Campus Access
Program
Purpose and Philosophy
At St. Andrews Presbyterian College, the Office of Disability Services
(ODS) coordinates appropriate academic and housing accommodations for
all students with documented disabilities. Support is also provided to
students in coordinating their own personal care, medical, and transportation
needs within the community.The
ODS is the designated office that obtains and files disability-related
documents, certifies eligibility for services, determines reasonable accommodations,
develops plans for the provision of those accommodations.In
a higher education setting, it is the student’s responsibility to
request in advance any individual assistance, if desired. It is important
to remember that not every student with a disability needs an accommodation.
It is equally important to remember that even though two individuals may
have the same disability, they may not need the same accommodation. Our
mission is to create an accessible environment where people are judged
on their ability, not their disability. The college community is caring
and supportive, with high academic and personal expectations for each
student. ODS strives to provide individuals with the tools by which they
can better accomplish their educational and personal goals.
Our Goals
-
Develop
and implement programs to enable persons with disabilities to attend
St. Andrews
- Provide
appropriate academic accommodation and support services
- Provide
appropriate housing accommodations
- Provide
referral and access to personal support services and community
resources
- Provide
information and referrals to career services, counseling services, financial
aid and
other campus resources
- Encourage
and assist students with disabilities to develop greater independence
- Work
with campus staff to remove architectural barriers
- Increase
faculty understanding of the various needs of students with disabilities.
- Assist the college in interpreting legal mandates addressing persons with disabilities
History
From its beginnings, St. Andrews was designed to be accessible
to students regardless of disability, fulfilling the vision of the founders
that all academically qualified students have access to an undergraduate
education. St. Andrews was one of the first colleges in the country to
design a campus with wheelchair access in mind. As students with physical
disabilities began to attend, services were put in place to meet their
academic needs. These academic support services also
benefit students with other disabilities, as does a campus environment
that is disability aware. St. Andrews is committed
to providing a full educational experience, while at the same time preparing
students for all the challenges and all the rewards they can expect to
find in the world beyond St. Andrews. The vision of accessibility by
the original founders of St. Andrews continues strong today.