Internet Use
Careers & the disAbled magazine asked readers “How has the internet affected your life? and “How do you use the internet?” Of the respondents, 75% said the internet has impacted their lives very much. Respondents reported using the internet for the following reasons:

Email 51.5%
Personal research 39.3%
Job search 24.2%
Work 18.1%
Recreation 18.1%
Networking 15.1%

The impact of the internet is also seen in responses where 45.1% of respondents looking for a job reported using the internet for this purpose. Other job search resources included 32.2% disability organizations, 25.8% Rehabilitation Services, 22.6% newspapers and magazines, 29.1% employment agencies, and 16.1% Disabled Student Services.

Advance Registration
The 2005 spring semester Advance Registration sign up for students registered with the ODS is Monday, August 16 through Friday, October 1. To sign up, stop by the ODS office anytime 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 meets bi-annually in October and 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. All meetings are publicized via e-mail and are open to the public.

Accessible Movies in Austin
The Lake Creek Alamo Drafthouse located at 13729 Research Boulevard in Austin, has installed the DTS Closed Captioning System. This system puts the movie dialogue on the screen with the image so that deaf and hard of hearing theatre guests do not have to rely on personal devices.
Anytime there is a movie playing that offers closed captioning the Drafthouse will have it available every day of the week in the second evening timeslot (usually between 9:00 and 9:45 p.m.). Plans are also underway to offer the same access at the Alamo Drafthouse in downtown Austin and in Houston. In addition, the AMC Barton Creek Square theatre located at 2901 Capital of Texas Highway has installed Rear Window Audio Description/Captioning equipment. Go to www.mopix.org to find out what movies are playing with captions and description.

ODS Staff
Ellen Cagle, Staff Interpreter
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
Amalie Wheat, Staff Interpreter
Resa Young, Staff Interpreter

Emerging Leaders
The Emerging Leaders (EL) program recognizes undergraduate and graduate level college students with disabilities who possess the drive to achieve and excel and matches these students with paid summer internships at prominent corporations. Once selected candidates are matched with summer internships, they are invited to attend the annual Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. The conference offers leadership workshops and provides strong networking opportunities. The Selection Committee will accept and evaluate official applications on a rolling basis.

OCR found the TEA and SBEC did not discriminate and closed the complaint. The teacher attempted the ExCET Professional Development Test three times—April 21,2001, June 30, 2001 and May 4 2002, he requested the test on tape and reading assistance. Although he submitted medical documentation to support the request, an educational diagnostician determined his documentation did not support it. Instead, the diagnostician suggested the student be given extra time to take the test. The student did not appeal the diagnostician’s decision and took the test with extra time on May 4. Because the student did not appeal the accommodation decision and the agency provided what it deemed to be a reasonable accommodation, it did not discriminate.

Disability Compliance for Higher Education, July 2003

A Survey of Victims of Crimes with Disabilities
Although research outside the United States shows that people with disabilities are 4 to 10 times more likely to be victims of crime, no significant research has been conducted in the U.S. To help gather information on the problem, the Texas Coalition on Victims of Crime with Disabilities is conducting a web-based survey. The Coalition represents non-profit and governmental agencies that work with crime victims with disabilities. The survey can been accessed at http://tcds.edb.utexas.edu/CrimeVictimsSurvey.html. The survey can be completed by anyone over age 18 who has a disability and has been the victim of a crime. The survey is anonymous. Data will be analyzed by the School of Social Work, University of Texas at Austin and the Texas Center for Disability Studies. The final report will be available on the Texas Center for Disability Studies website.

Scholarships
Every spring, Texas State awards several scholarships to students with disabilities with amounts ranging from $250.00 to $1,000.00. To be considered for a scholarship, students must complete a 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!

DARS May Benefit You
John Grayson, a counselor with the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), formerly TRC, is available to meet with clients on campus in the ODS office. All appointments must be made through the DARS San Marcos Office at 512-353-8627 or toll free 1-800-687-8442. To find out if DARS can help you with testing, tuition, books, assitive devices and some medical treatment, pick up a DARS brochure at the ODS. You may qualify for tuition assistance up to $960.00 per semester!

FACT: According to the U.S. Commerce Department’s Census Bureau almost 20% of Americans or approximately 53 million people has some level of disability. The disability rate by ethnic group is:

21.9% for Native Americans
20.0% for African Americans
19.7% for Whites
15.3% for Hispanics

Recommended Professors List
The ODS maintains a list of “Recommended Professors” which is available for review in the ODS office. These Texas State professors have been identified by ODS students as having a teaching style that accommodates the unique needs of students with disabilities. The list is not comprehensive, and we need your help in adding to the list of names. If you would like to recommend a professor for the list, please submit the name any time to the ODS office.

48 Hours Notice to Take a Test at ODS
If you are planning to take an academic exam at the ODS, a completed “Testing Accommodation Form” must be submitted to the ODS a minimum of 48 hours (2 business days) before the time the test is scheduled to begin. The ODS will not provide students with writing implements, blue books or other supplies for exams. No caps, jackets, food or drink (except water) is allowed in the ODS testing rooms. In addition, while testing at the ODS, all cell phones and pagers must be turned off. The “Testing Accommodation Form” form is available on the web at:
http://www.ods.txstate.eduTestingAccommodationForm.doc/

Texas State Offices Collaborate to Help Students Gain Employment
Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities (COSD) estimates the unemployment rate for college students with disabilities to be over 30%. This may be partly due to the fact that students with disabilities rarely utilize the career services office for career planning or job placement assistance. As a result, many students with disabilities lack career goals, internships and other experiential education which makes them less competitive with their non disabled peers. In addition, many employers have difficulty finding and accessing qualified students with disabilities to interview as well as not having sufficient experience interviewing these students. At Texas State, staff members in the ODS and Career Services are working together to expand career development opportunities for students with disabilities to participate and be successful in their career search. This collaboration has resulted in two successful visits by a recruiter from the federal Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP). WRP recruits students for summer internships and permanent positions with the federal government. Plans are underway for a WRP recruiter to visit campus again in February 2005. In addition, through their involvement with COSD, Career Services staff receive information and updates on career opportunities which is shared with the ODS. This information is then forwarded on to students registered with the ODS. Career Services staff member Dr. Greg Hill is available to assist ODS students with career planning, resume development, practice interviews and job search advice. In addition, students can receive guidance and assistance with identifying internships, job shadowing and other experiential options. Feel free to schedule an appointment with a Career Services staff member by calling 245-2645. Career employment is the goal of every student and it is never too early to begin working towards that goal. If you have ideas or suggestions how Texas State can better meet career issues related to students with disabilities, please contact either the ODS or Career Services.