F.A.T.S. Knows!

Disability Services at Fanshawe College
There are currently about 1,200 students with various disabilities attending Fanshawe College. Just like the larger community, about 10% of the student population have a disability of some sort and may need extra help or accommodations to ensure they have equal access to education.

Many people think of ‘disability' as referring only to someone in a wheelchair or a student who is blind or deaf. There are also many students at Fanshawe College with non-visible disabilities such as a learning disability, mental illness, or a medical condition like epilepsy or cancer.

F.A.T.SThe College provides a wide range of services and supports to students with disabilities who request the help. This includes test or exam supports, note taking help, assessment, counseling, and access to specialized technology.

Ontario law requires the accommodation of students and the College has a clear policy that the assistance is to be provided. This just makes sense because we want the College to be as accessible and useable for everyone.

One of the biggest problems for blind students who use guide dogs is people petting or talking to the dog while they are working. These people are usually just friendly, but they need to know that the dog is working when on the lead. By interfering or distracting the animal, you may put both owner and dog at risk.

For more information, please contact Disability Services in the Student Success Centre, F2010.

Office of the Registrar... We're working for you.

This column is a Student Success Initiative sponsored by Counselling and Student Life Services, Financial Aid and the Office of the Registrar.