<p>Hi everyone,
I was wondering what anyone could tell me about the support and awareness that exists on campus for students with physical disabilities. I have moderate Cerebral Palsy and I LOVE Smith. I think that there is an office for this type of issue but I don't know how active it is. The school is fairly accessible I think...but I'd like to know more. I would especially appreciate insights from students, but anyone else is fine too!
(:
Thanks</p>
<p>There is an office of disability services and you should definitely get in touch with them as they have a ton of things they could offer you as needed: housing on the first floor and close to the center of campus (perhaps in a house with dining), permission to have a car on campus as a first-year, having another student take notes in class for you, extra time on tests, permission to use a computer for certain tasks, etc.–these are just some of the things off the top of my head that could make life easier–I obviously have no idea what they offer and what you need. If you envision needing to visit doctors or other specialists, they might be able to recommend some in the area, and discuss transportation with you.</p>
<p>In terms of accessibility, I’m pretty sure that everything has a ramp or a grade-level entrance. Nearly all classroom buildings and faculty office buildings have elevators. Not all of the houses have elevators, but a few do, and the dining room is always on the first floor. The campus is hilly, but there are well-maintained paved paths. It does get icy and snowy for a large portion of the school year but paths are kept relatively clear (this is where it may be a benefit to you to live closer to your classes).</p>
<p>Honestly, I would give Smith a B in accessibility terms if I was rating it. It is accessible, but it’s not the most accessible campus. It can be done, but it won’t be without challenges. </p>
<p>If you’re in a wheelchair or have difficulty with stairs, the classroom buildings are accessible, but the houses aren’t necessarily. Houses with dining halls have ramps, but houses without dining halls don’t. And not every house with a dining hall has an elevator either, and not every house has first floor rooms available if they don’t have an elevator. Obviously, this is something disability services could help you figure out, but it’s something to be aware of. </p>
<p>The up side is that if you do need a wheel-chair accessible house you may very well get to stay in one of the large rooms on the first floor that often only go to seniors and house presidents and all your first-year friends will be jealous of your excellent and spacious accomodations.</p>
<p>Also, you should know that just because all the buildings are accessible does not mean they’re all easily accessible. The gym is a good example. It has a handicap accessible entrance and elevator, but only at the lower level door, and to get to that door without taking stairs you have to go out of your way a bit. Seelye (the main humanities building) is accessible, but you have to enter from the back. The science buildings are uber accessible because they are much newer, and the library is an easy one to get around. </p>
<p>I’m not 100% sure about this but I also think that disability services runs a shuttle around to different parts of campus to help people with accessibility issues.</p>
<p>Yes, disability services runs a shuttle. My D had some medical issues her first year, making it impossible for her to walk to class. She had to submit her schedule, and the van picked her up for her classes and dropped her off as close as the driver could get. It also took her off campus for medical appointments/testing. I believe the service ended at 7 pm, so night classes, such as film screenings and art classes, aren’t covered. I’m sure Smith will work with you, although it would behoove you to talk with them at length before deciding to attend. </p>
<p>One correction: some houses without dining do have ramps.</p>
<p>Hi lili92,
I’m a first-year beginning in the fall. I have moderate CP as well.</p>
<p>Currently, I’m talking with the head of Disability Services, sorting out room issues. They have been very accommodating. In fact, I’m headed there in May to work one-on-one with them to choose the room that best fits my needs. </p>
<p>In terms of going to Smith with CP, it’s very doable. I don’t know your severity; I walk without assistance. I’m just slower and stairs are pretty difficult, meaning elevator access is important. As far as I could tell when I toured, though not all houses are incredibly disability-friendly, there are many that are. And if you work with disability services, they’ll definitely do everything they can to make living as comfortable as possible. The campus center and library were relatively easy to get around as well. </p>
<p>Though I chose Smith mainly for personality fit and academics, accessibility was a pretty big factor. I thought (and my parents agreed) that Smith was the most accessible campus we’d seen. Even more than that, Smith administration was incredibly accommodating and seemed like they genuinely cared about how they could help adapt to my disability, unlike most of the other colleges we’d spoken to about it.</p>
<p>Anyway, it’s really cool to see someone else with CP going through the college process. Let me know if you have any other questions I can answer.=)</p>