Santa Barbara. 

“We figured that was a little too much for the dorms,” laughed Melissa Fitch, Ryan’s mom, as family members unloaded a refrigerator, boxes of clothing, and family photos to display in his new room. 

Luckily, he was able to bring his guitar. Ryan is a musician and amateur photographer who aspires to a career as a band manager. He’s 19 and gregarious, with an infectious grin. He also has Down syndrome, a genetic condition that can cause developmental delays, intellectual disabilities and physical challenges.  

Ryan is part of the inaugural group of , a first-in-California, four-year residential program on a college campus for students with intellectual disabilities. Instead of bachelor’s degrees, the students will work toward a practical credential while preparing for employment.

Many of the nine scholars have Down syndrome or are somewhere on the autism spectrum. All have an intellectual disability that makes traditional college nearly impossible. Most had spent little time away from home prior to this school year.  

“I wasn’t nervous at all,” said Ryan, who took the major life change in stride. “I already have friends here,” he explained. 

He makes friends easily. His sister Jordan, who helped him move in, said he’s always asking people to join his band. 

“It’s basically like, you come across him in life and you’re in the band. It’s not about the music — it’s a metaphor.”  

In the Fitch family, if you’re “in the band,” you belong.  

A vision of inclusion  

Belonging is at the core of the Redwood SEED Scholars program. It’s grounded in the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion and the promise that students with intellectual disabilities deserve to be on campus. Post-secondary options are extremely limited for these students, with just a handful of four-year residential programs around the country — and no others in California.

The new program was created by the , which specializes in the research and treatment of neurodevelopmental disabilities, and the . But the vision comes from , a high-energy instructor in the School of Education who is now co-director of the program, alongside MIND Institute Director   

 

Foraker’s 22-year-old son, Patrick, has Down syndrome and attends a similar program at a university in Virginia. She’s been working for years to bring an inclusive program to ��������. This is her passion. 

“Just 3% of adults with intellectual disabilities make a living wage, which means 97% of adults with intellectual disabilities in our state are isolated socially and in poverty. That shouldn’t be tolerated,” she emphasized. “We should all be in the streets losing our minds about it, and we aren’t.” 

Together, she, Abbeduto and Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion successfully applied for a $2.1 million U.S. Department of Education grant to create Redwood SEED Scholars and fund it for five years.   

“We know that when you add inclusive post-secondary programs like Redwood SEED, that number moves from 3% to 65% to 80%, so it’s just astronomically different. It’s a total trajectory change,” Foraker explained. 

Recently, the California Department of Rehabilitation agreed to pay the tuition for students in the program this year, a major boost for creating equitable opportunities.

We feel strongly about this premise. It’s not just something we’re saying in our heads; it’s also something we believe in our hearts.” — Renetta Garrison Tull, vice chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

“The �������� version of DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] is focused on inclusion of all, and when we think about equity and equitable education and experience, we really want everybody to have that,” Tull said. “We feel strongly about this premise. It’s not just something we’re saying in our heads; it’s also something we believe in our hearts.”  

Redwood SEED was designed using the model standards from Think College, the national coordinating center for post-secondary programs for students with intellectual disabilities. Foraker pointed out that inclusion is symbiotic; the benefits are not limited to the scholars.

“There’s something really important about elite institutions having these students on campus, because students who are here to get their degrees can get into an academic grind. But when you’re in a community with someone who has an intellectual disability that all changes because they [are people who] tend to live in the moment and prioritize other things,” she explained. “That influence matters. It’s a 100% value-add that really transforms the campus.” 

The team hopes that transformation isn’t limited to ��������. The goal is to create a framework that other UCs and public universities can adopt.  

For his part, Abbeduto said he is optimistic about that prospect. “I see a very bright future and an expansion of post-secondary options, largely because of the level of support and excitement for the program that we’ve encountered from everyone at ��������,” he said. “I hope that other UC campuses and other state colleges and universities will be as supportive.”