The Other Side of Disabilities
The Office for Students with Disabilities
Newsletter
Division of Student Affairs
Volume VI, Issue 1 Spring 2005 Editor: James Walborn
WRP PREPARATION & INTERVIEWS
In January, 22 students with disabilities interviewed with a
Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) Coordinator for summer
internships. As a prerequisite for being interviewed, the OSD
required students with disabilities to meet with a CDC Counselor or
attend one preparatory workshop. One of the workshops students
could attend was an innovative program entitled, “Interview
Like a Pro,” involving mock interviews put together by OSD
Coordinator Barbara Bazinsky and CDC Associate Director Gail
Galbraith.
As the ‘interviewee,’ Barbara notes, “I
wore inappropriate attire (a short skirt and excessive jewelry),
demonstrated inappropriate actions (chewing gum and making poor eye
contact), and gave inappropriate verbal responses (What are your
goals? “To make more money and more friends”). The
enthusiastic students were encouraged to pick out and discuss the
unsuitable behavior and substitute the desirable responses.
“The students were quite perceptive,” Gail
acknowledges. “The exercise gave them the opportunity to
think about questions interviewers may ask, such as ‘tell me
about yourself’.”
BROWARD WORKSHOPS
The OSD and CDC on the Davie Campus will jointly
conduct three workshops in March to help students improve their
employability skills. The workshops, on “Resume
Writing”, “Interview Skills”, and
“Conducting an Effective Job Search”, will be presented
March 16th, 24th, and 28th from 2 - 3 PM in MD G. All students are
invited, although there will be special issues discussed for
students with disabilities such as “When and how to disclose
a disability to a prospective employer.” For more information
please call (954) 236-1222.
A GENESIS
In 2000 Renee Lynn Levinson received
the Karen Aberson Memorial Scholarship, which was created by the
Aberson family in memory of their daughter, Karen, an FAU student
with a psychological disability who had died before achieving her
dream of earning a Bachelors Degree. Renee graduated from FAU in
May, 2001 but died a year later from natural causes. The Levinson
family has established a scholarship in her name for a student with
a psychological disability.
At the celebration of the grand opening of the new OSD
office in October, 2004, Mr. And Mrs. Levinson and Mr. Aberson met
and shared some tender moments for the first time. This past winter
Mr. Levinson died. The Levinson family has asked that the
scholarship be renamed the Renee Lynn Levinson and Philip Levinson
Memorial Scholarship in order to honor both the daughter and
father.
We, at the OSD, are very proud to be able to fulfill the
wishes of the Levinson and Aberson families in honoring their loved
ones in memoriam. Other families have established similar
scholarships for students with disabilities as well, which help the
students defray some of their financial burdens and reduce some of
the stress in their lives.
In one instance, in lieu of congratulatory flowers, several
well-wishers sent donations to the OSD Scholarship fund in the name
of a local politician who won in the fall 2004 elections. They had
read about the Scholarship Programs while attending the OSD Open
House last October. If you, too, would like to assist in the
perpetuity of any of the OSD scholarships while easing some of the
financial weight of students with disabilities, please contact the
OSD Director Nicole Rokos at (561) 297-3880 or email
nrokos@fau.edu.
Any student with a disability can start applying for OSD
scholarships right now, in March. The student should investigate
the specific scholarship requirements before applying.
MY BATTLE WITH DOUBLE DOORS
By Lauren Rosenberg
As I walk into the Arts and Humanities building,
I am filled with a deep excitement. It is here that my academic
passions, English and Judaic studies collide. As beautiful as this
building is, my face falls when I come face to face with the huge
wooden doors that I must go to war with. These doors are my enemy.
No matter how I position my walker to maneuver I can never get the
doors open enough to get through. They are too heavy, and they
stick. I get the door open an inch feeling as though it will knock
me down at any moment. The doors are too heavy to get myself or the
walker through.
“Why don't you ask for help, Lauren?” someone
might ask. The answer is, that sometimes there is no one to ask.
Classes are already in progress and there is no one roaming the
halls. When someone does come along, and sees my raging battle with
these double doors, they stop and help and I let out an exhausted
“thank-you,” as I hurry to whatever class or meeting
that I am already late for. I think that my war with the double
doors could end if electronic door openers were placed on both
sides of each set of doors making the building fully accessible to
everyone.
DIVERSITY SERVICES
Naomi Greelis is the new Coordinator of Diversity
Services on the Jupiter Campus, which provides services for
Students with Disabilities, International Student & Scholar
Services, and Multicultural Affairs. Naomi graduated with her
Masters Degree in Intercultural Relations from Lesley University,
in Massachusetts, and has assisted a wide variety of students from
divergent backgrounds.
“At my office I like to have an ‘open
door’ policy for everyone. I hope that not only the students,
but the faculty and staff as well, will feel free to come in and
talk to me,” Naomi asserts. Likes? “I am REALLY
enjoying swimming in a pool outside at night in the winter here in
Florida. I also enjoy music very much and have learned a number of
instruments: Clarinet, trumpet, and flute. I have had one
performance already since moving down here and I’m looking
for new avenues in which to perform.”
Any dislikes? “Closed mindedness. It upsets me when
people are unwilling to take on different perspectives that other
people are experiencing. Some people believe that there is only one
cookie cutter way of life.” Anything unusual in the fridge?
“You might find three boxes of ice cream. I like having
different flavors and rotate them every few days.”
MICHELLE SHAW
Michelle Shaw is the new OSD Coordinator of
Notetaker Services. Many students are unable to take their own
notes due to their disabilities. Most of the time volunteer
notetakers are solicited from the students who are taking the
same course. Students with disabilities may quickly fall behind
in their classwork if there are problems with the notetakers or
the quality of the notes. Michelle monitors this process
throughout the semester while assisting with a variety of other
office projects.
An English citizen, Michelle is married to an American.
She is an FAU alumnus, earning her Bachelor’s Degree in
Fine Arts (2002), Master’s Degree in Curriculum Instruction
(2003), and is currently working towards her Specialist Degree in
Higher Education. While a student she was very active in Student
Government and has been employed by the Division of Student
Affairs for the last several years. She also teaches “Art
for Elementary Majors” in the College of Education.
Michelle loves to be busy and is involved in a variety of
projects. She works with the Children’s Coalition in West
Palm Beach, helping underprivileged and abused kids. She also
provides them opportunities to experience art through workshops
with the art galleries.
Likes? “We want to visit all of the State and
National Parks. We enjoy canoeing, and snorkeling.” She
loves working in a wide variety of art mediums (painting,
sculpture, drawing) and has a house full of her work. “my
husband gets so attached to them.”
Any dislikes? “I get offended by rude people,
especially those on I-95 who do not use their turn
signals.”
Anything unusual in the fridge? “A lot of English
Chocolate.” Yummm!
_______________________________________________________
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.
