Hello,

The semester is nearly halfway through and fall has started sending in its cold winds and rain clouds. We hope you are staying warm, or cool on the still likely warm days, or however you need to deal with weather conditions... Midterms are happening, so please make sure you're requesting your exams! (See below for more information.) Fall Break is not too far off. And as you'll see from the posts below, and the never-ending career fairs happening on campus -- it's Summer Internship application season. Luckily our disability specialist for workplace accommodations, Sarah Fischer, has the series that can help you along the way. We also have a feature this month speaking to looking at accommodations in the workplace.

The photo above was from the 2024 Florence Gibbs Momeyer Lecture, featuring Dr. Josie Badger. It was a great talk and we hope to see you at next year's.

Onward, with the content.

Log in to the Student Portal to request accommodations, exams, and appointments with your disability specialist.

Alternative Testing Requests: All exam requests must be submitted at least three business days before the date of the exam. (Seven business days for finals.)

Business days exclude weekends and University observed holidays. Please note the Alternative Testing process is for in-person on-paper exams only. See: Alternative Testing Request Instructions for Students. If you have any questions, please contact DRS!

October is ADHD, Breast Cancer, Colon Cancer, Down Syndrome, Dwarfism, Dyslexia, Liver Cancer, and National Disability Employee Awareness Month, among many others.

Oct. 5 - American Veterans Disabled for Life Day
Oct. 6 - World Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day
Oct. 10 - World Mental Health Day
October 12 through 15 is Fall Break!
Oct. 15 - Blind Americans Safety Day
Oct. 20 - World Osteoporosis Day
Oct. 22 - International Stuttering Day
Oct. 24 - World Polio Day
Oct. 29 - World Stroke Day

DRS would like to thank all of those who attended our September College to Career virtual workshop on Resume writing!

The workshops are offered in collaboration with Career Services and focus on all aspects of employment, from pre-employment job searching to post-employment disclosure and accommodation requests. The series is designed to prepare students with disabilities for entering the workforce by providing education related to resume writing, job selection, self-advocacy, disability disclosure, accommodations, and interview etiquette.

All workshops are available to any undergraduate student registered with DRS and will take place from 3:00 to 4:00 pm via Zoom. The dates and topics are as follows:

• October 17th – Job Selection
• November 14th – Interviewing/Networking
• January 16th – Disability Disclosure
• February 13th – Accommodations Overview
• March 20th – Workplace Barriers
• April 10th – Self-Advocacy

Our next virtual workshop's topic will be Job Selection. We will be covering information related to the job selection process and things to consider when looking for a job, as well as resources that can assist with the process.

Be on the lookout for more information, including instructions on how to attend the event.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Pumpkin Painting on October 23rd from 2:00-4:30 pm in the William Pitt Union, dining room C  (up on the first floor).

A survey to sign up will be sent out soon.

The DRS Peer Mentor Program is designed to match first-year and transfer students with disabilities (mentees) with upper-class students with disabilities (mentors). Mentors use their personal experience and knowledge of campus life to provide friendship, guidance, and resources to mentees. The program intends to create connections between new and experienced students, to personalize the University learning experience, and to develop relationships. Sign up as a mentee today.

Induction Ceremony Recap
On September 24th, 68 students were inducted into Delta Alpha Pi.

Office Hours
We have an office space! We are in room 303 of the O’Hara Student Center. Starting September 30th, we will be holding regular office hours on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 pm to 3 pm. This will be a space where anyone can drop in to say hi, hang out, vibe, study, learn more about the Coalition and all our constituent groups, and talk about life as a disabled student at Pitt.

Autistic Students Union 

• 10/7: MHAM Masquerade – 6:00 pm, WPU 837
  As part of Student Government Board’s initiative for Mental Health Awareness Month, ASU is hosting this arts-and-crafts night where they will decorate masquerade ball-style masks and talk about the burdens of masking.
• 10/16: Anti-Scam Presentation – 6:00 pm, WPU 539
• 10/30: Minecraft Night – 6:00 pm, WPU 539

PRISM @Pitt 

• 10/10: PowerPoint Night – 6:30 pm, WPU 540
• 10/23: LGBT+ Mental Health with UCC – 6:30 pm, WPU Dining Room C
  As part of Student Government Board’s initiative for Mental Health Awareness Month, PRISM is hosting Dani Soltis from the University Counseling Center, to discuss LGBT+ mental wellness with students.
• 10/31: Halloween Celebration – 6:30 pm, WPU 837

Chronic Connection 
Meetings every Monday! - 6:30 pm in WPU 539
Hang out and socialize with other people with chronic illnesses.

Check out this resource from Pitt Mobility for how construction projects around campus may affect mobility. It is intended to communicate traffic alerts, street closures, shuttles and regional bus planning tools.

The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion is looking to recruit participants for a paid research study on Taking Action for college students with mental health challenges. Taking Action is a peer-delivered group intervention that helps participants create a personalized system for improving and maintaining wellness and recovery.
We are looking for individuals who:

1. Are currently enrolled in college in the US and have at least 2 semesters left
2. Experience significant mental health challenges
3. Are 18 years or older
4. Have consistent access to a computer or smartphone and the Internet for communications
5. Have not ever participated in a mental health recovery self-help educational program known as "Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP)" or "Taking Action”

Eligible participants will participate in 3 online research interviews and, if assigned to the intervention group, 5 online Taking Action group meetings. They may receive up to a total of $105 in electronic gift cards for completing the interviews as a thank you for their time.
If you have any questions or are interested in participating, please contact us.

