The mission of Disability Services at Olin (DSO) is to provide equal opportunities and equal access to education, programs, and activities for all students with disabilities at Olin College of Engineering.
We engage in an interactive process with each student and review requests for accommodations on a case-by-case basis. Furthermore, we want to educate all members of the Olin community around access and disability rights. Olin Disability Services ascribes to a social model of disability and we aim to reduce barriers to access. When we use the word 'disability', we use it to mean the legal definition of the word as defined by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).
DSO collaborates with and empowers individuals who have documented disabilities by working together proactively to determine reasonable and appropriate accommodative measures. We value a community approach to understanding disability as an integral part of diversity and working in collaboration with stakeholders on campus to promote a holistic and informed approach to accessibility.
Supporting Students
A variety of resources are available to students registered with Disability Services at Olin (DSO). DSO works closely with all students with disabilities to individualize needed accommodations. Students with both chronic and temporary disabilities can seek services with DSO.
Disability Services at Olin values and recognizes:
- Students with disabilities face a wide range of barriers that impact their access to their education and reasonable accommodations should be individualized to meet their needs.
- Disability exists when the student meets a structure or barrier that is not equipped to deal with their particular way of interacting with the world and this causes difficulty in a major life activity. We ascribe to a social model of disability.
- Disability status should be considered when thinking about diversity and equity on campus. Students with disabilities have a rich and important perspective to offer this community.
- The way that a disability presents itself can change, just as the student changes. Therefore, DSO empowers students to engage in ongoing conversations about their learning needs. Students can contact DSO at any time during the year to discuss reasonable accommodations and their experience at Olin overall.
- The student is an expert on their own experience. Thus, disability accommodations are done in partnership and collaboration, with an eye to student agency in identifying and understanding the barriers to access they experience.
- Exploration and continual professional development is necessary to maintain the best standards of care for students.
Registering with DSO
To register with DSO, please use our online registration form.
Please also visit our dates, deadlines, and downloads article for more information about DSO’s services and resources.
How to contact DSO
You can reach Adva or Shannon at disability.services@olin.edu to ask any questions you may have, submit documentation to complete your registration, or to set up a meeting or phone call.