Connecting Students with Resources

The Disability Access Center connects students with disabilities to on-campus resources and accommodations to enhance their educational experience.

Our Values

The Disability Access Center values a diverse community and embraces the lived experiences of students with disabilities. Through community partnership, institutional accessibility, and accommodations, the center strives to excel toward the inclusion of all students as they obtain their educational goals at Purdue Fort Wayne.

Our Mission

Essential to the larger mission of Purdue Fort Wayne, the Disability Access Center promotes universally designed environments and facilitates accommodations, training, collaboration, and innovative programming. The center strives to be proactive in identifying and eliminating barriers to access by promoting inclusivity and minimizing the need for individualized accommodations. Furthermore, the center collaborates with the diverse campus community to ensure that all aspects of campus life—learning, working, and living—are accessible. The center provides our campus with resources, education, and direct services so that individuals with disabilities may have an equal opportunity to participate and achieve.

Our Vision

To create an institutional climate in which students with disabilities can thrive. Students will receive appropriate services without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, gender, or disability. The Purdue Fort Wayne community and students view the Disability Access Center as a strong resource for disability awareness, advocacy, and student development. Center staff are strong proponents of equal access for all individuals within the Purdue Fort Wayne community. 

Our Philosophy

We view our work in facilitating access for all students as grounded in the concept of social justice. Laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008, that protect individual civil rights are passed based on the idea that all individuals deserve the opportunity to participate fully in society and to pursue opportunities offered to all members of that society. 

Our work is grounded in the following core beliefs:

• Disability is a natural part of human variation and an aspect of diversity.
• Access and inclusion are matters of social justice.
• Creating accessible and inclusive environments is a shared responsibility.

The Disability Access Center facilitates access for students with disabilities by determining reasonable and appropriate accommodations, as well as proactively working to influence all environments at Purdue Fort Wayne.