 "Photo: Jason Gilbert")
Donna Williams has never let anything stand in the way of her goals. Williams, who was born with cerebral palsy, said she has overcome discrimination to find her place at Texas A&M as an accommodations counselor for Services for Students with Disabilities, a position she has held for nearly 15 years.
Williams said she considers herself no different than anyone else.
"First of all, I really don't think about my disability," Williams said. "It's been with me since I was born."
Williams received her bachelor's of science from Hardin-Simmons University, her master's from Southern Methodist University and earned her doctorate at A&M. Williams said that after obtaining these degrees in higher education, she still had problems trying to find employment. Williams attributes this to the fact that she has a disability and that the world of employment was not ready for her.
"I was told I was overeducated for a person with a disability," Williams said.
Williams ended up working at A&M due in part to her friend, Linda Parrish, a Regents professor in the Department of Educational Psychology.
"We became friends while working on our doctorates, and she kept me abreast of any potential job openings," Williams said. "Linda told me there would be an opening in this office, and she wanted me to apply for it. After they decided to hire me, they gave me less than a week to relocate. I wanted a job so bad at that point, I said, 'I'll be there.'"
Williams said she was grateful for the job.
"When the job opportunity came up, I had to take it," Williams said. "No one would hire me because of my disability."
Parrish said she has worked countless hours alongside Williams since meeting her in the late '70s.
"I met (Williams) when she was a potential grad student, and I was actually on her doctorial committee later on," Parrish said. "Her support office does a very good job for those that self-disclose their disability, but there's a large number of students (who) don't disclose it or don't feel they need services. But I think she is better qualified than most. Sometimes, only a person with a disability can relate to those (with disabilities) who are seeking help."
Williams said she is pleased with the way the University is making accommodations for students and faculty with disabilities.
"Compared to when I came here as a student and then as a new employee, they are doing quite a bit," Williams said. "But the attitude of this office is that we want to level the playing field, so that all individuals, disabled or not, have an equal opportunity for attending and succeeding at an institution of higher education."
Williams said that every semester, she provides a needs-based program to help those with disabilities.
"I have a caseload during the spring and fall semesters of about 110 to 120 students - it varies from year to year," Williams said. "I help them obtain the proper accommodations they need. We provide accommodations to help students meet their needs. Some students I work with on a weekly basis, and some I see once a semester. We let them know what we can and can't do on an individual level."
Williams said she enjoys her work at A&M and that the University has supplied her with personnel and equipment to help her do her job.
"A&M has provided me with an electric cart to get around this huge campus," she said. "They always have provided student assistants to help with day-to-day clerical work. I've never been able to write for myself, whether it's a word or even my initials, and I'm not able to type because it puts too much stress on my joints, so the assistants act as my hands."
Matthew Roper, a senior biology major and Williams' student assistant since the beginning of the spring semester, said he enjoys being her "hands."
"It really speeds up certain tasks like taking notes," Roper said. "I also run quick errands around the office for her."
Roper said he first met Williams in his Interdisciplinary Studies 210: Understanding Special Populations, class.
"Donna was a guest speaker in the class, and I had heard that one of her aides graduated, so a spot was open," Roper said. "She was so amazing and such an inspiration that I decided that I had to work with her. The work she does gives everyone an equal chance. A&M is hard enough as it is, and to dedicate this many years of her life to helping others speaks a lot for her character and the character of the entire office."
Roper said he is pleased with the University's accommodations but that he believes there are still many things A&M can do to help people with disabilities.
"A&M is one of the best-equipped universities when it comes to those with disabilities, but some buildings and rooms, like Zachry and some other older buildings on campus, can pose problems," Roper said. "If a student has a class in a location where access is a problem, if Donna is made aware, she can work with the registrar to get the class moved."
Williams said she enjoys her work and helping students with disabilities achieve their goals.
"I don't want to give the impression that everyone that comes in here gets a degree," Williams said. "It takes work on the students' part. We're just here to assist them. But when the students I assist achieve their success by getting a degree from A&M, I hope that I've helped them."
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