ADVANCE REGISTRATION

The Advance Registration sign up period at ODS for the upcoming 1999 Spring Semester is Monday, August 17 through Friday, October 9. To sign up, stop by the ODS office anytime Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. There will be no names accepted over the phone or any names added to the Advance Registration list after the deadline. A list of all students requesting Advance Registration will be submitted by ODS to the Registrar's Office. If your name is on this list, it will entitle you to register on "CATS" during the Advance Registration period that begins 6:00 a.m. October 19th through 11:59 p.m. November 4th.

FROM THE DIRECTOR

Welcome back returning students and welcome new students to the Office of Disability Services (ODS). This is expected to be a busy year for ODS as we undergo a Comprehensive Program Review for the Division of Student Affairs. The review will take place in October and includes a written report prepared by ODS and a visit by an outside consultant who will spend 2 ½ days at SWT meeting with staff, faculty and students. The information from the review will be used by ODS to improve services for students with disabilities where needed.

A long-standing priority for ODS has been to develop an access guide for the campus. Thanks to Paul Crews, an SWT student, ODS will complete an access guide this year. The guide will outline accessible routes on campus and be available through a link on the ODS web site.

All students need to be aware that construction will begin on the new Art/Technology/Physics (A/T/P) building in January. ATP will be located next to the New Science Building and construction is expected to last 3 years. This project will disrupt pedestrian traffic across Comanche Street. ODS will be working with university officials on access for students with disabilities. Be sure to keep this in mind when registering for Spring 1999 classes. Please feel free to stop in and see me if you have concerns regarding this or any other matter.

Tina Schultz

THE LEMON LAW

On July 1, 1998, the state of New Mexico implemented a law that specifically applies to wheelchairs, hearing aids and other devices for individuals with disabilities. Under the law, a vendor will have four chances to repair defects. After that, the consumer will be entitled to replacement or a complete refund.

USA Today, 14 April 1998

GET ORGANIZED!

Some students with learning disabilities often have difficulty remembering, organizing and managing personal information. The use of a personal data manager can assist with scheduling appointments, prioritizing activities, remembering important dates/deadlines; or recording/accessing names, addresses and phone numbers. Personal data managers are available as software programs and handheld units. Several newly released pocketsize data managers (e.g., Voice Organizer™, Voice It™) allow the user to enter and retrieve data by speaking into the device. These products range from $20 to $250 and require only 15 minutes to 2 hours to learn.

REQUESTING ACCOMMODATIONS

It is the responsibility of every student who requires accommodation(s) in the classroom to notify faculty about their need(s) early in the semester. Upon request, ODS will provide those students who qualify for accommodations based on SWT disability criteria, with an Accommodation Request Form to facilitate this process.

In addition, any student who requires access to adaptive technology (i.e., CCTV, adaptive computer equipment) for an academic class needs to contact ODS a minimum of one semester before the class begins. If advance notice is not provided ODS cannot ensure the requested accommodation will be provided in a timely manner. 

SCHOLARSHIPS

Students with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the following SWT scholarships if applicable. The Student Access Scholarship has recently been endowed to assist students with mobility impairments. The scholarship, in the amount of $250, is awarded yearly. Applicants must have documentation of a mobility impairment on file with ODS. Students should fill out the General Scholarship application at Financial Aid and specify the Student Access Scholarship. The deadline for the 1999-2000 academic year is February 1, 1999. A special Student Access Scholarship application will be used for the 1998-1999 academic year. The deadline for this application is October 1, 1998. For more information, contact Bruce in ODS or Rebecca Moses in Financial Aid. The Nesenholtz scholarship is awarded yearly in the late spring and is open to all students with disabilities, although some preference is given to students with physical disabilities and to History majors. Applications are available beginning in February of each year at ODS. The Nesenholtz Scholarship is $1,000 and is given in installments of $500 per semester for two semesters. Information on national scholarships for students with disabilities are also available at ODS.

STUDENTS HELPING STUDENTS

The Office of Disability Services believes that students with disabilities should be involved with the issues that affect them on campus. If you are interested in Students Helping Students, please contact Bruce at ODS.

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

Students who qualify for SSS can receive FREE tutoring, personal counseling, and academic and financial aid advising. A student must meet one of three conditions; first generation student (neither parent graduated from a 4-year college or university), student in a low-income bracket or a student with a disability. To find out more about SSS, stop by their office just across the hall from ODS or call 245-2275.

