Approximately 10 percent of the Brandeis undergraduate population disclose a documented disability. This is on a par with numbers reported at college campuses across the country. The Brandeis community includes students with mobility, visual, hearing, medical, psychological and learning disabilities. We appreciate that all people have strengths and vulnerabilities — and we want to support our students' achievement and growth.
Accessing Support
If you are a student with a disability, you will be able to access specific support and accommodations through Student Accessibility Support, within the Office of Academic Services. Our team will make it easy for you to tap into the rich network of resources, advising, tutoring and programming that are available to all Brandeis undergraduates. Additionally, you will be known in a holistic sense, through meetings, relationships and activities — and not solely by your disability.
Director Beth Rodgers-Kay, Disabilities Specialist Rage Hezekiah and Program Manager Desirae Mix, oversee and protect students' legally mandated accommodation and, more importantly, will support you in taking responsibility for your own academic careers, learn about yourself and your peers, and appreciate and explore your considerable abilities. The fundamental goal of services and support for students with disabilities is to empower students and to create opportunities for greater independence and self-advocacy.
Making the Most of the Brandeis Experience
To make the most of your strengths, your needs and the resources available through Student Accessibility Support:
- Engage in a partnership with staff members that is based on mutual responsibility and clear communication.
- Maintain ongoing communication with Beth Rodgers-Kay, Rage Hezekiah, Desirae Mix, your faculty and other staff regarding your needs, growth and opportunities. Early, proactive discussions and use of strategies can reduce many causes of stress and difficulty.
- Consider the shift from your previous schooling, where parents and/or teachers assumed responsibility for your disability, to your role as a young adult who is assuming responsibility for yourself. Explore this shift in a meeting with either Beth, Rage, or Desirae who can support you in making this critical transition.