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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 28, 2007 TSU REFUNDS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS UNLAWFULLY COLLECTED FROM STUDENT WITH DISABILITY Advocacy, Inc. calls on Texas State to create disability accommodation and access policy Contact: Lucy Wood Phone: (512) 538-8728 (512) 454- 4816 x 327 (assistant Luz Probus) Fax: (512) 302- 4936 E-mail: lwood@advocacyinc.org San Marcos , Texas — Texas State University has agreed to refund nearly $6,000 unlawfully collected from Bailey Gosda, a student who has mobility impairments due to cerebral palsy. Advocacy, Inc., the non-profit disability law firm that assisted Gosda in negotiations with the school, commended the action. “We are delighted TSU has refunded the money without our having to go to court,” says Lucy Wood, Gosda’s attorney. “We hope this case will educate Texas State University and other schools on the need to respond to matters of accommodation and accessibility in keeping with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).” Gosda uses a wheelchair—and occasionally a walker—for mobility. As a freshman, she was initially assigned to an inaccessible dormitory. When she was transferred to an accessible dorm, she was billed nearly twice as much as other freshmen. “The accessible dorm was more expensive to begin with,” Gosda explains. “Then they added a surcharge because the room was not large enough to hold me, my equipment and a roommate.” She spent months trying to resolve the issue by herself before seeking assistance from Advocacy, Inc. Gosda, 20, is now a junior working toward a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree in business and accounting. She is also a pledge for PHI SIGMA PI, the National Honors Society co-ed fraternity. She is relieved to have the financial struggle behind her. “I can’t believe it’s been over a year since this whole thing started. I am very grateful for the help that I have received from Advocacy,” she says. “I’m just ready to move on and concentrate on my education, but I also hope this case will prevent this from happening to someone else.” Toward that end, Wood says Advocacy, Inc. has asked TSU officials to create an appropriate policy to handle future requests for accommodation that will protect other students with disabilities. Wood has drafted a policy for the university’s consideration but has yet to get a response. “With a comprehensive policy in place,” she says, “students won’t have to involve lawyers to have their rights recognized.” ###

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