Technology Accessibility
Smith College is committed to providing equal opportunity to persons with disabilities, including equal access to participate in and benefit from college programs, services and activities provided through electronic and information technology (EIT). It is important that accessibility is in the forefront as we design, build, acquire or use new EIT. This website provides resources for the campus community to support college policy regarding technology accessibility.
Did You Know?
- About 56.7 million people, 19 percent of the population, had a disability in 2010 (www.census.gov)
- In 2011–12, the percentage of undergraduates who reported having a disability was 11 percent (nces.ed.gov)
- The percentage of students with disabilities at Smith College is about 20 percent
Types of Disabilities
There are many types of disabilities, visible and invisible, that affect a person:
- Vision
- Movement
- Thinking
- Remembering
- Learning
- Communicating
- Hearing
- Mental Health
- Social Relationships
Why It Matters
- Consistent with the college’s mission
- Equal opportunities
- Independence
- Full participation and inclusion
- Improved recruitment and retention of students and employees
- Enhanced productivity
- Reduced legal costs
- Civil rights law: Title III of the ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in places of public accommodation, including private post-secondary institutions
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states that "no otherwise qualified individual with a disability...shall solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.