Welcome Back

Tina Schultz, Director

Welcome back returning students and new students to the Office of Disability Services (ODS) and SWT.  The ODS is looking forward to a busy fall semester.   

The ODS has an updated web page which we hope will be helpful to you.  The forms used for taking exams at the ODS can be printed from any computer and used just like the blue forms provided in the office.  The “What’s Happening” page provides updates on advance registration deadlines and campus events of interest to students with disabilities.  We hope you will access the web site early and often.  In addition, this newsletter as well as back issues of the “Access Digest” are available on-line.

Please let us know how we can serve you better by completing a Student User Survey when you visit the office.  Also, feel free to contact me if you have questions or concerns regarding services or accommodations.  Have a great semester!   

For the latest information on the Office of Disability Services check our new website at: http://www.vpsa.txstate.edu/ods/index.htm.  The site has this newsletter and past issues, as well as a “What’s Happening” page to keep you updated on activities of interest to students with disabilities at SWT.

Advance Registration

The Advance Registration sign up period at ODS for the upcoming 2001 Spring Semester is Monday, August 14 through Friday, October 6.  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.  If your name is on the Advance Registration list, you will be eligible to register on “CATS” during the Advance Registration period.  Registration through “CATS” is expected to begin 6:00 a.m. Monday, October 16^th through 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, November 1^st.  However, check the Schedule of Classes to verify registration dates and times.

Scholarships

If you are looking for a scholarship, SWT may have what you need!  Every spring semester, the university awards several scholarships to students with disabilities with amounts ranging from $250 to $1,000.  To be considered for an SWT scholarship, students must complete a SWT General Scholarship application available from the Office of Financial Aid (deadline is October 1), and an ODS Scholarship Application (available upon request from ODS).  Watch for more information on scholarships in the spring issue of The Access Digest.  Also feel free to come by and check out the ODS scholarship notebook!

“Factoids”

Starting in September, the ODS will distribute a monthly “Factoid” through e-mail on an issue related to the Americans with Disabilities Act and disability.  The factoids are designed to be brief and informational.  If you would like to receive the monthly factoid send your name and e-mail address to TinaS@txstate.edu.

Workforce Recruitment 

The Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities (WRP) is a resource to connect public and private sector employees with college students and recent graduates with disabilities.  The WRP is co-sponsored by the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities and the Department of Defense (DOD) and offers students an opportunity gain valuable work experience and contacts on the job. 

The Office of Disability Services and the SWT Career Services office are teaming up to recruit the first SWT student with a disability to participate in the WRP.  This summer, one student from the I-35 corridor will be selected for a full-time paid internship at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio.  There are also opportunities at other DOD locations across the country.  Summer job titles include administrative aide, engineering aide, accounting clerk, computer aide, personnel clerk, public relations aide and others.   

If you are interested in this great summer opportunity contact the Office of Disability Services by October 31^st.  The WRP also provides opportunities for permanent employment for qualified candidates.  For more information, contact Bruce or Tina at the ODS.

Student Support Services 

Students who qualify for Student Support Services (SSS) can receive FREE one-on-one tutoring, personal counseling, and academic and financial aid advising.  SSS also has a variety of self-paced computer subject review programs designed to supplement other tutoring options.  A student must meet one or more of three criteria; first generation student (neither parent graduated from a 4-year college or university), meet income guidelines or a student with a disability.  To find out more about SSS, visit their office just across the hall from ODS, or call 245-2275.  Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Apply Early!

On July 26, 2000, the Americans with Disabilities Act celebrated its 10th anniversary.  The law, which was signed by President George Bush on July 26, 1990, officially went into effect January 1, 1991. 

The Office of Disability Services wishes good-bye and good luck to staff member Houston Carruth who will begin teaching at San Antonio College in the Interpreter Training Program in August.  We will also miss Jennifer Cortez who will be taking care of her new baby and returning to SWT in the fall as a student.

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 the ODS a minimum of one semester before the class begins. If advance notice is not provided, the ODS cannot ensure the requested accommodation will be provided in a timely manner.

Telecommunications Access For All          

Effective September 1999, all Texans with disabilities can get adaptive telephone equipment or specialized services through a voucher program administered by the Texas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.  The program is available for those with hearing or speech difficulties, people who can’t use their hands, have vision impairments or poor motor function.  The specialized equipment includes hands-free telephones or voice  dial services. 

The program works by filling out an application, getting verification of need from a health care worker and sending this information along with $35 to the TCDHH.  A voucher is mailed within 60 days along with a list of vendors for the specific equipment required. 

For more information and an application, call TCDHH at 512-407-3250.  

Students Helping Students can help you connect with others who have similar needs and interests.  It can also be a way for you to help develop programs on disability issues for the campus community.  Contact Bruce at ODS to learn more.

OCR Rejects Student’s Claims Regarding Note-taker

East Stroudsburg University, (OCR Region III, 5/14/99).

A recent case at East Stroudsburg University does a good job of showing that students have responsibilities too when it comes to providing academic modifications. 

The mother of a student with dyslexia requested a note-taker after a social psychology class had already begun.  At the start of the semester, the student was taping the class.  But the request for a note-taker came when the student determined that the amount of time that was required to transcribe the notes and to study kept his mother from helping him with his studying needs. 

