[Ucr-sdrc] SDRC Newsletter

[Glyn A Wild]

UCR SDRC Snapshot
A newsletter featuring reminders, resources, events and opportunities.

Follow SDRC on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/UCRSDRC>, Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/ucrsdrc>, and Twitter<https://twitter.com/UCRSDRC> for information and updates.
Do you have questions about using or requesting approved accommodations? If so, please call 951-827-3861 or email sdrc at ucr.edu<mailto:sdrc at ucr.edu>.

Season's Greetings!
The SDRC Staff would like to thank you for the opportunity to work with you this year. We hope you have the opportunity to relax, recharge, and enjoy the company of those closest to you during this holiday season. Please be well and take care of yourself. Best wishes on final exams! See you in Winter 2022!

SDRC Office Hours and Staffing for December
December 6-10, 2021 (Final Exams Week):
-          Main SDRC Office (1228 SSB) will be open regular hours, 8:00am-5:00pm. Disability Specialists will be available to assist for general questions, concerns and emergent situations that arise. Intakes will be limited to remote appointments only.
-          SDRC Testing Center (1213 SSB) will be open extended hours, 8:00am-9:00pm, to proctor in-person Final Exams with accommodations. Requests to have Final Exams with accommodations proctored at the Testing Center must have already been registered through R'Ability by the previous deadlines. Staff are available to answer general questions.
 December 13-17, 2021:
-          Both the SDRC Main Office (1228 SSB) and SDRC Testing Center (SSB 1213) will be open and staffed regular business hours, 8:00am-5:00pm, with all services available. On Friday, December 17, the office will be closed from 11:00am-1:30pm, but will reopen for the afternoon. Note: This will be the last day before Winter Break SDRC staff will be physically on campus.
 December 20-22, 2021:
-          SDRC Staff will be providing services remotely (phone, Zoom, email) only this week, during regular business hours (8:00am-5:00pm). In-person appointments and services will not be available in the Student Services Building offices.
 December 23, 2021 - January 2, 2022:
-          UCR will be closed. Most offices, including SDRC, will be closed. No SDRC staff will be working during this time. Email messages may be left during this time to be addressed by staff when they return on January 3.
 January 3, 2022:
-          SDRC Offices re-open for Winter 2022 and will again be operating during regular business hours.

Review your exam appointments in R'Ability for Finals Week!
Dear SDRC Student,
This is a friendly reminder as we approach Final Exam Week to review your calendar in R'Ability<https://rability.ucr.edu/>. To do so, please log in with your NetID to the Student Portal of R'Ability and Click "View Your Calendar." You will see a list of all remaining exam requests that you have made for the quarter, with the start time and end time of each request noted.
If your exam is being proctored in the classroom and you have made an appointment via R'Ability, please report to the SDRC Testing Center at the time indicated on your R'Ability calendar. You will also receive an email one day prior to your exam, noting your exam time.
If your exam is online and you have made an exam accommodation request via R'Ability, please follow the instructions provided to you by your instructor regarding accessing your exam. You will also receive an email one day prior to your exam, noting your exam time.
The SDRC Testing Center is open for Final Exam Week on Saturday, December 4th from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, and on Monday, December 6th through Friday, December 10th from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm. The SDRC Testing Center is located in 1213 Student Services Building, on the first floor next to the elevator. You do not need to wait in line at the HOSS counter before coming to the office. The door to the Student Services Building is locked on Saturdays. If you are scheduled to take an exam on that day, please call 951-827-3028 and SDRC staff will let you in.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please email sdrc-exams at ucr.edu.
Thank you,
SDRC Testing Center

E-text/Alternate Media Accommodations:
Please submit your Alternate Media Requests using the Alternate Format Textbooks module on the R'Ability<https://rability.ucr.edu/clockwork/custom/misc/index> website as soon as course materials are announced. Required course material will be prioritized. Requests may take longer than 2 weeks to fulfill due to limited staff working hours over the next 12 weeks. Please email sdrc-at at ucr.edu  if you have any questions or concerns.
Students are highly encouraged to purchase e-text versions of required textbooks. When e-text is not available, the Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) works with the campus bookstore, the publishers, and other partners to provide course materials in e-text formats. To avoid delays, it is best to purchase e-versions of all available textbooks.

