Office of Accessibility Resources and Services
We strive to support students with disabilities holistically through relationship building, coaching, appropriate accommodations, and intentional referrals.
Welcome to the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services (OARS) at Hampshire College. We encourage you to register for services from our office as early as possible in your academic journey at Hampshire. In addition to offering a number of services specific to an individual's academic access, OARS also educates the campus about people with disabilities and their needs.
Visit Us
- Location: The physical Office of Accessibility Resources and Services (OARS) in the Lemelson Building.
- Hours: Visit us during our hours of operation, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Meet with Us
OARS staff are available throughout the year to meet with current or prospective students and their families.
Meetings with OARS staff are by appointment only and may be scheduled via email at oars@hampshire.edu, or by contacting us via phone at 413.559.OARS / 413.559.6277.
If you are visiting during a campus-wide open house, please call or email ahead of time to schedule a time to meet. You can also look for us in your open house schedule for events and drop-in tables.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
The Office of Accessibility Resources and Services (OARS) strives to provide an inclusive learning atmosphere that ensures equal access for all students to education and all aspects of campus life by providing reasonable accommodations, participating in interactive student meetings, and promoting access for Hampshire College students, staff, and faculty. Hampshire College will not discriminate in the recruitment, admission, educational process, or treatment of students with disabilities. In making reasonable accommodations, Hampshire College considers educational academic accommodations, accessible housing, and other services available to all students.
OARS aims to empower students to receive equal access to education and all aspects of campus life, through removing barriers to equal access and promoting self-advocacy through multidisciplinary collaborations. OARS is committed to helping students with disabilities achieve their academic goals by providing reasonable accommodations under appropriate circumstances. As part of the Office of Justice, Equity, and Antiracism we handle the needs of students with disabilities and we take those needs seriously.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
OARS is charged with providing all students at Hampshire with access to all programs and services. Institutions of higher education must ensure that students with disabilities are able to:
- Independently acquire the same information;
- Engage in the same interactions;
- Enjoy the same benefits and services;
- Within the same time frames as their non-disabled peers;
- With substantially equivalent ease of use
