Information for Students

Swarthmore College welcomes students with disabilities to participate fully in all aspects of college life.  Our mission is to ensure that students with physical, medical, learning or psychological disabilities are provided with equal access to all college programs, activities and services. Assistant Director Traci Huppman advise students about the College's disability services policies, procedures and resources, reviews students' documentation and collaborates with students, faculty and staff to arrange reasonable accommodations that support students' individual needs.  For more information, contact the Student Disability Services office at studentdisabilityservices@swarthmore.edu. 

Disability Law

Students with disabilities are protected from discrimination under Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (amended 2008).  Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination based on disability in programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance.  The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability.  Learn more about Disability Law.

Accommodations Process

The accommodations process is designed to be collaborative.  Once you are registered with Student Disability Services, the Student Disability Services staff will work with you to facilitate reasonable and appropriate accommodations that will not fundamentally alter the academic standards of your courses.  Please be aware that we cannot offer retroactive accommodations.

Documentation Guidelines

Students requesting accommodations for a disability or chronic health issue must provide documentation of a condition that has a current functional impact and meets the current legal definition of a disability.  We recognize that each student's situation is unique. For details, please refer to our Documentation Guidelines.

Appeal Process

We encourage students to work closely with Student Disability Services, should any concerns arise with specific accommodations.  If a disagreement arises concerning requested accommodations, the student may appeal the decision.  For details, please see the Appeal Process.