Texas State Scholarships
Texas State has several scholarships designated for students with disabilities. These include the Access, Cooper 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 (deadine is October 1st), and an ODS Scholarship Application (available upon request from the ODS). Deadline to submit an ODS application is March 1. For more information visit the ODS scholarship web page.

Sevices at the RRHEC
Texas State students with disabilities who are attending classes at the RRHEC can receive disability services and accommodations from staff in the One-Stop Center. Students can pick-up a copy of their Academic Accommodation Letter and Academic Accommodation Forms, arrange to take exams with accommodations, and participate in disability management counseling. Assistive technology is also available including: Zoom Text; JAWS; CCTV; and Video Relay. For more information visit Dawn Bayardo in the One-Stop Center in the Avery Building, email Dawn, or call 512-716-4023. Dawn’s hours are Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday’s 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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, counseling, academic 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. Students who have disability documentation on file in ODS should inform SSS. Space in SSS is limited, so it is important to apply early!

Student Did Not Properly Request Academic Modification
Case name: Letter to Northwestern Business College, NO. 05-04-2108 (105 LRP 35305) (OCR 2005). Ruling: The Office for Civil Rights determined there was not enough evidence to support a student’s allegations that Northwestern Business College discriminated against him because of his disability in violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. What it means: College students with disabilities who need modifications to their academic program are obligated to give notice of the nature of their disabling condition to their institution. They should also assist officials in identifying appropriate and effective academic adjustments and modifications. Summary: OCR found there was insufficient evidence to support the student’s claim the college denied him a leave of absence as an academic adjustment for his post traumatic stress disorder. According to the college’s procedures and practice, the Counseling and Student Services staff acted as facilitators to students with disabilities in obtaining academic adjustments or modifications. First, the college required a student to submit medical documentation of his disability, including recommendations for academic assistance. Then CSS personnel assisted students in developing appropriate modifications. The college had no record of the student requesting a leave of absence as an academic adjustment. The student admitted he did not request a leave of absence in writing. He claimed he orally requested it from his counselor. But he did not have any evidence to support his claim. Additionally, the student did not receive a medical diagnosis of his condition until after he was suspended from the college. At the time of the incidents that led to his suspension, the student had not given the college any documentation that showed he suffered from a stress related illness. Based on the record, OCR concluded the student failed to demonstrate the college denied him a leave of absence as an academic modification. It also found he did not show the college treated him differently on the basis of his disability in the application of its disciplinary procedures.

Disability Compliance for Higher Education, April 2006

ADA Committee
The university ADA/504 Compliance and Steering Committee on Disabilities will hold it’s fall meeting in October. The committee provides guidance on access and services for persons with disabilities at Texas State. Two ODS students 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 to all members of the Texas State community.

DARS May Benefit You
John Grayson, a counselor with the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), is available to meet with DARS clients on campus. 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, assistive devices, and some medical treatment, pick up a DARS brochure at the ODS. You may qualify for up to $960.00 per semester in tuition assistance.

Testing Changes
A student who is qualified for testing accommodations and wants to take an exam at the ODS can now schedule to take the exam through the ODS on-line Testing Accommodation System accessible to students through the ODS web site. For each class exam or quiz, a request must be completed by the student and forwarded for approval to the faculty member of the course. The completed request must be submitted to the faculty member at least 72 hours (three business days) before the time the test is scheduled to begin. The faculty member will be notified that the testing accommodation request must be reviewed and forwarded to the ODS. If a student needs to reschedule an exam, the ODS will require written or verbal approval from the faculty member. To schedule an exam on-line visit the Testing Accommodation System.

Recommended Professors
The ODS “Recommended Professor List” was created by the ODS in 2003 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 has been identified as accommodating the unique needs of students with disabilities. This list is not comprehensive; please help ODS expand the list by providing the names of any faculty members who you feel should be included on the list.

“Living By Design Not By Chance, How to Make the Most Out of Your Life”
This is the first book for adults written by Clara Spriggs-Adams, an Empowerment Specialist/Life Coach and 2006 graduate of Texas State. This book is designed to help individuals find the answers to questions such as “How can I get out of this rut?” and “How do I take control of my life?” You will also find practical suggestions for accomplishing things you desire. “Living by Design Not by Chance” is published by C.S.A. Seminars, 403 Pinafore Drive, Buda, TX 78610.

ODS Staff
Ellen Cagle, Staff Interpreter
Debbie Cole, Interpreter Coordinator
Bruce Coonce, General Disability Specialist
Lisandra Gold, Staff Interpreter
Scott Janke, Psychologist
Gloria Rodriguez, Administrative Assistant
Tina Schultz, Director
Maggie Sherrerd, Liaison Interpreter
Jenni Ward,Cognitive Disability Specialist
Amalie Wheat, Staff Interpreter
Resa Young, Staff Interpreter

ODS and SACA to Co-sponsor Texas State Performance by Josh Blue!
The ODS and SACA are co-sponsoring a FREE performance by Josh Blue on Wednesday, September 20th in the LBJ Student Center Mall at 8:00 p.m. Josh is a 27 year old stand-up comedian and U.S. Paralympics soccer player who participated in the 2004 Paralympics Games in Athens, Greece. Josh refuses to bow to any of the challenges that come from living with cerebral palsy. Blue was born in Cameroon, West Africa and was raised in St. Paul, MN. He got his start in comedy while a student at Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. Josh has guest-starred on Comedy Central’s “Mind of Mencia” and appeared in top comedy clubs, theatres, on college’s campuses and at corporate events all over the country. On the college circuit he earned a nomination for “Best Diversity Event of 2006.” He may be best known for being a finalist on “Last Comic Standing.” Following his performance on September 20th Josh will engage the audience in a question and answer session.

Update on Services for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Students
The ODS has received very positive feedback from students who have utilized captioning (speech to text) services since the service began in fall 2004. In 2005-06 the ODS more than doubled the number of hours of captioning services provided. Students who are hard of hearing and not proficient in sign language or with using oral interpreters are given the highest priority for the service. Remember, if you need to request an interpreter or a captionist for a meeting or event, the ODS requests that you provide at least 72 hours (three business days) advance notice. The ODS Interpreter Coordinator (interpreting requests) and Liaison Interpreter (captioning requests) will accept a request submitted with less than the 72 hours notice however it is less likely that we will be able to locate and arrange services for the requested activity.