Disability Services
914.395.2235, Westlands 116
Disability Services works with students, faculty, and staff to ensure that appropriate accommodations and services are provided for students with disabilities. Sarah Lawrence will make reasonable accommodations and provide auxiliary aids and services to assist otherwise qualified persons in achieving access to its programs, services, and facilities in accordance with Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The Office of Access and Disability Services also provides assistance to students with temporary disabilities due to illness or injury.
The process for receiving accommodations begins with the student self-disclosing a disability to Disability Services and providing that office with the necessary supporting documentation to verify eligibility. Guidelines for documenting specific disabilities can be found on the College website at sarahlawrence.edu/ disability-services. Documentation is considered confidential information and does not become part of a student’s permanent record, nor is it shared with other campus offices or persons without the student’s written consent. The associate dean of studies and disability services works closely with the student to assess special needs, and together they determine what accommodations and services will be reasonable and appropriate. Accommodations are determined on an individual, case-by-case basis.
Accommodations often include, but are not limited to, the following:
- extended time on tests and/or quiet testing location
- assistance during course registration
- note-taking assistance
- provision of readers, scribes, or sign language interpreters
- written materials provided in alternate format, e.g., Kurzweil, audio from Learning Ally
- housing modifications and assistance with dietary concerns
- on-campus medical transport
Students who would like Sarah Lawrence to accommodate a disability are encouraged to contact the director of access and disability services at 914.395.2235 or disabilityservices@sarahlawrence.edu. To make the accommodations in a timely manner, it is important, when possible, to self-disclose and document the disability prior to the semester of enrollment.
Donning
Faculty/student interaction is central to academic life at Sarah Lawrence. The don serves as the primary academic adviser, helps the student plan a program, and meets with the student regularly throughout the undergraduate years. A don’s approval is necessary in matters such as registration and program changes, special plans such as an off-campus year, or acceleration. In addition, dons are available to help students access resources for nonacademic issues. After the first year, students and their dons should continue to meet on a regular and consistent basis.