Our Mission, Vision, Values & Guiding Principles

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Mission
Vision
Values
Guiding Principles
Related Resources for Guiding Principles

Mission

The Disability Resource Center (DRC) cultivates an accessible and inclusive community where students with permanent and temporary disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in all aspects of campus life. We facilitate student learning and access through partnerships with students, faculty, and staff.

Vision

A universally accessible campus where programs, services and environments are usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

CORE Values

Communication

We are committed to facilitating an environment of consistent, open, honest communication that encourages interactive and respectful dialogue.

Optimism

We are committed to creating opportunities that encourage the individual journey by modeling positive, flexible attitudes that empower others to persevere, be creative and self-reliant.

Respect

We are committed to demonstrating respect to all individuals equally by building a foundation of mutual trust, acceptance, understanding, and accountability.

Excellence

We are committed to achieving excellence and continuous improvement of services through teamwork, empowerment, perseverance, and innovation.
A universally accessible campus where programs, services and environments are usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

Guiding Principles

Disability is a natural part of human diversity and an integral element that adds to the vitality of our campus community.
We promote the social model of disability, which asserts that people with functional limitations are often disabled by society/environment/technology/policy/attitudes.
We acknowledge and honor each student’s lived experience of functional limitation and how they choose to identify themselves (e.g., by using person-first vs identity-first language).
All bodies and minds are valuable.
“Nothing about us without us.” Decisions regarding disabled people should be made with disabled people leading the conversation.
We reject ableism, and we strive to dismantle it.
We emphasize the importance of intersectionality's impact on a person's lived experience, as disability intersects with all marginalized identities.
Disability is an opportunity to innovate, not a burden to accommodate.
Accessibility benefits everyone.
Make accessibility a forethought, not an afterthought. Embed accessibility considerations into the planning/design process.
Accessibility is the responsibility of the entire campus community, not simply the DRC.
DRC services are student-centered and collaborative in nature. The student, DRC staff, faculty, and campus personnel comprise a team that engages in the interactive process.
Equitable access is critical and required for student success.
We adopt an inclusive design approach whenever possible and create a welcoming environment for people with disabilities.