Issue date: 6/28/05 Section: News

Media Credit: Jason Gilbert Donna Williams, an employee of Texas A&M Services for Students with Disabilities for 14 years, reviews a student profile Friday afternoon in her office at Cain Hall. Williams has a doctorate in Continuing Education from A&M and specializes in providing academic accommodations for students with disabilities.

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.

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