Job Opportunities
A representative from the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) will visit Texas State on Wednesday, February 2, 2005, 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 gf15@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 2005 Summer and Fall Semesters is:
Monday, January 3 through Friday, March 4. 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.

ADA Committee
The university ADA/504 Compliance and Steering Committee on Disabilities will meet in April. The committee provides guidance on improving access and services for persons with disabilities at Texas State. Two ODS students serve as members of the committee. Please feel free to contact either student; ah1072@txstate.edu or rs44923@txstate.edu. If you would like to propose an agenda item or provide feedback, contact Tina at the ODS. All meetings are publicized via e-mail and are open to the public.

Work Based Learning Experiences
Many young people, even those with college degrees, are not well prepared to enter today’s work force. Opportunities for work-based learning and mentoring can help young people make a successful transition from the school setting into work environments. Despite advances in campus accessibility, students with disabilities are often not fully included in school-to-work programs, even though they benefit from work-based learning activities as much as, if not more than, their non-disabled peers. Since unemployment and underemployment continue to be significant problems for people with disabilities, it is essential that postsecondary students participate in quality work-based learning opportunities and mentoring activities.In work-based learning activities such as job shadowing, young people learn about occupations, entry requirements, and core competencies. Through volunteer work, internships, apprenticeships, and job placements, students apply academic knowledge and experience to the work environment firsthand. Students with disabilities have reported that work-based learning experiences are valuable in preparing them for careers, especially in increasing their motivation to study and work toward a career and their understanding of skills needed to succeed. The Job Shadowing program at Texas State which is offered through Career Services, gives Texas State students a way to experience future career direction through real world application outside the classroom. Participating in the job shadowing program gives students exposure to the day-to-day work environments, job characteristics, and responsibilities to assist them in determining a career fit. A job shadowing opportunity involves several elements constructed around a short-term (half-day, day-long, several days, or week-long) visit to a job site in the private, non-profit, or government sector. Typical shadowing activities may include: observation, assistance in basic work activities, participation in short-term projects, office tours, attending meetings, and possibly lunch with the staff! Registration for Spring Break Job Shadowing is January 31-February 18 in Career Services, located in the LBJ Student Center, room 5-7.1. The job shadowing experience takes place from March 14-18. If you have any questions, visit Career Services for more information.

Update on ASL at Texas State
After almost two years of no American Sign Language (ASL) courses offered at Texas State, movement is underway to bring these classes back to campus, possibly as soon as fall 2005. Through the support and guidance of Dr. Robert Fischer, Chair of Modern Languages, a proposal to offer ASL 1410, 1420, 2310 and 2320 through Extension Studies was approved by the Texas State University Curriculum Committee on November 19, 2004. In February, the Board of Regents (BOR) will review the proposal and if approved, Dr. Fischer will begin the process to offer classes as soon as possible. The ODS will work closely with Dr. Fischer to notify the campus community about the schedule of course offerings. If you are interested in getting a head start with learning sign language there will be a 10 week session offered through a Campus Activities and Student Organizations (CASO) Informal Class. The non credit class will meet every Thursday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in room 3-14.1 LBJ Student Center and will run from February 24th to May 5th. To find out more and to register for the class, visit CASO in room 4-11.1 LBJ Student Center or call their office at 245-3219.

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. Due to the heavy demand for SSS services there may not be any openings this spring for which you may qualify. However, it is important to complete their intake process now so that it can be determined if you qualify and 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 Claims That Professor Said He Was Faking Disability Don't Cut It
Case name: Letter to University of Minnesota, No. 05-03-2121 (104 LRP 31946) (OCR V, Chicago 2004).

Ruling: There was insufficient evidence to show that a student with bipolar disorder was subjected to disability harassment and discrimination.

What it means: Train instructors on how to respond to students with accommodations requests.

Summary: A student said the University of Minnesota subjected him to disability harassment and discrimination by not providing requested accommodations. He also said the institution subjected him to derisive comments, failed to provide resources necessary to calculate his financial aid, and entered his residence hall without his permission.The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) investigated the complaints and found the student did receive the requested accommodations and the resources to calculate his financial aid. It also found that there was insufficient evidence to support the claim that he was subjected to derisive comments or that his room had been entered without permission.The student said that when he was approached by his physics professor about his requested accommodations for testing, the professor said he didn’t look disabled and that he was faking it. The student also said the professor informed him that he was going to provide the accommodation of taking the individual exam in the testing center. Finally he said the professor did not provide the accommodation of extra time for the group portion of the exam. The student was provided the accommodation of taking the exam in the testing center, even though the request merely required a quiet, distraction-free environment, OCR learned. The professor denied making the derisive remarks about the student’s disability. There were no witnesses to substantiate the student’s claim. Additionally, OCR learned the group portion of the test required two to three students working together on a problem. Therefore, it was not feasible to provide an individual student extra time. The student’s group received a perfect score on the exam. OCR found the university assigned the student a financial aid counselor to work directly with him on his financial aid issues. There was no record that staff entered his room without permission, OCR said in closing the complaint.

Texas State Scholarships
This spring, Texas State will award 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.

DARS May Benefit You
A Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) courtesy counselor is available to meet with clients on campus in the ODS office. If you need to schedule an appointment, call the DARS San Marcos Office at 512-353-8627 or toll free 1-800-687-8442. All appointments must be scheduled through the San Marcos Office. The DARS tuition reimbursement is $750.00 per semester! To find out if DARS can help you with tuition, books, or assitive devices, pick up a DARS brochure at the ODS.

Recommended Professors at Texas State
The ODS “Recommended Professor List” was compiled by the ODS in 2002 based on feedback from students registered with the ODS. The list includes the names of faculty from a range of academic departments whose teaching style was identified as accommodating the unique needs of students with disabilities. This list is not comprehensive, and we need your help in adding to the list of names. All additional names received will be added to the list this summer and a new list will be made available for students to review in the ODS office next fall.

Passing of a "Super"man
On October 10, 2004, the world and disabled community lost a vibrant and extraordinary activist when Christopher Reeve passed away at his home in New York. Reeve who starred as Superman in the movies became a tireless advocate for persons with disabilities after a horseback riding accident left him paralyzed in 1995. Reeve raised millions of dollars and awareness about the need to find a cure for spinal cord injuries and other diseases. He was a unique and inspiring man who will be missed.

Tips for Test Takers with Disabilities
The Office of Disability Policy of the Educational Testing Service offers tips for individuals with disabilities preparing to take one of their exams, including the GRE and the GMAT. If you are requesting accommodations, these are some things you should take care of before the test:
Make sure your documentation is current, according to ETS guidelines on attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and learning, psychiatric, and physical disabilities. If your documentation is not current, check the appropriate ETS disability documentation policy statement at http://www.ets.org/disability.html to see what is required. You may not need to submit documentation if you meet the standards or have a properly completed Certificate of Eligibility (COE). If you are requesting a reader or a scribe for the test, be sure to read over the ETS guidelines for a test reader or test writer. Plan in advance and expect the test-application review process to take up to six (6) weeks.