The Other Side of Disabilities
The Office for Students with Disabilities
Newsletter
Division of Student Affairs
Volume VIII, Issue 5, November-December 2007, Editor: James Walborn
GRANT TO ENHANCE EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS OF OSD STUDENTS
Able Trust has provided a grant for
$41,960 to assist FAU students with disabilities transition into
the workforce. The grant, which was co-written by Stand Among
Friends and the OSD, will fund the position of Employment
Coordinator/Job Coach. This person will help develop the
employability skills of students with disabilities, and provide an
opportunity for prospective employers to become cognizant of the
nature of accommodations and employability of individuals with
disabilities.
“Lack of experience and
ongoing employment support hinders many graduates with disabilities
in their attempt to transition into the work environment,”
states OSD Director, Nicole Rokos. “By developing a
stronger system of support, workers will keep their jobs longer and
become more successful.” “Individuals with
disabilities have unique needs that must be addressed in order to
gain full access to employment opportunities,” Nicole
states. The OSD has long recognized the issues that students
with disabilities encounter upon graduation and entering the job
market. The office has been searching for a grant for the
last five years to fund the employment specialist position, but
success came with the involvement of Stand Among Friends.
STAND AMONG FRIENDS
“Quite often disabled
graduating students get discouraged when they try to enter the job
market, even though they are well-qualified to work,” says
Shawn Friedkin, president and founder of Stand Among Friends.
“This grant will help prepare both the student and the
employer for a long and mutually beneficial
relationship.” The grant money will fund a
comprehensive program providing job skills courses, job placement,
and supported employment services.
Housed in the FAU Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
building, suite 120, Stand Among Friends is a private, non-profit
organization that promotes opportunities for people with
neurological disabilities to live a life without limits and
experience the highest degree of independence and success in their
communities.
Executive Director of the Center, Sue Folden, Ph.D., states,
“Not only do students sometimes need help with their job
skills, employers also may need help accommodating new employees
with disabilities.” The Employment Coordinator/ Job
Coach will help co-workers and management to understand their new
employee while advocating for the individual to ensure that the
client is being treated fairly in the workplace.
ABLE TRUST
The Able Trust, also known as the Florida Governor's Alliance for the Employment of Citizens with Disabilities, is a public-private partnership foundation established by the legislature. Its mission is to provide Floridians with disabilities fair employment opportunities through fundraising, grant programs, public awareness, and education.
NEWEST ADDITION
The newest addition to the OSD
family is Andrew Auster, born October 14th to OSD Testing
Facilitator, Carolina Auster. The happy mother and child are
doing great.
1ST PLACE!
The OSD won first place in the Homecoming Office Decorating Contest. Kudos to Michelle Shaw and her crew of staff, students, and friends who donated weekend time for the project.
CONGRATULATIONS!
OSD Director, Nicole Rokos, has been inducted as a honorary member of the Golden Key International Honour Society. Also, OSD student David V. was inducted into the society because of his high GPA.
DID YA KNOW . . .
The U.S. Census for the most current year available (2005) reports that 88% of the general adult population (21 to 64 years of age) were employed at some time during the year, while this number for people with severe disabilities was 43% (note: only 13% worked the whole year).
ZAHRA UPDATE
Former OSD student, Zahra J., who graduated FAU in December, 2006 with a BS Degree in Computer Science, was finally able to find employment in her field. Ten months after graduating she was ultimately able to find part-time employment as a Junior Systems Engineer. “It was really difficult to get hired,” she admits.
CONGRATS GRADS
The OSD would like to congratulate all of the students who are graduating this December, including those with disabilities. Here are the experiences of 3 students which we think you will find interesting.
LARRY
Larry M. is graduating with his BS
degree in Social Work. While eventually he hopes to return
for his Master’s Degree, right now he is very interested in
working for a substance abuse center.
Larry has undergone many medical procedures for his
psychological impairment, which has affected his short term
memory. He is highly appreciative for the assistance provided
to him by the OSD while earning his degree. He advises other
students, “no matter if someone has a disability or not, they
should strive their hardest to do what they can to succeed in
life.”
[NAME WITHHELD]
This student with Asperger’s
Syndrome has over a 3.9 GPA and is graduating with a BS in
Biological Sciences and a minor in Graphic Design. In the
fall this bright student would like to go to school to become a
pharmacist. In the meantime he would like to work in a
pharmacy.
This unique student is proud of what he has achieved but he
doesn’t wish it to be known that he has a disability.
He is a member of the National Society of Intercollegiate Scholars,
Golden Key Honour Society, and has been inducted into the honor
society Phi Kappa Phi. He has tutored OSD students in Science
and Chemistry.
Someone with Asperger’s syndrome is high functioning, but whose disability may create developmental effects. It is a social disability which makes it difficult to make a lot of friends. These individuals may be affected in their ability to understand and respond to the thoughts and feelings of others. They may also be prone to react strongly to loud noises, blinking lights, large crowds, etc. as assaults on their senses.
Likes: This student likes to draw and paint in his free time. He likes sports, especially hockey.
Anything unusual in the refrigerator: “A lot of frozen dinners.”
STUART
OSD employee, Stuart B.is graduating with his BA in Psychology. Legally blind with macular degeneration, Stuart is currently employed as an Assistive Technology (AT) Specialist at both the OSD at FAU and Disability Services at BCC. He plans on earning his Master’s Degree in Counseling while continuing to help others in the AT field.
He cannot see the visual learning tools in the classroom, such as the white board or screens, but utilizes AT Lab accommodations like the ZoomText magnification system, Kurzweil 1000 to scan and read text materials, and textbooks in electronic format.
Born an English citizen, he worked his way around the world in his teenage years, finally settling in the United states. In a few months he and his wife are expecting their first baby (we hope it’s not something in the water at the OSD).
Likes: “I still use my peripheral vision to bicycle around, I love photography, and of course I like the new technology stuff.”
Any dislikes: “No, not really. But boredom would really bother me.”
Any Advice: Stuart advises professors to try to make the curriculum as multidimensional as possible in order to inspire all facets of learning. He advises students to be active and give back to the University and not just passively absorb information - he believes, “that’s what makes a great University.”
Anything unusual in the refrigerator: “Yogurt,
fruit, and vegetables.”
_______________________________________________________
We want to encourage comments and contributions from our
readers. Please address any comments to jwalborn@fau.edu. Feel free
to share this newsletter with friends and colleagues. Current and
past issues are available at http://www.fau.edu/osd.
This newsletter is available in alternate format upon request from the Office for Students with Disabilities. Boca: SU 133; phone 561.297.3880, TTY 561.297.0358. Davie: MD I, Room 104; phone 954.236.1222, TTY 954.236.1146. Jupiter: SR 117; phone 561.799.8585, TTY 561.799.8565. Treasure Coast: JU 312; phone 772.873.3441.
