From the Director
Welcome returning and new students to the Office of Disability Services (ODS). I hope each of you had an academically successful fall semester and an enjoyable winter break. The ODS bid a sad farewell to Liaison Interpreter Maggie Sherrerd in November. Maggie was a valued member of the ODS staff and we miss her. Until a replacement is found, Deaf and hard of hearing students can contact Debbie Cole for assistance. Debbie earned her Certificate of Interpretation in October; help us congratulate her on this great accomplishment. In early April you will receive the annual ODS Student Survey. Your feedback is important to the ODS and assists us with making improvements in our service provision. I hope you will take a few minutes to respond. Please contact me if you have questions, concerns or suggestions. Have a great spring semester.

Tina Schultz, Director

Are You on TRACS?
If you are registered with the ODS but are not receiving e-mail notices for the ODS TRACS site, please contact Heidi and request to be added. Through TRACS you will receive important information including notices concerning scholarships, updates regarding ODS deadlines and service changes, and university information affecting students with disabilities.

Online Advance Registration
Advance Registration sign-up for the 2008 summer and fall semesters for students registered with the ODS is: 8:00 a.m. Monday, January 7 to 11:59 p.m. Friday, February 29. To sign up, visit the ODS System for Students and ADVANCE REGISTRATION.

Job Opportunities
A representative from the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) will visit Texas State on February 14, 2007, to interview eight students with disabilities for summer internships and permanent positions with the federal government. Students must be juniors, seniors or recent graduates. If you interviewed last year, you are eligible to interview again this year. Application materials are available on the ODS TRACS site. To be eligible, you must enter your contact information for WRP and schedule an appointment through the ODS to meet with a Career Services staff member during the week of February 4th to 8th. The WRP strongly recommends that students provide a resume. At the appointment with a Career Services staff member they will review your resume and go over the interview process. Contact Jenni if you have questions or want to schedule an appointment with a Career Services staff member during February 4th to 8th.

Life Improving Strategies
AD/HD is common in adults and college students. Judith Kolberg, co-author of ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life, believes the key to being successful is to take steps to unclutter your life and become more organized. In her article in ADDitude, Kolberg writes, “We’re unable to do what it takes to get even a bit more organized because we worry that we won’t become perfectly organized.” Kolberg’s list of 33 Best Organization Tips for AD/HD Adults can bring big improvements in your life – less clutter, fewer hassles and greater tranquility. Below are a few, but you can find the entire list at www.additudemag.com.

1. Keep your to-do list: Use big, bold letters make a list of no more than five tasks on an index card. Once you accomplish one, cross it of your list. You will accomplish more, feel less frustrated and manage your time better.
2. Fight hyper focus: Set an alarm clock, kitchen timer or computer alert to limit your time on activities. If you tend to lose yourself surfing the Internet for hours at a time, this is a good idea for you.
3. Keep extra medication on hand: Each time you fill a prescription, write in your planner the day you will need to renew it. Your renew date should be at least one week before the date you will run out of medication.
4. Carry a colorful wallet: It is harder to misplace a red wallet or checkbook than an ordinary black or brown one.
5. Get a “clutter companion”: This is a nonjudgmental friend or family member who will help you get rid of all the stuff that is cluttering up your house, dorm room or apartment.
6. Make use of “wasted” minutes: Do not wait to find long blocks of uninterrupted time to tackle organizational chores. In one minute, you can sort mail, remove lint from the dryer or water the plants. In five minutes, you can empty the dishwater or write an e-mail.
7. Ditch those receipts: Each evening, empty your pockets, wallet, purse and backpack of all ATM slips and receipts. Place the receipts with your stack of bills to be paid and financial statements to review.
8. Take it one project at a time: Having to tackle several big projects at once is stressful for people with AD/HD. Set one priority and get it done, tying up all loose ends before moving to a new project.
9. Rethink your filing system: AD/HDers often have trouble filing because they create too many categories. It is better to keep your categories broad and use subfolders where necessary.
10. Create a document "hot spot”: This is a red, see-through folder for important, time-sensitive documents. Keep this folder on your desk; it should hold tasks that are due in the next 24 hours.
11. Stop the flow of junk mail: Add your name to the “do not send” list maintained by the Direct Mail Association. Go to www.the-dma.org for more information.

Student Support Services
Student Support Services (SSS) offers a variety of FREE services to Texas State undergraduate students who have a need for academic and other support services. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education to help students adapt to college life, excel in the classroom and ultimately reach their goal of graduation. SSS accomplishes these objectives by providing services such as one-on-one tutoring, advising, financial aid assistance, study skills, cultural enrichment activities and campus referrals. SSS is free but only serves a limited number of students who apply and meet federal guidelines. Students are eligible if they are a first-generation college student (neither parent graduated with a bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university), meet income guidelines or have a documented disability on file with the Texas State Office of Disability Services. For more information, contact SSS at 245-2275 or stop by their office located in the LBJ Student Center, Suite 5-6.1. Space in SSS is limited, so it is important to apply early!

