Onwards & Upwards for Eager Lifelong Learners
DeAnna Pursai • December 31, 2025
Traction and growing momentum are real.
2025 has been a pivotal, transformational year for @College of Adaptive Arts (CAA). The conversations we’re having across the community continue to affirm that we are on the right track in advancing an expanded, adaptive higher education model—one we believe can scale nationwide and beyond.
We hear it constantly: “Wouldn’t it be nice to have this model in my community?” If we had a dollar for every time someone said that, we’d be much further along in realizing our vision of lifelong learning for all.
CAA fills a critical gap in access to authentic, lifelong learning opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Across the country, momentum is growing for inclusive collegiate partnerships and postsecondary programs. These efforts are phenomenal and exciting—but many are limited to a traditional four-year, post–high school timeframe, often ending around age 22.
For adults with IDD, disability accommodations at typical colleges and universities (such as extended time, test readers, note takers, or separate testing spaces) may not be sufficient or appropriate. When those supports don’t meet their needs, educational options become narrow and limited. That’s the gap CAA is designed to bridge.
CAA is a lifelong learning model.
- Credits are earned through exposure to instructional concepts.
- Undergraduate and graduate diplomas are awarded based on hours of participation.
- After receiving a diploma, students are welcomed and encouraged to re-enroll and continue learning at their own pace, for as long as they wish.
Some students take just one class that sparks their curiosity; others enroll in multiple courses. Some explore a subject for a semester or two, then pivot to a different area. Many students value our online-only option due to medical complexities or limited transportation, while others prefer in-person learning. This flexibility is a key reason we envision this model embedded on college campuses nationwide.
Our graduate students can enroll in our workforce development program, which offers adults with IDD paid apprenticeship positions where they can gain meaningful, practical workforce skills.
We see CAA as a flexible, scalable model of lifelong learning that communities across the country can adopt—much like the way Special Olympics has transformed access and inclusion in athletics, CAA aims to do so in higher education.
To measure impact, we focus on improvements in:
- Quality of Life
- Hope
- Confidence
- Connections & Friendships
- Pathways to Contribution
These indicators remain consistently high—not only for CAA students, but also for faculty, staff, parents, and care providers. This adaptive, lifelong learning model benefits:
- Adults with IDD who are eager and hungry to learn.
- Adults seeking meaningful, part-time or gig-based employment in a dynamic, supportive environment.
- Parents and care providers—one parent shared, “I can finally sleep at night.”
- Communities, which begin to see adults with disabilities in a new light, recognizing their talents, skills, and contributions.
We are deeply grateful to the many community partners who have leaned in this past year to share their resources, insights, and wisdom, including:
@Greenbrier, @SASCC, @StateSenatorCortese, @JoeSimitian, @PamFoley, @Visa, @GoldenStateWarriors, @CDSA, @Arm, Inc., @SaratogaSprings, @BlueOakNx, @WestValleyCollege, @LaneyCollege, @Profound, @BlindInstituteofTechnology, @Hiline, @ImpactPro, @MissionCollege, @SamLiccardo, @OpenAIPeopleFirst, @TEDxViikki, @CynthiaGregory, @AssociationofHigherEducationandDisability, @AmericanAssociationforIntellectualandDevelopmentalDisability, @Brainshare, @OnlineAssistantPro, @SanAndreasRegionalCenter, @CADepartmentofDevelopmentalServices, @CaliforniaAssociationofPostsecondaryEducationandDisability, @ForbesNonprofitCouncil, @SheriJayCoaching, and @HummingbirdStudio.
The groundswell of support for this lifelong higher learning model is palpable. Onwards and upwards for eager and hungry lifelong learners.
Ravinder has done *so much* to Move the Mountain for College of Adaptive Arts :)
Jonathan strives to be an NFL Cheerleader one day.
When Samuel Hinojosa first discovered his passion for videography and the performing arts, a passion he says is in his genes because he has family who are also in the arts, participating in theater productions and expressing himself through dance became a part of his daily routine. But when he turned 22, he suddenly aged out of the programs he had come to love, leaving a gap in both his routine and his creative outlet. That’s when a chance meeting completely changed his life. Samuel was in an Angels on Stage production when he just so happened to meet DeAnna Pursai and Dr. Pamela Lindsay in the audience. Realizing he was about to age out of Angels on Stage, they encouraged him to explore the opportunities available to him at CAA. Their guidance led him to finding a new beginning. At CAA, Samuel quickly found a place where he could continue to grow creatively. He enrolled in videography, acting, and dance classes, reconnecting him with his passion for performing. After taking many performing arts classes, Samuel started exploring what other classes CAA had to offer. He has joined the CAA Go Green Climate Action Class, where he did a phenomenal presentation on UNESCO and how climate change is impacting his native roots community in Mexico. Now in his second semester at CAA, Samuel has expanded his interests beyond just the stage and production lens. He’s developed an interest in bodybuilding and nutrition, exploring what those classes can teach him and how he can use that new confidence to improve his life. CAA’s supportive environment has allowed Samuel to continue exploring his passions, while also discovering new ones. It doesn’t matter if he is behind the camera, performing, or focusing on his health and fitness goals, CAA is constantly pushing Samuel to try new things and grow. For Samuel, CAA is not just a place for him to take classes, it is a community where he can express himself, try new things, and keep moving forward. — Written by Nina Pal Volunteer
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