“Create the highest , grandest vision for

your life because you become what you

believe. “

- Oprah Winfrey

An Interview with

Bruce Coonce

General Disability Specialist How long have you worked for the office of Disability Services?

I have worked here for 22 years. I came in November of 1992. We were in the old student center that is now the

Academic Service Building. The overall office was very small. My office was also the supply closet. At that time there

was only one director, myself and a part time learning disability specialist. Texas State University had about 21,000

students and we served about 500 students. There has been a great deal of growth in the university as well as in the

office in the past 22 years.

What does an average day in the office look like for you?

An average day, well nearly every day I review documentation on google docs to determine accommodations. I email students for appointments. In the

past I usually scheduled my own appointments because we were so short staffed. I meet with students to approve accommodations. I also determine

accommodations for housing and send recommendations for housing to Department of Housing and Residential Life. The most common accommodations

are private rooms, housing in a suite style configuration for access to the restroom, and housing in an accessible room for students with mobility impair-

ments. I respond to request from students and parents. Request from future students in regards to information about accommodations, documentation,

and the process of registering with the Office of Disability Services. I respond to request for letters for financial aid appeals and verifying accommodations

with the testing center for standardized test. Reviewing documentation and determining eligibility for Cats on The Go go-cart services. My day also con-

sists of e-mailing University Police Department, verifying eligibility and sending students class schedule.

What do you enjoy or appreciate the most abut serving the students in your role as a specialist.

I enjoy getting to know many students who have preserved through disabilities, chronic illnesses, financial and personal difficulties to achieve their goals. I

enjoy helping students achieve better grades and getting reports on how their grades have improved because of my help. Those graduating is like a re-

ward for me and I am glad to be a part of their success.

Wow, you have been here for 22 years, what makes you stay?

I would have to say the great atmosphere. Working with great collogues. There’s several staff members who have been here longer than or as long as I

have. With them I’ve had wonderful collaboration through the years. The staff within the office works well as a team and have been very supportive. My

supervisors have always provided the accommodations I needed due to my disability, in order to perform my job. I also enjoy helping the students as well

as the location of the office.

HIV Testing Goals... The objective of this initiative was to provide: Health education and HIV awareness

and prevention through a credible speaker who educates others on this important

topic., HIV awareness by inviting students to know their status by providing confi-

dential at-home HIV testing kits, and acquiring resources to allow them to manage

their disease and college coursework in the event that the student needs to gain sup-

port after finding out about their status.

Because of ODS’s HIV Awareness Testing Campaign: Students were able to recog-

nize the risk factors associated with unsafe sex. Students gained the ability to know

their own HIV status and students were able to work collaboratively with the Office of

Disability Services for student support.

With education, students will be able to begin to get rid of the stigma that comes with

those that are HIV positive. Students were also able to learn their HIV status in a con-

fidential way. They learned about the on campus resources such as the Office of Dis-

ability Services in case they need support if they receive a positive status Graduate Students assisting ODS in our HIV Testing Day part of our End of Year Celebration

Test Taking Tips

and Strategies

Write your name on all

pages.

Write key words and

phrases from oral direc-

tion

Look over entire test to

learn the number and

types of questions

Read all directions twice.

Circle or highlight key

words

Draw mind maps or

outlines on the back of

the test for reference and

as a tool to get started

and organized

Answer all questions.

Circle items skipped,

then go back and answer

them

Never change and an-

swer unless it is definite-

ly wrong. Be careful not

to read more into ques-

tions than is actually

there.

If you get stuck or draw

a blank, skip the ques-

tions for a few minutes

and then come back to it.

Reread the question for

a few minutes and then

come back to it. Reread

the question or problem

and break into small

units. Search for cues or

clue words. Try to visu-

alize the section in the

book in which the an-

swer might be found.

Check all your answers

Bobcat Days The Office of Disability Services

helps foster a supportive and inclu-

sive educational environment for all

students at Texas State University.

We strive to ensure that our stu-

dents are in an environment where

they feel included and heard which

is core to the ODS mission. Our

office does many things, but some

ways in which we foster a support-

ive and inclusive environment are by building and maintaining partnerships with faculty and staff,

promoting disability awareness through programming initiatives and outreach efforts among all

members of the university community, and by providing guidance regarding university policies and

procedures to ensure the full participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of life.

We, at the Office of Disability Services, understand there are a wide-scope of adult learners. Our

services aim to ensure that our students are learning to their full potential in the manner that best

suits their academic needs. The academic accommodations we provide don’t give you an “unfair”

academic advantage, but rather the accommodations seek to level the playing field in order for

you to be a full and active participant in the Texas State University community.

Accessibility and Assistive Technology

PDF Tags

When people talk about "accessible" PDF files, they usually are referring to "tagged" PDF files,

even though there is more to an accessible PDF than tags. PDF tags provide a hidden structured,

textual representation of the PDF content that is presented to screen readers. They exist for ac-

cessibility purposes only and have no visible effect on the PDF file.

Accessibility Phone Apps: ODS’ Top Two Picks

NaturalReader Text IDEAL Web Math Trig/Calculus

A text to speech app with 30

voices in 5 different languages.

Reads text from Word docu-

ments, PDFs, webpages,

eBooks, inputted text from the

keypad, and even documents in

your Dropbox account. Premi-

um version for $9.99.

