Through a series of conferences and workshops held since 1973, the Institute for Research and Development in Occupational Education has been collaborating with community college teams to respond to the educational and occupational needs of disabled students. The program for fiscal year 1977 involved 24 community colleges in New York state and focused on expanding the response capabilities of student personnel staffs as they deliver support services to the disabled, by providing a variety of learning experiences that could be translated into direct interventions on home campuses. The conference theme reflected concern for student dependence vs. independence. Conference keynote addresses included in the document cover such topics as facilitating self-awareness, consumer advocacy, disabled students as perceived by a college president, and providing on-campus support services. Workshop topics include enhancing growth through positive self-concepts; structured and unstructured approaches in assessing interests; career development skills and interventions; sensitizing faculty, staff, and disabled students to relate more effectively; and problem solving exercises using the critical incidents method. Papers on the role of the New York State Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and current programs in postsecondary education for the visually handicapped are also presented. (TR)