SDRC Bootcamp: Transitioning/Returning to UCR as a Student with a Disability

Transitioning or returning to an in-person learning environment as a student with a disability can present challenges. SDRC team members and student leaders will provide a one day boot camp opportunity on Wednesday, January 5, 2022, with multiple sessions that will help prepare you to transition to UCR.
To RSVP to any or all of the sessions below, please complete this form.<https://forms.gle/kqgDKzFyE6ZAjoQ68>
Students registered with SDRC are welcome to register to all sessions that are relevant to them.
Description of Sessions:

10:30 AM- 11:00 AM:
Session 1: "I'm Registered, Now What?'
Facilitators: Felicitas Nungaray and Hanna Randolph
Description: Whether you are new or returning, an Orientation to Services refresher is always helpful. Come join us as we review how to send out letters of accommodations to faculty, schedule tests, and/or ask questions as it relates to accessing approved accommodations.

11:00 AM- 11:30 PM
Take a Break with Student Leaders
Description: Come join SDRC Peer Mentors and the student leaders of DAPi Honor Society and the Student Disability Union.  Get to know your fellow peers in an informal setting and potentially partake in a few virtual games.

11:30 AM-12:00 PM:
Session 2: Intro to Tech Tools for Note Taking
Facilitators: Jenny Biggers and Will Pines
Description: Note taking in the college setting can be intimidating; learn about various methods that can assist with note taking and become acquainted with tech tools that can be helpful for note taking.

12:30 PM- 1:00 PM:
Take a Break with Student Leaders
Description: Come join SDRC Peer Mentors and the student leaders of DAPi Honor Society and Student Disability Union.  Get to know your fellow peers in an informal setting and potentially partake in a few virtual games.

1:00 PM -1:30 PM:
Session 3: Self-Advocacy in the College Setting
Facilitators: Jenny Biggers and Glyn Wild
Description: Improve your self-advocacy skills as it relates to requesting clarification about course material, communicating disability related information, or addressing concerns.  Additionally, this workshop will help you understand your rights and responsibilities as it relates to accessing SDRC resources during the Winter 2022 quarter.

1:30P PM - 2:00 PM:
Student Panel-Tips and Strategies for a smooth transition to UCR
Moderators: Jenny Biggers and Glyn Wild
Description: Hear from students first-hand about resources/strategies that supported their transition to UCR.

2:00 PM- 2:30 PM: Wrap Up/Final Questions
Facilitators: Felicitas Nungaray and Jenny Biggers
Description:  Any last thoughts or questions? Join us in closing out the day as we share out additional resources and discuss upcoming events.

SDRC in Office Resources
The SDRC has two in-house resources available to students registered with our office. These resources include a computer station that has access to the R'Ability Web Portal<https://rability.ucr.edu/> and CZUR, a desktop scanning utility. R'Ability is an online platform that provides collaboration between the SDRC, students with disabilities, faculty, and note takers. It facilitates the following functions:
Pre-registration for services for students with disabilities
Quarterly Letters to Faculty to notify faculty of their approved accommodations by notifying faculty of your approved accommodations
Schedule course tests/exams/quizzes with accommodations at the SDRC Testing Center
Request alternate Format Textbooks (e-text) for qualifying students
Note sharing for a student to volunteer as a notetaker and upload notes, and for students with disabilities to request and retrieve notes
Calendar for students registered with SDRC to see their scheduled appointments and exams
The CZUR scanning station is a new type of intelligent scanner whose best features are its high scanning speed, its ability to recognize and correct for curved, incorrectly positioned, or soiled pages, and its ability to quickly and easily convert scanned pages to more useful formats (including PDF, searchable PDF, and MS Word).
The scanner can automatically handle pages otherwise difficult or very time-consuming to scan. For example, it can automatically flatten the curved pages of open books (using laser lines), automatically split double pages into two, and correct pages incorrectly positioned. This allows large books to be scanned and archived very quickly.
For more information on how these new services can benefit you, please contact our office at sdrc at ucr.edu or come to our office at 1228 Student Services Building.