This app provides step-by-step so-

lutions to any of the following types

of math problems: trigonometric

expressions, right triangles, deriva-

tives, quotient rules, integration,

and integrals.

Medal of Hope

Our very own ODS Newsletter Editor-in-Chief

Leigh Ann Clemons was a recipient for the Texas

State University Medal of Hope. Recipients of the

Medal of Hope are students who have demonstrat-

ed a commitment to their personal development as

a student leader at Texas State University by par-

ticipating in a comprehensive set of activities de-

signed by the Leadership Institute/Dean of Stu-

dents Office. The recipients of this recognition re-

ceive the “Medal of Hope” the semester they grad-

uate. These student leaders represent “The Hope”

we have in the next generation of Bobcat Leaders

and our confidence on the impact that they will

have in their communities after graduation. Any

Texas State student can participate in reaching this goal.

Leigh Ann Clemons; Editor and Chief

of the ODS Newsletter

Paul Brunson: Dr. Love The Office of Disability Services, in collabora-

tion with the Bienestar Coalition & Party Safe

Campaign and the Department of Communi-

cation Studies brought the engaging and dy-

namic speaker Paul Brunson to campus

on Thursday, April 2nd

.

Paul Brunson better known as the “Love Doc-

tor” and “Modern Day Matchmaker” spoke

about love, sex, and healthy relationships in

an inclusive way. Brunson will also be speak-

ing about the impact of HIV/AIDS as a chronic

illness as well as its influence on college cam-

puses.

Paul Brunson with Ms. Skyller Walkes,

Assistant Director of the Office of Dis-

ability Services

The Office of Disability Services Awards Scholarship Re-cipients & ODS Receives an Award, as well

The Office of Disability Services awarded scholarships totaling $4,500 this year to students

who demonstrated both need and merit. Each student was recognized at the ODS Luncheon

to celebrate their achievement.

The NAACP Texas State University Chapter recognized ODS with a Certificate of Appre-

ciation for all of the support that ODS has extended to NAACP during the 2014-2015

school year. Pictured in the center is NAACP local chapter President Stephen Rollins

who presented the award and speech on behalf of the organization.

Disability National News at a Glance Americans with disabilities face a multitude of obstacles, including the difficulty of obtaining employ-

ment. To help remove some of these barriers, the U.S. Department of Labor is working to create new

partnerships, improve collaboration, and increase the effectiveness of training programs that serve

youths and adults with disabilities. The department announced that there are approximately $15 million

in grants available that can aid in increasing the participation of people with disabilities in training pro-

grams. Individuals with disabilities remain disproportionately represented among our nation’s unem-

ployed, regardless of the contributions they have made to our economy and society. These grants will

work to change this inequality by providing more training options that can prepare these workers for

good jobs. Workforce agencies who are interested in applying for this funding should visit http://

www.grants.gov.

Career Connection:

Looking for a job?

Students with disabili-

ties have a point of

contact career counse-

lor available to help

with questions about

employment, the inter-

view process, resume

development and when

to disclose your disabil-

ity.

Mason Murphy, Career

Counselor

mmm210@txstate.edu,

UAC 173, (512) 245-

7358

Welcoming the new faces in the Office of Disability Services

De'Vante Young

Veteran Liaison

My name is Devante Young I am a first generation college student, army veteran and I am a non-traditional student here at Texas State University. I love uplifting my community and fellow students; being a mentor to young black males on campus and making an impact on the university. My major is Public Relations and Biology with a minor in Psychology. I will go to medical school and become a physician after I graduate. I believe in mental, spiritual and physi-cal health. The way I plan on leaving my mark on the world is by servicing impoverished communities that don't have access to such help, for free while spreading the gospel. Outside of my aca-demic and career aspirations my favorite things to do are a little different than most. I love mountain-bike riding, camp-ing ,canoeing, lifting weights, playing trivia games, playing Michael Jackson Wii dance (y'all ain't ready), writing short stories, telling jokes, and changing the world.

My name is Mitchell DuPont. I’m from Houston, Texas and I’m 25

years old. I’m an Army veteran and served 4 years. I was stationed

at Ft. Knox Kentucky and did a 1 year tour in Afghanistan. I’m a

sophomore and I’m currently pursuing a degree in nutrition with a

minor in exercise science. My days usually consist of going to the

gym, working out, and hanging out with friends. I have an unhealthy

obsession with tigers that started at childhood. My main hobbies

are anything to do with cars and Netflix; so when I find a show

about cars my day is complete. I was referred to ODS by a profes-

sor last semester. Everyone I encountered was extremely kind and

helpful so when a job position opened, I jumped at the opportunity. I

want to be able to help students succeed in their college experi-

ence as I’ve been helped during mine. My plan for after graduating

is to start a business while doing personal training on the side.

Mitchell DuPont

Veteran Liaison

Disability Advocates in the Community

-Dances for Adults with Disabilities Prom Dance - April 25, 2015

-Luau Dance - June 26, 2015

Adults with disabilities ages 18+ gather at the San Marcos Activity Center every other month for

a night of friends, music, and dancing. For

opportunities to volunteer please contact

Jessica Mach Welcoming participants, sell-

ing concessions, mingling with participants,

and clean-up will be the duties involved.

For other volunteer opportunities please

visit the City of San Marcos social media

pages for more information