My Colby-Sawyer Experience
"I am really impressed with faculty here, who are dedicated teachers and scholars. I like the atmosphere. I could not imagine a friendlier welcome." - Ewa Chrusciel, Assistant Professor, Humanities
[ read more ]
disability services for students
Support services are provided for students with documented disabilities to assure accessibility of college programs. Students with documented disabilities have been admitted to Colby-Sawyer by the same criteria as other students and have met the same standards for admission.
Colby-Sawyer College is committed to ensuring reasonable accommodations to students with documented disabilities, in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1992.
As a resource, the college provides Disability Services & College Transition: A Guide for Students and Families.
The college's Academic Development Center (ADC) coordinates academic support services for students with disabilities. Services include the development of an individual learning profile and the arrangement of accommodations for specific needs.
Disclosure of Disabilities
In order to access accommodation services, students must disclose their disabilities to the Academic Development Center and provide documentation of both their disability and the impact it has on their learning and/or other major life activities.
The process involves filling out a Special Needs Disclosure Form and providing Documentation of Disabilities; this form and specific guidelines for documentation are available on the ADC site. The learning specialist reviews documentation and determines appropriate accommodations, as well as assists students in connecting with other services on campus. Accommodations are determined on an individual basis.
Housing and Residential Education
The Office of Residential Education provides a number of housing options for students with disabilities, including handicapped-accessible residence halls on campus. Students with documented medical needs may also request special housing accommodations on campus.
For a copy of the request form, click here: Housing Accommodations Request Form.
Campus Safety Services
The Department of Campus Safety provides public safety services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to all members of the college community. Campus Safety is a service-oriented organization that seeks to create a safe atmosphere that is conducive to a positive residential learning environment.
The department's mission is to promote individual responsibility and community commitment through education, empowerment, engineering and enforcement using proactive partnerships throughout the college community.
Health and Counseling Services
Baird Health and Counseling Center (BHCC) coordinates the supportive health care needs for students with disabilities. We work with all students that disclose various types of needs from academic to psychological/physical needs.
Appropriate referrals, communication of available services and coordination with other college departments are all part of this coordinated effort. Our services include assessment and management of acute and chronic health issues, medication refills and counseling.
We collaborate with the Academic Development Center (ADC) to review strategies and services that are offered and assess their effectiveness. We also collaborate with Residential Education when students request a single room for medical reasons.
Students who have questions regarding specific individual health care needs should contact the director of BHCC at bhcc@colby-sawyer.edu
Recreation and Athletic Activities
Students with disabilities are encouraged to participate fully in the college's recreational and athletic programs.The college's primary indoor recreational facilities are the Dan and Kathleen Hogan Center and the Mercer Hall gymnasium, both of which are handicap accessible.
The Hogan Center provides wheelchair access to most of its facilities, including the fitness center, field house and pool. The center's indoor track is not wheelchair accessible. The recent addition of an elevator in Mercer Hall has made its gymnasium accessible to people who use wheelchairs.
