"My mind is my best asset"

DeAnna Pursai • March 11, 2024

CAA Supports Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to Reach Their Full Potential

“My mind is my best asset” states Sam Headley, one of CAA’s new workforce development apprentices. This statement epitomizes the work of supporting incredible adults with intellectual disabilities at @CollegeofAdaptiveArts for the past 15 years. Sam represents one of 229 lifelong learners this winter/spring semester 2024 who are so eager to learn, grow, and contribute to the community in ways they know can be so impactful for themselves and the community.


College of Adaptive Arts is immensely grateful for the national, state, regional, county and local recognition the co-founders have received over the past 2 years. From @CNNHereos, @AARPPurposePrize, @Golden State Warriors Community Impact Award, & State of CA & Santa Clara County County support, these recognitions indicate that the mountain is indeed moving to uncover & illuminate the authentic abilities of adults with intellection disabilities to transform perception and move the needle to become impactful successful contributing citizens leveraging the innate abilities, skills, talents, and passions these adults possess.


College of Adaptive Arts’ mission is to provide an equitable, lifelong collegiate experience to adults with disabilities who historically have not had access to college education. The vision is to partner with every campus of higher learning around the world to build a global infrastructure of lifelong learning collegiate opportunities for adults who have been historically sidelined after high school.

 

College of Adaptive Arts provides a win-win-win-win-win-win model for the community.


Win#1: the Students. Adults with special needs get the opportunity to choose from one of 72 course offerings from 10 distinct schools of student at the college around their interests and passions. No tests, no papers to write, homework is optional. They receive diplomas just like they watch their siblings/cousins/friends achieve. After they graduate, they are welcome to re-enroll for strive for another degree as long as they have an interest.


Win#2: the Professors. College of Adaptive Arts recruits individuals of all abilities to be the professors of the college. No formal education or teaching certification required. If you have a trade/skill you would like to teach, and you treat the CAA college students with respect and integrity, you are eligible to be a professor of this college.


Win#3: the Apprentices. CAA has recently received funds to cultivate workforce development opportunities building workforce paths that are non-routine in focus, accentuating and aligning with their intellectual pursuits and aspirations. The initial workforce apprentices are training to be classroom assistants, event planners, marketing team supporters, graphic designers, accessibility quality control supporters, and tour guide ambassadors. Future workforce paths including training adults to be musicians, sign language assistants, social media support specialists, stage actors and actresses, tech support assistants, sports announcer assistants, and radio/DJ support techs. 

 

Win#4: The Volunteers. College of Adaptive Arts is located in the heart of the beautiful campus of West Valley College, thanks to the visionary leadership of @Chancellor Bradley Davis and his incredible and forward-thinking Board of Trustees and faculty. West Valley College and other local universities such as @SanJoseState & @SantaClaraUniversity provide amazing .edu student volunteers who can receive 501c3 volunteer hours for their participation and peer learners & coaches in the College of Adaptive Arts classes.


Win#5: The Parents and Care providers. Being a parent to a child with a disability is one o the hardest and most arduous roles one can ever experience. There are many support services for children with special needs. At age 22, the terrain of services substantially shifts in all 50 states when students are mandated out of the public school system at age 22. The options for continued learning are dramatically reduced if adults are not able to access an Associate's Degree at a community college. This model provides relief, hope, and amazement of how adults are continued to be engaged, to learn, to grow, and to blossom and realize their full potential.


Win#6: The community. CAA takes performers and ambassadors all over the community to engage, transform perception, and foster inclusivity and connectedness. One patron remarked, “I felt so alive when watching (the CAA dancers) perform at a local venue. CAA cheerleaders cheer at events; the children’s music touring ensemble performs for preschools and local elementary schools; the adaptive guitar and concert choir troupes perform at CAA’s annual graduation ceremony. The CAA golfers golf in a community golf tournament whereby one community golfer commented, "That is the best day I've had in such a long time - I really needed that!"


We invite you to take a student-led tour to experience this innovative and vibrant college model for yourself. College of Adaptive Arts is 15 years strong in 2024, and we vow to keep going until we’ve established an #InclusiveCollegiatePartnership with every campus of higher learning around the world. Please share, comment, and reach out to us. We want to hear from you! info@collegeofadaptivearts.org: Take a tour (student-led tours each Friday college is in session); 1pm PST online; 2:30pm in-person at @WestValleyCollege.