Scholarship Opportunities for Students with Disabilities
Gordon Hein Scholarship Applications now Open
https://forms.gle/6CGQunuKPrb5g6JY8
Gordon E. Hein Scholarship Application 2020-2021
Scholarship will cover in-State Fees at UCR
Application Due December 5, 2021
 Requirements:
Legally Blind
Undergraduate or Graduate
Enrolled Full Time
Registered with SDRC

Orion Fund
https://www.theorionfund.org/grants.php
Each year The Orion Fund awards grant to California college students with serious illness or injury. If you are in college, age 32 and under, and have a serious medical condition affecting your ability to stay in school, then The Orion Fund may be able to help.
Accepting Bridge Grant applications through December.
Grants are awarded to cover:
Medical expenses
Medical technology
Educational costs
Living expenses

REMINDER THAT SDRC HAS MOVED!!
The SDRC Main Office has moved from Costo Hall to 1228 Student Services Building. The entrance is on the external, west side of the Student Services Building, directly across from Student Success Center. Look for us up the ramp and under the stairs. A SDRC sign will be on the building, hopefully early Winter 2022. If you have an appointment with a Disability Specialist or need general assistance, please go to this entrance and DO NOT go to the SDRC Testing Center entrance (in the SSB Lobby). Students taking exams or meeting with the AT Specialist should use the SDRC Testing Center entrance.

NEED AN APPOINTMENT WITH A SDRC STAFF MEMBER?
The good news is you can meet with a staff member either via Zoom or in-person. When you schedule your appointment, just let us know if you will need a Zoom link or will be coming to meet in-person. To request an appointment, you can submit a request on the Appointment Request Link<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScKshG6ezYwYaVC1afRn6je4xNESMg4BVn70TfTTeuThBD5Og/viewform> or call 951-827-3861. If you call and you get our voice message, please be sure to leave a message with your name, SID, and phone number we can reach you.

VISITING THE SDRC OFFICES OR TESTING CENTER?
What to know before you go!:
-          Disability Specialists are currently available by appointment only. Appointments arriving more than 10 minutes late will need to be rescheduled for an alternative time. Many times there is quite a bit of information to cover during the allocated appointment time and late start times doesn't allow enough time and/or the next appointment is delayed affecting others who are scheduled to meet with the staff member.
-          Exam accommodation spaces in the Testing Center are reserved primarily for students who have approved testing accommodations and are limited. Be sure you submitted your exam requests through rability.ucr.edu so that a seat may be reserved for you during your scheduled course exams. Proctoring an exam requires preparation and collection of information from not only you, but the instructor. Reservations and deadlines are in place to ensure SDRC can protect the integrity of the course exam process, while also ensuring students receive their approved accommodations.
SDRC COVID-19 Policies & Procedures (Applies to Main Office and Testing Center)
1)      Be prepared to show your Daily Wellness Check to SDRC staff.
2)      Wear your mask/face covering at all times, including covering your nose and mouth, regardless of vaccination status. The only exception is if you are completely alone in a testing room, with the door shut, taking an exam. However, as soon as the door opens (regardless of reason), the mask must immediately go back on.
3)      No eating/drinking in the center that requires you to remove your mask. Arrangements will be made to comply with approved accommodation needs in the Testing Center, during scheduled exams.
4)      Respect the personal space for other students and staff.
5)      Note that SDRC staff are regularly disinfecting hi-touch surfaces in the testing rooms, countertops, doors, lockers, etc.

Come, Join SDU!
Hi Everyone,
We hope you all have been enjoying the Fall 2021 quarter.  At the SDU (Student Disability Union) we welcome all students to join us as disability allies, as we work together to promote the awareness of disabilities; we also assist individuals with disabilities by hosting awareness events, programs, and support groups.
 If you are interested in joining the SDU, please access this link<https://highlanderlink.ucr.edu/organization/sdu>, or contact us at sdupublicrelationsofficer at gmail.com.
 Also, please follow us on Instagram! Insta: @sdu_ucr<https://www.instagram.com/sdu_ucr/>

Work with a SDRC Peer Mentor
As you prepare to transition to UCR, you may benefit from working with a peer mentor.  SDRC Peer Mentors are able to assist with navigating today's challenges, offer tips when needed, and provide guidance throughout Winter 2022 quarter and, if requested, throughout the academic school year.  A peer mentor has experienced similar challenges as yourself and will be able to help.

Peer mentors have participated in extensive training, and will continue to partake in ongoing skills-development training throughout the year. Our mentors understand the importance of confidentiality and are prepared to direct you to available resources when needed.
 If you are interested in having a peer mentor, complete this questionnaire<https://forms.gle/v34X3A3EHatGaxpe6>.
 Here's a short video  explaining the benefits of having a peer mentor:
https://ucr.yuja.com/V/Video?v=1891356&node=7254454&a=4980937&autoplay=1
 If you have any questions regarding the program, please contact Jennifer Biggers at jennifer.biggers at ucr.edu.



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[Social mobility signature]
For UCR COVID-19 updates and resources available to students during this time, visit here.<https://ehs.ucr.edu/coronavirus>

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