Support and Accommodations

What is an Accommodation?
Goddard uses the term “accommodation” to mean the provision of architectural access, aids, and services, as well as appropriate modifications to practices and procedures, to ensure equal access to our educational programs.  Providing accommodations is essentially about “leveling the playing field.”  Accommodations do not alter the academic expectations, requirements, or standards of the program.  Students with disabilities meet the same degree requirements and competencies as any other student.

Reasonable Accommodations
Effective and appropriate accommodations are decided according to the individual’s specific needs, based on recent documentation that describes the functional impact(s) of the student’s disability as it relates to learning, and how particular accommodations would mitigate those impacts.  Communication between the student and the ADS Coordinator are essential in determining appropriate accommodations.

Please note that accommodation requests may not be possible under certain circumstances, such as:

• Making the accommodation or having the individual involved in the activity poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others.
• Making the accommodation would fundamentally alter the nature of the service, program, or activity.
• Making the accommodation means making a substantial change in an essential element of the program.
• Making the accommodation would impose an undue financial or administrative burden on the College.

Some Examples of Accommodations
While students’ needs and learning styles vary greatly, and there is no “formula” for determining that a particular disability requires a particular accommodation, the following examples can give you an idea of some of the types of accommodations that could be available, based on documented need.

• ADA compliant accessible dorm rooms, bathrooms, and meeting spaces
• On-campus shuttle service
• Extended time to complete work in the program
• Sign language interpreters and/or real-time captioning (CART)
• Alternative format materials, i.e., large print, audio, electronic
• Access to and support with assistive technology, i.e., speech to text software, screen readers, screen enlargement, etc.
• Academic support “coaching”
• Note-takers
• Housing and dining arrangements

Personal Assistants
We welcome the attendance of personal assistants during residencies as required by a student with a disability.  Please make the appropriate arrangements through the ADS Office prior to arriving on campus for your residency, and include this on your housing request form.

Generally, assistants are housed with the student they accompany to campus.  Goddard College does not pay for personal assistants, and it is the student’s responsibility to pay the full room and board fee for each day of the residency that the assistant attends.   All personal assistants are expected to abide by the same Community Life Agreements that all Goddard students follow.   A person serving as an assistant who violates these agreements may be asked to leave campus.

Service Animals
A service animal assists an individual with a disability in essential activities of daily living.  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines service animals as, “…any…animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals who are hearing impaired to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items.”  If an animal meets this definition, it is considered a service animal regardless of whether it has been licensed by a state or local government or an animal training program.

Students are welcome to bring their service animal to the residency as an accommodation for a disability, but they must make arrangements and submit the required documentation in advance of arrival on campus.  They will also need to complete a Service Animal Registration Form and submit a record of current vaccinations.  Service animals are required to wear current license and rabies tags.
The care, supervision, and behavior of a service animal are solely the responsibility of its partner/handler, who must be in full control of the animal at all times.  Consideration of others must also be taken into account.

Housing and Dining Accommodations
Goddard College does its best to honor students’ housing preferences.   However, in order to guarantee particular housing needs based on a disability, such as need for an accessible bathroom, first floor room, etc., please submit supporting documentation to the ADS Office to request your housing needs as an accommodation.  

Our dining room staff and chefs are accustomed to meeting a range of dietary needs and allergies.  For particular food needs, it is recommended that you contact the chef, Preston Nicholas, at preston.nicholas@goddard.edu, in advance of your residency to discuss your dietary needs.  For dietary concerns that cannot be met by the kitchen, please contact the ADS Coordinator to discuss your needs and possible accommodations.

Chemical Sensitivities and Allergies
Goddard does its best to discourage the use of strongly scented products on campus, but it may not be possible to regulate this completely.  Please contact the ADS Office to discuss your needs in this area so that we can make fragrance-free housing arrangements for you.

 

 

For more information, guidelines, and/or required forms for requesting accommodations and submitting documentation, please contact Dvora Zipkin, Academic and Disabilities Support Coordinator, at 802-322-1639, or email adsoffice@goddard.edu.