Accessibility Policy

Smith College is committed to compliance with both the spirit and the letter of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The goal of the college is to assure non-discrimination, to respond proactively in instances of discrimination, and to reasonably provide for full participation of persons with disabilities in all possible aspects of campus life.

The following entities and activities are considered public accommodations under the ADA: establishments serving food or drink; theaters; lecture halls; concert venues; sports facilities; places of exhibition, entertainment, and recreation; and private undergraduate and postgraduate schools.

Any activities planned and scheduled to take place on the Smith campus that are open, or advertised as open, to the Smith community, the Five College community, or the general public should be accessible to persons with all types of disabilities.

Accessibility of Campus Events

All-campus parties must be held in locations that are accessible to persons with mobility impairments. 

For all organizations and houses hosting private events, arrangements should also be made ahead of time to accommodate those with mobility-related disabilities. If these arrangements have not been made, the organization or house may be unable to host the event. 

Event planners should review the Campus Events & Meeting Access Guidelines available on the Accessibility Resource Center Community Page. It is the responsibility of event planners to follow these guidelines

Event planners should also consult the accessibility information table in the appendix of the Guide to Student Organizations and Event Planning when determining potential locations for events. Additionally, event planners need to ask all attendees if they require any reasonable accommodations.

It is the responsibility of the hosting organization to request, organize, and pay for sign-language interpreters, assistive listening devices, live captioning, and CART or other live transcription if attendees require these at conferences, public lectures, concerts, etc. (Planners may say in publicity materials that such accommodations will be provided if participants request them at least two weeks ahead of time, and if service providers are available).

Please contact the Accessibility Resource Center with any questions related to the responsibilities outlined here. Please be in touch at least two weeks in advance of your event so there is time to implement accessibility-related needs. The Accessibility Resource Center can be reached at 413-585-2071 or arc@smith.edu.

Updated June 2024