{"id":19605,"date":"2012-08-13T03:25:09","date_gmt":"2012-08-13T08:25:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/?p=19605"},"modified":"2012-08-13T04:09:14","modified_gmt":"2012-08-13T09:09:14","slug":"college-program-helps-students-with-disabilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2012\/08\/13\/college-program-helps-students-with-disabilities\/","title":{"rendered":"College program helps students with disabilities"},"content":{"rendered":"

College program helps students with disabilities<\/strong><\/p>\n

August 12, 2012<\/p>\n

McALLEN, Texas (AP) \u2014 When Gabriel Rios begins classes at South Texas
\nCollege this month, he’ll deal with worries beyond those that confront
\nmost incoming college freshmen.<\/p>\n

Rios, an 18-year-old student who is deaf, is nervous about the
\ncollege-level curriculum and advanced reading and writing levels he’ll
\nneed when he pursues a certificate in auto mechanics. But Rios knows
\nolder friends who are deaf have struggled adjusting to college, a
\nchallenge that puts college graduation rates for deaf individuals far
\nbelow the national average.<\/p>\n

But Rios is among a dozen students with disabilities who will receive
\nthe support services they need at STC through a five-year program
\ndesigned to help them graduate and later secure employment. Rios’
\nmother, Anabel, said the program will put him on a level playing field
\nwith the college’s other students.<\/p>\n

“The deaf community is not really that known so you’re very much on
\nyour own” on college campuses, Anabel Rios said the program will help.
\n“He’s a little bit nervous because it’s going to be a challenge, but I
\ntold him that’s why you’ll have the support through Project HIRE.”<\/p>\n

Project HIRE \u2014 or Helping Individuals Reach Employment \u2014 will provide
\n50 area high school students with educational and career coaches who
\nwill monitor their progression through college and eventually help them
\nland jobs. Funded by a $1.25 million grant from the Texas Council for
\nDevelopmental Disabilities, the new program will provide those students
\nwith “wrap-around services” such as on-campus counselors who help with
\ncollege success; intensive summer training programs focused on
\nindependent living and life skills; and job placement services through
\nthe University of Texas-Pan American’s placement office.<\/p>\n

But Project HIRE also provides South Texas College a way to evaluate
\nand improve upon its current services for students with disabilities,
\nsaid Paul Hernandez, the college’s dean of student support services.
\nSTC currently has about 300 students who have self-identified through
\nthe Americans with Disabilities Act to qualify for some of the
\ncollege’s support services, including lecture notes, sign language
\ninterpretation and extended time for tests.<\/p>\n

Hernandez said Project HIRE’s awareness component could encourage other
\nstudents with disabilities \u2014 who have not self-identified \u2014 to seek out
\nthe available assistance that can improve their college success.<\/p>\n

“It’s really to get these students where other students are at by
\nproviding reasonable accommodations,” he said. “We want them to
\nparticipate just like any other student in the classroom.”<\/p>\n

Project HIRE’s first group of students \u2014 which includes those with
\nvision and hearing impairments, learning disabilities, cerebral palsy
\nand other disabilities \u2014 graduated last week from a summer college
\nreadiness program. Maria Morin, a University of Texas-Pan American
\nprogram coordinator who taught the eight-week program, said educational
\ncoaches will remain available to help them as they transition to
\ncollege.<\/p>\n

The educational coaches can also help them obtain available
\naccommodations, including class materials in larger print or Braille
\nfor students with visual impairments or software programs for students
\nwith severe cognitive disabilities.<\/p>\n

Project HIRE’s workforce readiness program also connected to mentors at
\nlocal businesses where the students spent time during the summer to get
\nexperience in their chosen career fields, said Katherine Filut, the
\ndisability program navigator for Workforce Solutions, the county’s
\nworkforce development board. The employers \u2014 including municipalities,
\na doctor’s office and lumberyard, among others \u2014 will help Project
\nHIRE’s students get real world experience before graduation.<\/p>\n

“The stereotype is those with disabilities can’t do the job,” she said.
\n“With a little bit of assistive technology, an individual with a
\ndisability can do the job just as well as anybody else.”<\/p>\n

But for the students, Project HIRE’s biggest asset might be a chance to
\nmeet other students confronting similar concerns as they enter college.<\/p>\n

Through Project HIRE’s summer program, Gabriel Rios developed a quick
\nfriendship with Yliana Castillo, a Nikki Rowe senior who will receive a
\ncertificate as an office specialist before pursuing a career in law
\nenforcement.<\/p>\n

Rios said through sign language that Project HIRE will make college
\nfeel less overwhelming. Castillo said the students would have access to
\nhelp if they need it.<\/p>\n

“College is not the same as high school,” she said. “I’m way anxious
\nbut can’t wait to get started.”<\/p>\n

Information from: The Monitor<\/p>\n

Source:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.necn.com\/08\/12\/12\/College-program-helps-students-with-disa\/landing.html?&apID=a1d7973953014fccb78276a3ab235ecd<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

College program helps students with disabilities August 12, 2012 McALLEN, Texas (AP) \u2014 When Gabriel Rios begins classes at South Texas College this month, he’ll deal with worries beyond those that confront most incoming college freshmen. Rios, an 18-year-old student…<\/p>\n

Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[1204,114,3472,14637,4621,7693,2244,14645,2848,215,35,14636,24,511,14635,5011,14639,14644,1673,14641,14638,10395,11269,14646,14642,182,2216,884,14640,7981,9797,379,14643],"class_list":["post-19605","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-deaf-news","tag-accommodations","tag-ada","tag-americans-with-disabilities-act","tag-anabel-rios","tag-article","tag-auto-mechanics","tag-braille","tag-cerebral-palsy","tag-classroom","tag-college","tag-community","tag-curriculum","tag-deaf","tag-disabilities","tag-gabriel-rios","tag-graduation","tag-helping-individuals-reach-employment","tag-katherine-filut","tag-law-enforcement","tag-paul-hernandez","tag-project-hire","tag-reading","tag-south-texas-college","tag-stc","tag-student-support-services","tag-students","tag-texas-council-for-developmental-disabilities","tag-training","tag-university-of-texas-pan-american","tag-visual-impaired","tag-workforce-solutions","tag-writing","tag-yliana-castillo"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p752R-56d","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8641,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2009\/12\/07\/texans-with-disabilities-transitioning-from-high-school-to-college\/","url_meta":{"origin":19605,"position":0},"title":"Texans with Disabilities Transitioning from High School to College","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"December 7, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Texans with Disabilities Transitioning from High School to College Going College http:\/\/www.going-to-college.org\/ This new website contains information about living college life with a disability. 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