Center for Equal Access

Advocate ● Navigate ● Empower

The Center for Equal Access exists to foster an inclusive community for all students, with a focus on furthering the education, understanding, and promotion of students with disabilities.  

We support the Social Model of Disability in our mission to celebrate the diversity of learners and embrace all abilities.  We help students navigate through college with a disability or medical condition, assisting them to address challenges and find resources to aid them on their journey.  We advocate on behalf of students and teach them the skills to advocate for themselves.  We empower students to recognize that a disability is a difference, not a deficiency or limitation.

Any student who needs assistance in gaining equal access to classes or College resources due to physical, psychological, or learning disability, as well as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, a visual or hearing impairment and/or chronic medical condition should request assistance through this office. Contact us at access@css.edu to set up an appointment or for more information.

College Policy

It is the policy of The College of St. Scholastica that all otherwise qualified students with disabilities will be given equal educational opportunities in the classroom and other College-sponsored programs and activities, including study abroad programs. The College will ensure that no otherwise qualified student with disabilities will be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination in any College class, program, or activity.  

The Social Model of Disability

This model empowers the individual to advocate and make decisions, while acknowledging that the community and the Center for Equal Access (the Center) have a social responsibility to students with disabilities. The College community must contribute to furthering the education, understanding, and promotion of people with disabilities.  The principles of the social model of disability are: 

• Disability is only a difference, not a limitation or deficiency.
• Being disabled is neither good nor bad; it is who you are.
• Problems with disability arise from an inaccessible society.
• A change in society, not the person, will eliminate the problem.
• This change can come from the person with a disability, an advocate, or anyone who wants people with disabilities to be equally included in society.