Programs Offered

The Office of Disability Services offers several presentations, workshops, scholarships, awards, and sponsors events throughout the academic year. Please stop by our office at 230 Fretwell or call 704- 687-4355 to find out about our current schedule of events.

Most current events are listed on our News and Events page.

Scholarships

Our office is excited to offer scholarships to eligible students from The Carol A. Douglas Endowment for Disabled Students and from The Lion’s Foundation of the Piedmont Fund!

Applications are accepted in the Spring and are applied the following Fall semester.

For more information, please visit our scholarship information web page.

Outstanding Faculty/Staff Award

Students nominate a faculty or staff member who has shown dedication and commitment to accessibility and disability related issues. Nomination forms can be obtained by contacting our office. Recipients of this award receive special recognition and are featured in the Disability Services newsletter, Tapestry. This is an annual award which occurs during the Spring semester.

Past Recipients:

Dan White Sue Spaulding Martha Sloss
Kathleen Nicolaides Jinny Bradley
Susan Boyd
Alain Krapl

Nominate Your Note Taker: Outstanding Volunteer Note Taker

The volunteer note taker program is an essential service for many students. This award is presented to volunteer note takers who have provided outstanding notes. Registered students who receive note taking as an accommodation can nominate their note taker for this award. Recipients of this award provide organized, clear, and timely notes. A gift certificate to the book store is given to the selected volunteers. This is an annual award and occurs during the Spring semester.

Past Recipients :

2007-2008 Danielle Erwin
Megan Gutelius
Kelley McGowan
Jamie Newman
Kendra Safrit
Terri Whited

2006-2007 Melinda Osbourne
Anna Call
Meg Barker
Alisha Gettys
Elizabeth Cranfill

Volunteer Opportunities

There are several ways to volunteer for the Office of Disability Services.

Be a VOLUNTEER NOTE TAKER: Our volunteer note taking program is the most popular and most rewarding. For more information please visit our Note Taking web page. Volunteers earn 45 hours of community service for each course in which they volunteer notes for a registered student. These hours can be used to meet certain club or university requirements. Experience as a volunteer note taker can also be a great resume' builder!

Volunteers are requested at the beginning of each semester.

Other volunteer opportunities arise throughout the academic year. For more information please contact our office.

Building Connections

This is a group that meets once a week for three weeks to help you explore building connections with others. Topics discussed include social perceptions, communication, and self awareness. The goal of the group is to help you gain and/or improve skills to help you have a satisfying social experience in college and beyond. Please let us know if you are interested in this unique opportunity.

Career Exploration

This presentation was designed for students who are not sure what their interests are and how to translate those interests into a career path. In other words, if you have no idea or just a general idea of what you want to do, that’s okay; this is the presentation for you! We will also discuss issues such as your interests, values, and self-concept which are so important to finding a career path that is rewarding. This workshop will be presented during the fall semester.

Job Search Skills

There IS life after college…are you prepared? I am sure you have thought about finding that perfect job once you have graduated, or even before. The process of getting your foot in the door can be very intimidating. This workshop is designed to help you plan for an effective job search. You will learn how to organize a pro-active search and consider issues such as how your disability plays a role in the process and how to present your strengths to a potential employer. This workshop will be held during the spring semester.

Work Force Recruitment

Once a year, we are fortunate to have a recruiter from the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) interview eligible students. The purpose of the program is to refer students with disabilities for employment at federal and private sector worksites throughout the U.S. Contact our office if you are interested in this great opportunity.

Students with Disabilities Transitioning into Higher Education

This presentation explores the change in services from high school to college and how to better prepare students with disabilities. This presentation is offered to interested high school service providers in the surrounding community. Please call our office for more information

Informational Sessions

Our office will be happy to present your department with further information regarding the role of the Office of Disability Services on campus and the services we provide. Please call to schedule a presentation.

EXPLORE

The Office of Disability Services participates in UNC Charlotte's open house sessions, EXPLORE. This program invites prospective students to learn more about UNC Charlotte. For further information about the EXPLORE program, please visit their website.

SOAR (Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration)

The Office of Disability Services is present at the resource fair during SOAR sessions. In addition, parents are invited to meet with the Disability Services' staff to obtain further information. For more information regarding the SOAR program, please visit their website.

PAST SPECIAL EVENTS:

Disability Awareness Week
The Office of Disability Services sponsored the first Disability Awareness Week, October 22-26, 2007.
Campus wide activities were held throughout the week to raise disability awareness and to promote accessibility and inclusion. The headlining event was "The One Legged Standup Comedian," Josh Sundquist.

THE ROLLING BOBCATS TOURNAMENTCharlotte’s own nationally ranked, Division II Rolling Bobcats took on the Dallas Mavericks, the Virginia Beach Sun Wheelers, and the Lakeshore Storm, Fall 2005 in the Belk gym. Sponsored by the Office of Disability Services and the Belk College of Business. Special guest appearance from Will Ferrell.