“Evelyn Scruggs, a student sitting near the front, is among the more attentive, filling an entire page with notes. But, by the time she leaves, she won’t remember the lecture topic or one word she wrote.”

According to the CNN.com article, “Program prepares disabled youth for college life,” Scruggs, 19, has attention deficit disorder and related short-term memory loss. Like everyone attending this mock class, she’s hoping it will give her tools to balance her disability with her dream of a college degree.

Opportunities for higher education have increased for students with learning and physical disabilities over the last few years. This is great news for the nearly 6 million Americans who receive special education services, designated for students whose mental or physical limitations affect their learning, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

According to recent Education Department statistics, 11.3 percent of undergraduates nationwide reported a disability during the 2003-04 academic year, compared to 7.7 percent during the 1989-90 school year. This growth is attributed to a number of factors.

“Special education has shifted over the past decade from getting students to functional levels on basics like reading in favor of encouraging them to move to advanced levels of study and tackle more complex subjects, said Lynda Van Kuren, a spokeswoman for the Council for Exceptional Children.”