The fact that students formed a committee this spring to advise College administrators on disability-related issues is a step in the right direction. Responsibility in this case falls both to students and to the College. Open communication and cooperation between students and administrators is critical to solving this issue. Blair Sullivan '10
Aiding in accessibility for students with disabilities should be a top priority for Dartmouth. But instead of providing more outreach to students with disabilities, Dartmouth should make students more aware what aid is already in place. In the face of another wave of budget cuts, it is of utmost importance for Dartmouth to improve on what has already been instituted before considering adding more aid.
Jasper Hicks '12
The College's mission statement declares that it "embraces diversity with the knowledge that it significantly enhances the quality of a Dartmouth education" and "instill[s] a sense of responsibility for each other and for the broader world." This is not and should not be limited to specific definitions of diversity or uniqueness of situations. If a student is admitted to Dartmouth, her or she deserves every opportunity that his or her peers will enjoy.
Cameron Nutt '11
The College has a responsibility to provide an inclusive and accessible education for all students. As long as it is communicating that policy clearly and carrying it out effectively, it is students' responsibility to educate themselves about and utilize the policy.Isaiah Berg '11
The College should certainly be doing a better job of making students with disabilities aware of the resources available to them and the steps necessary to make use of those resources. It is the job of students with disabilities, however, to seek out the resources that they need, just as it is any other student's responsibility to seek out more conventional help such as tutoring, or even an appointment at Dick's House.
Tom Mandel '11It is ultimately the responsibility of students with disabilities to maintain open communication about what services they require and any issues they have with services currently required. If this much is done successfully, Accessibility Services can continue to develop its program to ensure that Dartmouth accommodates all students with learning disabilities in the future.Julian Sarkar '13
There is absolutely no excuse for Dartmouth's treatment of students with disabilities, learning or physical. Accessibility services should be a priority for the administration, not an afterthought that is pursued only in years that there is a budget surplus. The idea that the best case scenario requires the Accessibility Services director to interact with students only twice is absurd a truly supportive system would maintain contact with students throughout the year, periodically checking up on them and tracking their progress. It doesn't matter that this is college, rather than high school Dartmouth has a mandate to provide its students with an excellent education, and when it fails to tailor the educational experience to students' particular needs, it has failed to fulfill its responsibilities.Emily Johnson '12
While Dartmouth has a legal duty to offer accommodations to students with physical disabilities, it also has a greater duty as a preeminent college to cultivate and nurture great minds. If the current system hinders the growth of intellectualism simply on the basis of learning disabilities, it must be reformed in a more transparent and accessible manner such that students know exactly what their responsibilities are and exactly what responsibilities remain with the College. Professors and administrators alike must remain familiar and flexible with the intricacies of learning disabilities.Lucas Alvarado-Farrar '13
The College should do absolutely everything in its power to accommodate students with disabilities. It's ridiculous to shift responsibility to the students themselves who did not, of course, choose to have a disability.Raza Rasheed '12