On-Line Advance Registration
The ODS On-line Advance Registration sign up for summer and fall 2007 for students registered with the ODS is:
12:01 a.m. Monday, January 8 to 11:59 p.m. Friday, March 2
To sign up, go on-line to the ODS Student System and CLICK ON ADVANCE REGISTRATION
There will be no names accepted after 11:59 p.m. on March 2.

Changes to On-Line Scheduling for Testing
A student with a disability must be qualified for testing accommodations based on a documented disability to take an exam at the ODS. All exams to be taken at the ODS must be scheduled through on-line Testing Accommodation System accessible to students through the ODS web site. To confirm, students should regularly check the exams they have scheduled to take on the web page through “My Testing Schedule.” Changes for spring 2007 include:
*A separate request must be completed for each exam at least 48 hours (two business days) before the time the test is scheduled to begin. There will be no exceptions to the 48 hours notice. Any request submitted with less than the required 48 hours notice will be denied by the ODS.
*The ODS will only administer an exam with the accommodations for which the student has been approved to receive based on the student’s disability documentation. If additional accommodations (i.e. unlimited time for an exam) are requested, arrangements will need to be made for testing through the faculty member of the course.
*All requests for final exams must be submitted by the last regular class day of the semester; this applies to both long and summer semesters. This will enable the ODS to ensure that student’s have access to all of the necessary accommodations for final exams. For final exams, if double time or more is an approved accommodation, either the 7:30 a.m. or 11:15 a.m. testing times should be selected.

Texas State Schlarships
This spring, Texas State will award 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 (deadline was October 1st), and an ODS Scholarship Application (available upon request from the ODS). Deadline to submit applications is March 1. For more information visit the ODS scholarship web page.

Campus Accessibility
Texas State will be working on several projects which could impact students with physical or mobility impairments. Several projects including the closure of Pleasant Street garage and North LBJ are currently “pending” with closures anticipated for March. When these projects are underway the disabled parking spaces in the Pleasant Street garage and on North LBJ will be closed for approximately 18 months. In addition, elevator upgrades will be performed in the north Academic Services Building and Psychology. The elevators in these buildings will be turned OFF on May 9, 2007 and returned to service for the Summer II semester. If you have any questions or concerns regarding these projects please feel free to contact Tina.

Student's Behavior in Class, Not Alleged Disability, Led to Dismissal
Case name: Letter to Colorado Northwestern Community College, NO. 08-05-2005-D (105 LRP 9954) (OCR 2004). Ruling: The Office for Civil Rights determined that Colorado Northwestern Community College did not discriminate against a student with bipolar disorder on the basis of her disability when it dismissed her from its nursing program. What it means: When determining whether to dismiss a student with a disability from a program, a college should evaluate the student’s performance based on a documented conduct, not assumptions about a perceived disability. Summary: Because CNCC’s decision to require the student to withdraw was based on her conduct and behavior, and not on improper consideration of stereotypes regarding bipolar disorder, OCR found the college was not in violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The student was diagnosed with a bipolar condition. Since she didn’t require any accommodations in an educational setting, she didn’t inform the college until the third day of classes. On that third day, the student was observed by instructors and students staggering, slurring her speech, and falling asleep during lectures. She told one of her instructors that she had bipolar disorder. But the instructor informed OCR that during their meeting , she primarily discussed pain she was experiencing from a car accident. She mentioned taking pain medication. The nursing program faculty members met to discuss the student’s behavior. The concluded that her conduct on the third day of class demonstrated she could not meet the minimum standards of the nursing program. They offered her the opportunity to withdraw from the program to avoid a record of dismissal. The student appealed the decision, but the appeal committee upheld the nursing faculty’s determination. The evidence demonstrated that the college had knowledge of the student’s condition when it decided to require her to withdraw. However, “the college’s decision to dismiss was based on the [student’s] conduct and behavior and was not based on the prohibited assumptions regarding bipolar disease as a disabling condition” OCR stated. Disability Compliance for Higher Education, July 2006

ADA Committee
The university ADA/504 Compliance and Steering Committee on Disabilities will hold its spring meeting in April. 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.

Campus Accessibility
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.

Google Accessible Search
Launched July 20, 2006, the new Google Accessible Search from Google Lab is a step towards making the internet search engine more accessible to blind and visually impaired users. Accessible Search currently in beta, presents results that are prioritized according to each web site’s degree of accessibility for people that use screen readers. In the past, screen reader users had to wade through a lot of inaccessible web sites and pages to find information they were interested in. Google’s goal is to provide a useful and accessible web search that’s fast and friendly. The Google Accessible Search displays results in streamlined layout that screen readers can navigate with greater speed and accuracy. Extraneous components and information that clutter the standard Google search pages, such as sponsored links, are stripped away to optimize usability.

The American Storyteller
The American Storyteller Radio Journal is hosted by Nelson Lauver. In 1992 at age 29, Nelson, then a parking lot line painter, set a goal... to overcome a lifetime of illiteracy caused by undiagnosed dyslexia. Nelson learned to read and write - and that was just the start. Today, Nelson touches the lives of millions of listeners with his syndicated radio feature, The American Storyteller Radio Journal, a 4 minute slice of Americana broadcast daily across the United States. Nelson's faithful listeners consider him an old friend - comparing him to the likes of Garrison Keillor, Paul Harvey, Charles Kuralt and even the legendary Mark Twain. To find out more visit www.theamericanstoryteller.com

Recorded Textbooks
The ODS has recently made some updates and process improvements to the books on tape accommodation. Due to the important feedback we received from students, we have been able to streamline this process for everyone involved. If you have been approved for this accommodation, we encourage you to submit your request forms as soon as you know what books you will need for the semester. Request forms can be picked up anytime from the front desk staff and need to be filled out completely before being processed. If you have any questions regarding recorded textbooks, please contact Jenni.

Course Repeat Fee and Excessive Hours Fee
Students registered with ODS who request consideration for the withdrawal of classes should be aware that the Texas Legislature has established a course repeat fee. The policy states that students attempting a course for the third or more time may be charged a fee in addition to the tuition charged for the course. This fee will be assessed for courses attempted at Texas State as of the fall semester of 2002 or later. This assessment does not include courses attempted at other colleges or universities. Certain courses are exempt from this fee. In addition, the Texas Education Code §54.014 specifies that resident undergraduate students may be subject to a higher tuition rate for attempting excessive hours at any public institution of higher education while classified as a resident student for tuition purposes. For additional information on these fees visit http://www.txstate.edu/sbs/

Research Opportunity
The ODS is a research site for Harcourt Assessment, Inc. Harcourt is the nation’s largest publishing company of assessment tools and has been instrumental in the research behind diagnosing both learning and psychological disabilities. As a partner in research, the ODS is given the opportunity to participate in nation-wide projects that collect data used to develop new assessment tools. In order to collect this information, we are looking for individuals who have been diagnosed with either a learning (includes AD/HD) or psychological disability that are interested in participating in research. Participants are typically asked to attend a session lasting 1-2 hours, and are reimbursed with a check (amount depends on the project) for their attendance. If you, or someone you know, are interested in adding your name to a list of potential participants, please e-mail Jenni Ward.