Where the System Ends, CAA Begins. We Built the College We Couldn't Find. CAA Story #4: Professor Danie Weaver.

By DeAnna Pursai • March 16, 2026
Danielle Weaver was a beloved Professor, Director of the School of Communications, and Scheduling Manager at College of Adaptive Arts for the past 13 years. She was a shining light and constant source of positivity, joy, and connection at our college. Danie joined CAA’s team soon after she watched her sister perform a CAA puppet show at Abilities Expo in downtown San Jose. The smile, joy, and encouragement she gave her sister made her a natural fit to be a professor at College of Adaptive Arts. Danie started teaching classes with overflowing love and commitment to her beloved Cardinals while we were holding them all over town, without an anchor campus site. She rose quickly to the role of lead professor while helping develop a brand-new School of Communications, and then became the Director of that foundational school of study in 2015. She created one of the most impactful nights in CAA’s history – the inaugural Communications Showcase - held at the Corinthian Center in downtown San Jose. That was such a special night, spent celebrating the abilities of our students and faculty and enjoying the spoken and signed words. She graciously mentored our staff member, Professor Anthony, to take over the role of the directorship of the School of Communications when she embraced our expansion challenges, providing cornerstone contributions through additional managerial roles. Danie will be forever remembered and celebrated for her kind spirit, her acknowledgement to "Always Honor the Introverts," her calm, non-judgmental demeanor, and the grace she extended to everyone. It was almost impossible not to be put in a good mood around Professor Danie – she just radiated joy, faith, and hope. She would often say that if you walked through her classroom, you might be inserted into a poem or story with the students. We also fondly retain her passions for fantasy tales and all things Disney. We could always look forward to enjoying such themes together in shared class experiences and personal conversations. Danie was an accomplished author and poet who had published her own book back book, Catching Teardrops – a personal collection of poetry created during and about her journey with cancer just one year after her marriage. We lost her way too soon from this disease at way too early of an age. She impacted so many lives and was a true 'Mountain Mover' within her school and community. She will forever remain a beloved and cherished core member of our College of Adaptive Arts Super Staff.

Where the System Ends, CAA Begins. We Built the College We Couldn't Find. Story #3: ED Nicole & her son Said

By Nicole Kim • March 9, 2026
When my son, Saïd, was born, we discovered he had Down syndrome. I was 21 years old at the time, and I hadn’t done prenatal testing because it was considered a “low-risk” pregnancy. Suddenly I found myself sitting in doctors’ offices and hearing professionals describe what they believed his future would look like. “He may never learn to read.” “His learning will likely plateau around age four.” “It’s unlikely he will live an independent life.” Those are frightening things to say to a young mother. Thankfully, I didn’t believe them. Instead, I chose to raise my son with the expectation that he would learn , would grow , and would live as full a life as he was capable of living . And he did. When the College of Adaptive Arts started in 2009, Saïd was 19—just the right age for college. We became part of the CAA community and never left. He took classes, performed in the community, and truly blossomed as a young man. Along the way he discovered that he loves theater. He also loves to sing. Don’t give him a microphone—you may never get it back. 🙂 Today, at 35 years old, Saïd lives with a roommate and a caregiving couple. He has a vibrant, joyful, independent life. And he still loves taking classes every semester. My own journey with CAA has been equally meaningful. For most of those years, I was a parent in the community. I soon joined the Board and became a professor. I taught classes like Speaking with Confidence and Joy of Baking , and eventually stepped into the role of Executive Director. But the belief that first guided me as a young mother has never changed. The belief I had in Saïd’s ability to learn, grow, and build a meaningful life is the same belief I hold for every student who walks through the doors of the College of Adaptive Arts. And something remarkable happens when you lead with that belief. Students rise to meet it. When we expect growth, they grow. When we expect contribution, they contribute. When we expect full lives, they build them. At CAA, we don’t define our students by limitations. We define them by possibility. And every semester, they remind us that possibility is far greater than anyone once imagined. -- Nicole Kim Executive Director College of Adaptive Arts

Where the System Ends, CAA Begins. We Built the College We Couldn't Find. CAA Story #2: Dr. Pamela Lindsay

By DeAnna Pursai • March 2, 2026
The Ties That Bind

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