"At the crossroads of education and determination"
Like Us on Facebook and Twitter
The Services to Students with Disabilities (SSD) office and WorkAbility IV (WAIV) have improved their social media presence on Facebook and have added Twitter feeds. Our aim is to update our sites continually with engaging content such as inspiring stories featuring people/students with disabilities, SSD/WAIV events such as the Ability Awareness Event, Career Panel Discussions, campus and community events, and other information relevant to the students we serve. In addition, SSD has begun creating captioned tutorial videos highlighting our services with step-by-step instructions on how to apply and complete the necessary paperwork. The first two videos feature exam accommodations and notetaking services. WAIV also created in-depth tutorials on how to develop and utilize LinkedIn to build students' professional networks. Since the new initiative began in April 2017, the SSD Facebook page preview increased 67%, page reach increased by 80% and post engagement increased by 36%. In the near future, SSD will add Instagram and an OrgSync page. To access the SSD Facebook page, click here! To access the WAIV Facebook page, click here!
Services to Students with Disabilities Summer 2017
Welcome Dr. Behrang (Ben) Touback and Michelle Varty
Dr. Behrang (Ben) Touback, Psy.D., is a neuropsychologist experienced in working with individuals with psychological, cognitive and developmental disorders. Dr. Touback received his doctorate in clinical psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 2011 and recently completed his post-doctoral neuropsychology specialty at the Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara in June 2017.
Dr. Touback's most recent academic position before coming to SSD was an adjunct faculty member. His duties included instructional training for students with cognitive, learning, behavioral, psychological and developmental disabilities. Dr. Touback is SSD's interim learning disabilities specialist and will play an integral role in assisting students with learning disabilities to develop strategies to cope with their disabilities and improve their academic performance.
WorkAbility IV welcomes Michelle Varty as the program’s new graduate assistant job developer. The program’s mission is to provide support through enhanced career preparation services to CSUSB students with disabilities who are clients of the California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR). WorkAbility IV assists them in overcoming barriers, obtaining gainful employment within their academic major and job retention.
Varty's responsibilities include assisting students with job development and placement, resume and cover letter preparation, completing employment applications, and reinforcing job-seeking skills through one-on-one job development and follow up with employment services. Varty is currently a CSUSB graduate student in the Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling program. Prior to her new role, she was a substitute teacher for nearly five years and taught general education courses at San Joaquin Valley College. Varty has a passion for working with college students and aspires to become a counselor in higher education for students with disabilities.
Varty offered these words of advice for our students: “If I could offer any advice, it is to persevere. Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tiptoe if you must, but take the steps!” We have no doubt that with her experience, passion and drive, she will be a great asset to our department and the WorkAbility IV team. For more information on the WorkAbility IV program, visit our website at https://www.csusb.edu/workability-iv.
SSD Fall Quarter 2017 Dates to Remember
Can you believe that summer is almost behind us? We can’t either! Now that school is almost ready to begin again, you might be even busier than you have been all summer! In that case, it’s even more important to be organized. SSD understands that the life of a student at CSUSB can sometimes be hectic. We are here to help!
Every student is unique — each is an individual with their own ideas, priorities and ways of getting things done. By combining the information a student provides on their Application for Services with the disability verification and accompanying documentation, counselors use their expertise to recommend appropriate accommodations, matching each student applicant with available services, in order to provide appropriate academic support during that student’s exciting journey at CSUSB.
In order to provide each of our registered students with excellent service, it is critical that Service Request Forms be turned in by the posted deadline, or as soon as possible thereafter. If you prefer to submit your forms early, that’s even better! We are continuing to process Service Requests for fall quarter 2017. While some of our deadlines are approaching and others have (technically) passed, it’s not too late to submit the necessary requests for fall quarter services, but please do so today. More information about our services is available at: https://www.csusb.edu/ssd, and you can complete Service Request Forms online at: https://www.csusb.edu/ssd/services/service-request.
SSD serves hundreds of students on two campuses. With so much going on all the time, we must have general guidelines. With our deadline dates in parentheses, here are SSD’s preferred timelines for submitting request forms for fall quarter 2017:
Accessible Furniture: 10 working days before the beginning of the quarter (Sept. 4, 2017).
Alternate Media Requests or Class Aide: 6 weeks before the beginning of the quarter (Aug. 9, 2017).
Assignment Accommodations: Within 5 days of the first class (Sept. 13, 2017).
FM Systems: Sometime before the beginning of the quarter (September 21, 2017).
Cart Services, Notetaking Services, SmartPen Program, Captioning Services, and ASL Interpreters: At least 30 days before the quarter starts (August 10, 2017).
Exam Accommodations: At least 5 days before the date of a quiz or midterm, and at least 3 weeks before the date of a final exam.
Priority Registration: Students who are enrolled in the “Over 60” Program are not eligible for Priority Registration.
Finally, the Campus Academic Calendar provides additional information that every CSUSB student should know. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, let us know by calling 909-537-5238 or emailing ssd@csusb.edu. We look forward to seeing you!
Why I love Assistive Technology (AT) - Connie Jones
Hi, I’m Connie Jones, the physical/visual counselor with the SSD office, and I’ve used assistive technology (AT) for years. Due to my own visual impairment, I’ve used ZoomText (a magnification software), a CCTV (handheld video magnifier), and many more assistive devices and visual aids to be able to work, use my phone, shop at the grocery store, read a menu, take quick pictures of notes in a meeting or just to manage my everyday life.
I first heard about ZoomText from an eye specialist at Loma Linda University and I’ve never looked back. At that time, ZoomText was fairly new and very expensive. That began my research into college disability offices and the Department of Rehabilitation. I quickly learned that the community colleges and other local universities had various named AT labs that enabled students to learn about the different types of assistive technology. Students could use the software to do homework, exams and other types of work in the AT labs. I was able to learn about ZoomText, Kurzwell, CCTVs and various other types of assistive technology. Over time, assistive technology has played a big part in my life and my ongoing interest in educating students and others about AT. That’s why I refer staff, faculty and students to the awesome Assistive Technology and Accessibility Center (ATAC) on campus where they can utilize and learn more about assistive technology. So, please stop by the ATAC lab when you have a chance. For more information regarding assistive technology, visit http://blogs.csusb.edu/its/tag/its/.
WorkAbility IV Virtual Job Club
The WorkAbility IV team recently unveiled the Virtual Job Club. The new webpage provides a place for students to get job search support and information sharing twenty-four hours a day to help find job leads, improve online profiles, resumes, job applications, and workplace skills; and participate in webinars and other events.
The webpage has several tabs; below are brief descriptions of the information contained in each tab. “Frequently Asked Questions” contains information about WA-IV services and links to email staff directly to receive support, advice and much-needed encouragement during stressful times or to make an appointment to meet with a staff member for one-on-one employment services. The “Job Postings” tab has a list of current area job postings categorized by major fields of study, and includes the links to apply for employment. The “Job Development Tools” tab has resume guides, video tutorials to navigate CSUSB's employment listings, helpful links to occupational profiles, and a list of upcoming workshops. “Student Success Spotlights” feature past WA-IV participants. Video interviews with various campus faculty members and department staff with helpful words of advice and resources will be posted on a regular basis. To view the webpage click on https://www.csusb.edu/workability-iv/virtual-job-club.