The following four opportunities are for entry-level engineers and scientists who have recently graduated and have less than one (1) year of professional engineering or physical science work experience OR will be graduating between December 2024 and June 2025 to fill future vacancies and applications are accepted through October 31, 2024. These opportunities have a salary range of $63,022 - $90,383 per year and are located in:

• King of Prussia, PA
• Atlanta, GA
• Naperville, IL
• Arlington, TX

Student Temporary Internship (not to exceed 89 days) is designed to provide students with paid work opportunities within the U.S. NRC while still in school.

• Salaries range from $16.95 to $37.90 per hour.
• Applications are accepted through October 30, 2024.

The majority of the internship opportunities are located at NRC Headquarters in Rockville, MD. There are limited engineering and science-oriented opportunities in NRC regional offices:

• REGION I - King of Prussia, PA
• REGION II - Atlanta, GA
• REGION III - Naperville, IL
• REGION IV - Arlington, TX
• Technical Training Center (TTC) - Chattanooga, TN.

The NRC views Summer Interns as our future workforce. The work performed is professional in nature within a learning environment. Internship assignments are based on the functions and tasks performed in the organization to which you are assigned, and ideally related to your academic and career goals.

This position offers training and developmental opportunities in the following areas:

• Engineering: Chemical, Computer, Civil/Structural, Electrical/Electronics, Environmental, Fire Protection, Industrial, Materials/Metallurgical, Mechanical, Nuclear/Radiological, Systems, Welding
• Physical Science: Atmospheric/Meteorology, Environmental, Geology, Hydrology, Physics, Seismology, and Health Physics (including concentrations in Radiation Biology, Waste Management, Environmental Health, Risk Communication, Radiation Chemistry, Radiation Dosimetry, Radiation Ecology, Epidemiology, Medical Physics, Radiation Oncology/Technology)
• Business: Accounting, Data Analytics, Economics, Finance, Human Resources, Management, Marketing
• International: International Affairs, International Policy
• Emergency Management: Criminal Justice, Emergency Management, Homeland Security, Security Management
• Information Management / Graphic Design: Digital Media, Graphic Design; Information Management, Library Science, Multimedia, Records Management
• Information Technology: Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, Data Science, Computer Science/Information Technology, Instructional System Design, Network Engineering, Information Security, Software Architecture, Low-Code/No-Code Development, Application Development
• Mathematics: Actuarial Science, Data Analytics/Science, Mathematics, Statistics

Note that careers at the NRC do require employees to be U.S. citizens.

Join us this winter (January 6- March 14) for a paid internship with Booz Allen Hamilton + mentoring and career development in Washington, DC. **Reminder that there is no program fee for this internship!

Eligibility Criteria:

• Graduated or taking a gap year from a 4 year college/university
• Coursework and/or experience in:
  • Software engineering or web expertise
  • Software development
  • DevOps engineering
  • Low-Code/No-Code Solutions engineering
  • Software Architecture
  • Cloud computing and application architecture
• Identify as neurodivergent (like Autism, ADHD, learning disability, co-existing mental health disability, or learning, attention, or communication disability)

Application Deadline 12/6/24

Apply Today.

The Saturday, October 19th Parsec meeting will be held via ZOOM and IN PERSON at the Squirrel Hill Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - Meeting Room B.
Rooms open at 12:30pm for social time.
Meeting starts at 1pm.
Parsec Monthly Meetings are open to the public. Register for the ZOOM.

Our guest will be Day Al-Mohamed, author, filmmaker, and disability policy advisor.

Parsec is a 501(C)(3) organization promoting awareness of the richness found in speculative fiction. We'd love to see you there.

Observed annually in October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) celebrates the contributions of employees with disabilities. This year’s theme, Access to Good Jobs for All, recognizes the important role people with disabilities play in a diverse and inclusive workforce. A disability-inclusive workplace is an accessible workplace, including physical accessibility, technological accessibility, and attitudinal accessibility, one that makes people with disabilities feel welcome and valued. Accessible workplaces benefit all individuals.

As a college student, transitioning from college to employment may not be in the forefront of your mind, however it is important to consider your disability as it intersects with employment and begin preparing for this eventual shift.

Develop a History of Work Experience
While in college, look for opportunities to gain work experience. This could include volunteer positions with campus or community-based organizations, service leaning opportunities, campus work study, off-campus jobs, internships, and campus leadership positions.

Know Your Legal Rights
Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act assures equal access and non-discrimination for individuals with disabilities employed in companies with 15 or more employees. It is important to recognize how equal access may apply in the employment setting in relation to disability. Consider whether it is necessary to disclose your disability to perform your job functions and if so, when and to whom do you disclose? Employers will have a designated person or office who manages employment accommodations, and this is typically the best place to begin the dialogue.

Start the Process Early
Consider the impact your disability may have on your job performance and on your ability to perform requirements of the job. Assess the work environment, the amount of co-worker or peer interaction, essential functions that must be performed, and how performance is evaluated.

Determine Effective Job Accommodations
Understanding your job responsibilities and the impact your disability may have on your ability to perform are critical. Employees are expected to perform the essential functions of their job with or without reasonable accommodations. Accommodations may include assistive technology, modified schedules, physical space modifications, to name a few. The Job Accommodations Network is an excellent resource to explore accommodations.

Identify and Use a Support System
Support systems can be valuable as you transition from college to employment. In addition to your family, friends, and co-workers, many employers have established mentoring programs for new hires. Take advantage of any opportunities available in your workplace.

Adapted from Learning Disabilities Association of America ldaamerica.org

That's all for now! We'll see you next month.