Job Opportunities
A representative from the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) will visit Texas State on Wednesday, February 11, 2004, to interview students with disabilities FOR PAID SUMMER INTERNSHIPS AND PERMANENT POSITIONS WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. WRP is a resource to connect public and private sector employers nationwide with postsecondary students and recent graduates with disabilities. An application must be completed prior to the scheduled interview. To request an application contact the ODS. All interviews must be scheduled with the Texas State Career Services office and students must have a current resume on file with this office to schedule an interview. In addition, Career Services staff is available to assist students with resume development and/or practice interview techniques. Feel free to contact Greg Hill at Career Services, 245-2645 or gh15@txstate.edu. There are only a limited number of times available for the Workforce Recruitment Program interview schedule so it is important to sign up early!

Advance Registration
The ODS Advance Registration sign up for the 2004 Summer and Fall Semesters is:

Monday, January 5 through Friday, March 5.

To sign up, stop by the ODS office Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and complete an “Information Update and Advance Registration Sign Up” form. There will be no names accepted over the phone or any names accepted after the deadline.

504/ADA Compliance and Steering Committee
The university 504/ADA Compliance and Steering Committee will hold its last meeting of the year in April. The purpose of the committee is to make recommendations on improving access and services for persons with disabilities at Texas State. Two ODS students serve as members of the committee. If you would like to provide any feedback or recommendations, please feel free to e-mail either student, sb1158@txstate.edu or cw1045@txstate.edu. All meetings are publicized via e-mail and are open to the public.

Improving Air Travel for Passengers with Disabilities
Effective this year, U.S. and foreign air carriers serving the United States will be required to record complaints they receive regarding the treatment of passengers with disabilities and to report these complaints annually to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). This new rule is part of DOT’s effort to work toward barrier-free travel by individuals with disabilities. According to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta “Ensuring that this principle is put into practice is a task that I take seriously and I firmly believe our work is doing just that.” Mineta has been a long-time advocate for the disabled including co-author of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. The new rule will require all carriers operating aircraft with more than 60 seats to file with DOT records of complaints they receive regarding inadequate accessibility or discrimination on the basis of disability. Complaints will be categorized according to the passenger’s disability. This will supplement information that is summarized monthly in the DOT’s Air Travel Consumer Report. At a forum held last summer, which included experts from the disability community, the airline industry, airline associations, airport service companies and government representatives, information was shared as to what works and what is needed to improve air travel for persons with disabilities. There was discussion about the DOT’s Disability Hotline 1-800-778-4838 (voice) or 1-800-455-9880 (TTY), service animal guidance and means by which passengers with disabilities can assist in making the air travel experience smoother (e.g., providing advance notice for wheelchair assistance even though such notice is not required). DOT has also taken numerous actions to remove barriers. Its most recent accomplishments include:

*Establishment of a toll-free hotline for information on air travel by individuals with disabilities and “real-time” assistance with disability-related air travel problems.
*Investigations of air carriers for violations of the ACAA. Many of the investigations have focused on enplaning and deplaning assistance by air carriers and wheelchair service between connecting flights.

Washington Internships
The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars has a new initiative to help increase employment opportunities for students with disabilities through an academic internship program. The Center is working with the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy to help students develop leadership skills and gain valuable work experience in public service in Washington, DC. The Center is able to provide a total of 50 competitive scholarship awards in the amount of $7,430 for students with disabilities interested in working in the executive, judicial or legislative branches of the federal government during the spring 2004 and fall 2004 semesters (scholarships are not available in the summer). All majors are encouraged to apply. The scholarships will cover the full cost of the students' housing and 90% of the Washington Center's tuition. To be eligible, students must be enrolled full-time in an accredited college or university. Students must be at least second semester sophomores, be U.S. citizens and self-identify as persons with a disability. For more information and an application visit: www.twc.edu. You can also contact info@twc.edu or 1-800-486-8921. The application deadline for the fall 2004 semester is June 15, 2004.

Student Support Services
Student Support Services (SSS) is a federally funded grant program that serves a limited number of Texas State students each year. SSS provides FREE one-on-one tutoring, personal counseling, and academic and financial aid advising. A student must meet one or more of three criteria; first generation student (neither parent graduated from a 4-year college or university), income guidelines, or be a student with a disability. The SSS focus is on freshman and sophomore level students. To find out more, contact SSS at 245-2275 or visit them in 5-6.1, LBJ Student Center. If there are no openings this year in SSS for which you may qualify, it is important to complete their intake process so that you can be placed on the waiting list for next fall semester. Students who have disability documentation on file in the ODS should inform SSS.