Testing Process Updates
A student qualified for testing accommodations based on a documented disability must schedule to take an exam at the ODS through the online “Testing Accommodation System”. Students can also check the status of the exams they have scheduled through the online system. Keep the following items in mind when scheduling tests:
1. A separate request must be completed for each exam at least 48 hours (weekends do not count) before the time the test is scheduled to begin. Late requests will be denied by the ODS.
2. Due to limited space for testing, the ODS can only administer regular exams at: 8:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
3. The “Testing Accommodation Request” must include all of the necessary information. If information is incorrect or missing, the ODS will contact the student and professor via their Texas State e-mail addresses.
All requests for final exams must be submitted by the last regular class day of the semester. The testing times available for final exams are: 7:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Please contact ODS if you have questions, and refer to the ODS “Student Testing Guidelines”.

Campus Construction & Access
Several construction projects will impact students with physical or mobility impairments on campus. Some of these projects include the temporary closure of the 2nd and 3rd floors of Pleasant Street Garage, elimination of accessible parking on North LBJ, and the closure of Concho Street for the “Concho Green” project. In addition, the elevator in Old Main will be out of service from the end of the spring semester until July 7th for an upgrade. If you require elevator access and are planning to enroll in a summer I class that is scheduled in Old Main, please contact ODS as soon as possible so that possible alternate arrangements can be made. The ramp between Alkek Library and the LBJ Student Center is being widened approximately two feet. The completed ramp will include a metal railing along one side to provide a more open feel to the area. The Campus Master Plan Construction Maps Web site at http://www.vpfss.txstate.edu/construction/ shows the major campus construction projects and alternate accessible routes. If you have questions or concerns regarding these projects, please contact Tina.

ADA Committee
The university ADA/504 Compliance and Steering Committee on Disabilities will hold its spring meeting in April. The committee, composed of Texas State faculty, staff and students, provides guidance on access and services for persons with disabilities at Texas State. Two ODS students also serve as members of the committee.
If you would like to propose an agenda item, contact Tina at the ODS or the ADA coordinator, Dr. Sherri Benn, at 245-2278. Meetings are open, and notices are sent in advance to all members of the Texas State community.

ASCOTS
Have you been waiting for an opportunity to play wheelchair basketball or wheelchair rugby? Then you should check out the Adaptive Sports Club of Texas State (ASCOTS)! ASCOTS is a student organization that promotes adaptive sports on campus and in the community. The organization is composed of persons with and without disabilities and is always looking to increase membership. Meetings have a laid-back atmosphere, and members strive to play an adaptive sport at each meeting. For more information about ASCOTS, contact Lindsay Standish.

Spring 2008 Library News
Need articles to write your paper? Try the library's new database page. These databases are now grouped by more subjects to help you find the databases with the articles you need. If you have any suggestions that could improve accessibility to this, or any other library page, please send them to Barbara Potts. If you need help selecting a database, finding books or have any other questions, contact the reference desk at 245-2686 or use the Ask a Librarian service at http://txstate.cb.docutek.com/vrlplus/vrl_entry.asp. You can also schedule an appointment with Barbara Potts by calling 245-2685.

Texas State Scholarships
This spring, Texas State will award fall 2008 scholarships designated for students with disabilities. These include the Access, Cooper, Middleton and Nesenholtz scholarships that give preference to students with physical disabilities. Scholarship amounts range from $250 to $1,000 based on the number of qualified scholarship applicants. To be considered for any of these scholarships, a student should have completed the Texas State general scholarship application by October 1. The deadline to submit the ODS scholarship application is March 1. For the application and more information, visit the ODS TRACS site.

DARS Services
Clients of the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) have access to a full-time counselor at Texas State. John Grayson who previously met with DARS clients in the ODS office is now located in 308 ASB North. He is assisted by Helen Armendariz. The DARS office is open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Clients who need to contact or schedule an appointment can call 245-3625. DARS clients who already work with another DARS counselor will continue with their counselor, but the campus DARS office can serve as a liaison with other DARS counselors to assist with problems and help facilitate communications. Contact DARS to find out if they can help you with testing, obtaining accommodations and other supportive services, assistance with tuition, books, assistive devices, and some medical treatments. Financial assistance is on a needs basis as DARS must consider your income and usually your parent incomes. Tuition assistance is now calculated according to the number of credit hours you are taking. DARS brochures are available at the ODS.

Keith Wann to Appear at Texas State
Keith Wann, a child of deaf adults, is one of America’s funniest ASL comedians. Keith tours around the ASL Nation performing his one man show “Watching Two Worlds Collide” rated G to Adult Humor. Keith has appeared on a several TV shows as an extra including “Law and Order” and “Court TV”. He also appeared in Mosdeux's Resonare as the Demented Apple Farmer, and just finished another film playing a deranged prison convict in the film How I Killed My Girlfriend's Cat. To see a clip of a Keith Wann performance on You Tube, visit Keith’s Web site at http://keithwann.com/Home_Page.html. Keith will appear at Texas State as one of several performers sponsored by the Texas State American Sign Language (ASL) Club on March 25th between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. in the LBJ Student Center ballroom. THIS EVENT WILL BE FREE and open to the public. Seating will be limited, so plan to arrive early. For more information contact the American Sign Language Club.