Disability

WSU Vancouver’s Student Resource Center’s Office of Disability Services serves about 70 students. The students they serve fall into the following broad categories: physical/health, learning/attention, psychological, deaf/hard-of-hearing, and visual. There are also students that have more than one disability. The Office of Disability Services provides accommodations for students based on individual needs. Some accommodations include note taking, testing in a distraction-reduced environment, books in alternate print form (such as audio), adjustable chairs and tables, and ASL Interpreting. The Office of Student Affairs also offers counseling services for students.

The importance of disability issues on our campus is also reflected by the academic and research interests of our faculty. Several WSU Vancouver faculty are involved in researching and teaching subjects, topics, and issues related to disability rights, services, and policy.

Disability Awareness was the theme for WSU Vancouver’s 2009 Convocation. The highlight of the day-long event featured a panel students with disability who offered a powerful and insightful discussion of their experiences and the challenges they face on our campus. The event was one of a growing number of efforts to help foster an understanding of disability issues and the common concerns WSU Vancouver’s disabled community faces every day.