Student Accused of Cheating Says College Discriminated
Case name: Letter to San Antonio College, No. 06-03-2020 (103 LRP 47167) (OCR VI, Dallas (TX) 2003).
Ruling: The Office for Civil Rights ruled that San Antonio College did not discriminate against a student with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder when it accused him of cheating on tests and later dismissed him.
What it means: Ensure that suspicions of cheating are not based on accommodations students receive for disabilities.
Summary: A student complained to the OCR that he was accused of cheating and dismissed from San Antonio College. He said college officials based their accusations on his accommodations for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. OCR found that college officials had a legitimate basis for their suspicions because the student exhibited behavior consistent with cheating and violated the student code of conduct. It closed the complaint. In spring 2002, the student was enrolled in the college’s nursing program and received accommodations for testing. He was provided extended time on tests in a quiet place. During his third and final exams in a registered nursing class, disability student services staff observed the student engaging in questionable behavior. He used an unapproved calculator mounted to a clipboard with medical information on it. The student also went to the rest room thirteen times, left the testing center for 20 minutes, and used a mobile phone. He also wrote information on sticky notes, referred to the notes while completing the exam, and at his request, took the exam in the exact area where he had been studying which was not a quiet area. After questioning the student and observing that his grades on the third and final exams were markedly higher than his previous quizzes and exams, as well as the class average, officials lowered his grade for the course to a D. The student was ultimately dismissed from the program for poor academic performance during the next semester. OCR found no indication that college officials based their accusations of cheating or dismissed the student because of his disability or the accommodations he was receiving.

Disability Compliance for Higher Education, December 2003

Texas State Scholarships
This spring, Texas State will award of three scholarships designated for students with disabilities. These include the Access and Nesenholtz Scholarships which give preference to students with physical disabilities, and the Blake Edward Jaska Scholarship which gives preference to students who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Scholarship amounts range from $250.00 to $1,000.00. To be considered for any of these scholarships, a student must have a completed Texas State General Scholarship application on file with the Office of Financial Aid (deadline is October 1st of each year), and an ODS Scholarship Application (available upon request from the ODS). Students must also complete a separate application (available from the ODS) for each of the scholarships. Deadline to submit applications is March 1 for the Access Scholarship and April 1 for the Nesenholtz and Blake Edward Jaska Scholarships.

Recognition of Faculty & Staff
In April, the ODS will recognize a Texas State faculty member and staff member for their efforts in assisting students with disabilities at the university. Past faculty recipients include Dr. Greg Passty and Dr. Thoniot Prabhakaran; past staff recipients include Ms. Claudeen Cowan and Ms. Cathy Locke. Please provide the ODS with the names of any faculty or staff that you feel have provided exceptional service and deserve recognition this year. The deadline to submit names is March 26.

TRC May Benefit You
A Texas Rehabilitation Commission (TRC) courtesy counselor 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. TRC’s tuition reimbursement is $750.00 per semester! To find out if TRC can help you with tuition, books, or assitive devices, pick up a TRC brochure at the ODS.

ODS Staff
Debbie Cole, Interpreter Coordinator
Bruce Coonce, General Disability Specialist
Tamara Dowda, Liaison Interpreter
Scott Janke, Psychologist
Richard Poe, Cognitive Disability Specialist
Gloria Rodriguez, Administrative Assistant
Elizabeth Saucedo, Administrative Assistant
Tina Schultz, Director

Adaptive Technology at Texas State
Any student who requires access to adaptive technology (i.e., CCTV, adaptive computer equipment) for an academic class should contact the ODS a minimum of one semester before the class begins or as soon as the need for adaptive technology is identified. If advance notice is not provided, the ODS cannot ensure the requested accommodation will be provided in a timely manner. The ODS web page www.ods.txstate.edu/adaptive.htm includes a listing of adaptive technology available on campus. If you have questions or need additional information regarding adaptive technology please contact Bruce at the ODS.

TSIP
The Texas Success Initiative Program (TSIP) is the former TASP. TSIP is a legislatively mandated program to deal with the problem of under-prepared students going to Texas public colleges or universities. The components of this program are:

• a test that must be taken prior to the student's first semester
• remedial programs designed to prepare students for college courses
• academic advising for all students