STUDENT CENTER TTY

The LBJ Student Center has a TTY (Telecommunication Device for the Deaf) available to loan any SWT faculty, staff or student, who needs to make a telephone call on a courtesy phone in the building. A hearing person can use a TTY to call a deaf person who has a TTY, or a deaf person can use a TTY to call another deaf person or a hearing person via Relay Texas. Any member of the SWT community can check out the TTY from the Student Center Information Desk on the 2^nd floor of the building. You will be asked to show a valid SWT I.D. The device can be easily be transported and used with any courtesy phone outlet. If you have questions or need additional information regarding TTY’s contact Houston Carruth in ODS.

DID YOU KNOW?

According to Jennifer Sheehy spokeswoman with the National Organization on Disability in Washington, D.C., it costs approximately $200 to accommodate a person with a disability in the workplace.

ADA/504 COMPLIANCE & STEERING COMMITTEE

The ADA/504 Compliance & Steering Committee meets monthly (or as needed) throughout the academic year to address campus-wide disability issues. The meetings are open to all members of the university community. If you are interested in attending any of the ADA meetings check the electronic message board in the Quad for meeting announcements or with Tina in ODS.

LD TELECONFERENCE AT SWT

On Thursday, October 29^th, SWT will host a teleconference on issues affecting students with learning disabilities. The teleconference will include policies and best practices, course substitutions, emerging learning environments, defenses, counter arguments, and more. The teleconference will be held in Room 105-106 Alkek Library from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Students are welcome

ACCESSIBLE PARKING

A new law, HB 580, passed during the last legislative session affects disabled parking placards. The law requires a hologram be placed on the placards to prevent duplication; requires a notarized statement or written prescription from a physician for the first application for a placard; requires the applicants driver’s license or identification number be recorded on the placard; limits validity of permanent placards to four years; allows charging for parking at meters, garages and lots within municipal airports; allows a police officer to seize a placard under certain circumstances; and provides a system for return or revoking such seized placards. (Representative Coleman, Senator Moncrief).

How many placards are issued? In 1996, 213,270 placards were issued in Texas, a 2.636% decrease from 1995. This decrease was the first since the Texas Department of Transportation began issuing placards in 1981. As an individual may receive two placards the actual number of individuals with placards is not known.

TEXAS AHEAD

The Texas chapter of the Association of Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) will host its annual conference November 11, 12 and 13 at North Harris Community College in Houston. This year’s pre-conference speaker will be Jane Jarrow, nationally recognized expert on higher education and disabilities. Ms. Jarrow will present and discuss ADA and Deaf issues.  Stipends were available last year, and the conference coordinator anticipates there will be a limited number available this year for students and others. If you are interested in attending this conference, contact Tina at ODS.

Students with mobility impairments need to be aware of what to do in case of a fire or emergency in a university facility. Ask ODS for a copy of SWT’s Emergency Evacuation Procedures

TESTING CHANGES AT ODS

This semester, ODS will change how students with disabilities are proctored during exams. This change will include the installation of a video monitoring system, which will be used for any student taking an exam with extended time. A small camera mounted in the corner of each ODS testing room will oversee the testing environment and be displayed on a monitor in the front office. Proctoring will occur at the monitoring station.

We believe there are several advantages to this new system, it will provide a more comfortable testing environment for students as it will no longer be necessary for a proctor to be in the room while testing is in progress. We also believe faculty will like the new system as it helps ensure test security. Students who require the use of a reader or scribe will continue to receive the services of a proctor for testing. If you have questions or concerns regarding the video monitoring system contact Bruce or Tina.

ENGLISH WORKS!

This on-line writing lab, developed by the English department at Galluadet University, provides deaf students and others who struggle with written work, tips and tutorials on correct grammar, spelling and usage.

Some topics include:

Developing a thesis Grammar reviews

Writing argumentative essays Irregular verb list

APA and MLA style guidelines Reading techniques

The web page is located at: http://www.gallaudet.edu:80/~engwweb/

Welcome Jennifer! J

The ODS welcomes Jennifer Cortez to our staff. Jennifer joined ODS in March. She is a San Marcos native and a graduate of San Marcos High School. She has also been a student at SWT. Jennifer will be the primary telephone and front office receptionist for ODS. Help us welcome Jennifer!

Good Bye, Susan 

After serving almost 5 years as the ODS Learning Disability Specialist, Susan Maher left her position in late July. On August 4^th, she started work at St. Michael’s Academy in Austin as Director of the Learning Center, a support service for students with learning disabilities. Susan will be missed by many on campus, but she will be missed most of all by the students, whose lives she so deeply touched. We wish her all the best of luck in her new position.