Although a student volunteered to act as a note-taker, the student’s mother informed the school just three weeks before the end of the semester that the notes the student had received were “unusable.”  By that time, the student had already missed a mid-term and another test.  In fact, the student admitted to having missed approximately 10 class sessions, and he further acknowledged that he did not take any of the tests that were administered during the semester in question.  He ended up receiving a failing grade for the course.

Under these circumstances, OCR determined, there was no violation of Section 504 or the ADA.  It was not up to the university to assess the adequacy of the notes that were provided.  Instead, it was up to the student “to review the notes in a timely fashion and promptly seek further adjustments if he wanted any.”

Disability Compliance for Higher Education, March 2000

AIDS Memorial Quilt

The Office of Disability Services in conjunction with the Alcohol & Drug Resource Center, Student Health Center and University Police Department has applied for funding to bring a portion of the AIDS Memorial Quilt to SWT September 25th & 26^th.  The quilt memorializes more than 80,000 people who have died of AIDS and has been seen by more than 13 million people.  If funding is received, the display times in the LBJ Student Center Ballroom will be:

Monday, September 25               10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, September 26               8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

New Signage Helps Access

Those of you who are returning students may notice several major cosmetic changes to campus.  Most visible is the new campus signage.  Each building on campus now has a prominent sign with the building name and the major departments located within the building.  There are also directional signs to the accessible entrance of each building and an accessible entrance sign.  If you notice a location where a sign would be helpful for access, please contact Tina at the ODS.  In addition, the new “Front Door” to the campus, located on Aquarena Springs now serves as the primary informational and directional stop for visitors to the campus.

Learning & Concentration

The last decade has seen a significant increase in the numbers of college students reporting disabilities, particularly learning disabilities.  Nearly 9 to 10 percent of college freshman report having a disability, and of those, 40 to 60 percent report learning disabilities, which may include attentional disorders.  Of the 3 to 5 percent of children with an attention deficit disorder, 30 to 70 percent continue to experience difficulty as adults. 

Closer to home, about 50 percent of SWT students who receive services for a learning disability and/or attentional disorder through the ODS were unidentified before entering college.  This means that they came to the ODS because they were experiencing academic difficulty, but were unsure as to the reason.  Of the total number of students receiving services from the ODS, about 60 percent have a learning disability or attentional disorder.  These students report frustration with the amount of time they have to spend studying and describe being told they are lazy or unmotivated in spite of time spent on studies.  Many say that few people understand the effort they put into their classes and most report relief at knowing the cause of their academic troubles.    They often report improvement as a result of finding new ways to learn and study.

If you, or someone you know suspects they have learning or attentional problems, schedule an intake with Richard at the ODS.  The ODS does not test for learning or attentional problems, but can assist with getting the testing completed through an off-campus resources.

Important Dates – Fall 2000

AUGUST

Schedule Changes                            21-29, ends 3 p.m. 8/29

Drops by phone (no record)           21-Sep. 15, ends 3 p.m.  9/15

Payment (Strahan Coliseum)         28-29, 9 a.m - 6:30 p.m.

Last day to pay                                 28-29, 9 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Classes begin                                    30

Schedule changes                            30-Sep.1, ends 3 p.m. 9/1

SEPTEMBER

Labor Day –no classes                   4

12^th day (drop with no record)      15

Drop with “W”                                19, ends at midnight

Drop with “W” or “F”                   20-29, ends midnight 11/29

OCTOBER

Mid-Term                                       13

NOVEMBER

Thanksgiving                                22-26

Drop by phone deadline              29, ends at midnight

Withdrawal deadline                    29, ends at 5:00 p.m.

DECEMBER

Last class day                                11

Classes do not meet                     12

Final exams                                   13-19

Grades by phone                           22

Graduate Commencement          22

Undergraduate                              23

Commencement     

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TRC Changes & Benefits

The Texas Rehabilitation Commission (TRC) closed the SWT- TRC Courtesy office on June 21^st.  However, the TRC courtesy counselor, Joanne Sweet, is available to meet with clients on campus in the ODS office.  If you need to schedule an appointment, call the TRC San Marcos Office at 512-353-8627 or toll free 1-800-687-8442.  All appointments must be scheduled through the San Marcos Office.  If you need to contact your home counselor and are unsure of the phone number or address, stop by the ODS office.  We have a complete listing of all the TRC offices statewide by region. 

TRC can offer a variety of services to students with disabilities who qualify for their services including assistance with books and tuition!  To find out more, ask for a TRC brochure.

THE ODS STAFF

Debbie Cole                                       Interpreter Coordinator

Bruce Coonce                                     General Disability Specialist

Scott Janke                                          Psychologist

Richard Poe                                        Learning Disability Specialist

Lupe Rodriguez                                 Administrative Assistant

Tina Schultz                                        Director

Office of Disability Services

Suite 5-5.1, LBJ Student Center

512-245-3451 (Voice/TTY)

or visit our website:

http://www.vpsa.txstate.edu/ods/

or e-mail:

disability_services@txstate.edu