Williams College students with disabilities have the right to engage and participate in the same activities, campus services, programs, and experiences offered to students without a disability. In addition, they have the right to access and utilize the same information shared with all students, and to have the same opportunity to achieve, both inside and outside the classroom.
When these opportunities are not offered equally, or when there are barriers to full engagement and participation for students with disabilities, the College will arrange reasonable accommodations. Accommodations are provided to otherwise qualified students with documented disabilities when requested and when necessary to ensure equal access to College programs, facilities, and experiences. This is in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008 and similar state laws.
The Office of Accessible Education (OAE) takes the lead in determining and coordinating these accommodations on behalf of the College and collaborates with students, faculty, and staff to advocate for nondiscrimination and equal access for students with disabilities.
Who qualifies for accommodations at Williams College?
The ADA and Section 504 identify a person with a disability as an individual who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, reading, or learning.
Conditions that are minor and temporary (such as a cold or flu) don’t count as disabilities under the ADA. However, some short-term illnesses or injuries (such as concussions) can qualify as disabilities, depending on their severity and duration. In the accommodations request process, we focus more on the impact a condition or diagnosis has on a student — what functional limitations the condition causes for that particular individual — than on the condition or diagnosis itself.
How do I request an accommodation from the College?
The Office of Accessible Education (OAE) is the primary point of contact for students seeking accommodations under Section 504 and the ADA. We work individually with each student to establish their eligibility for accommodations and to create a customized plan of support, which can include reasonable accommodations to ensure full access to and participation in the College’s academic and co-curricular programs.
There are three core steps to requesting any accommodation:
- Student Request Form
Complete this Accommodation Request Form to open a case file and submit your request in Accommodate, our web-based accommodations management software. For students who already have a case file in Accommodate, log in then go to Accommodation > Supplemental > Add New to request to renew, modify, or add to your accommodation plan. - Documentation from a Healthcare Provider
Documentation from a licensed healthcare professional is an important part of the accommodation request process. To make sure OAE receives the information that is most helpful in determining accommodations, please ask your provider to complete our Documentation of Disability form. A signed letter on professional letterhead that follows our Documentation Guidelines is also acceptable. - Meeting with an OAE Staff Member
Please email [email protected] to arrange a meeting to discuss your request in more detail and make a plan for next steps.