Community, Support & Mentoring

Disabled students come to Smith College from neighboring towns, across the nation, and around the globe. Disabled students bring unique strengths, talents, creativity, and experiences that strengthen and enrich the diversity of the Smith academic and residential community.

The Office of Disability Services is deeply committed to fostering community and connections among students with disabilities where self-knowledge, understanding, peer support, mentoring, empowerment, and engagement around common challenges and solutions can blossom.

Disabled Student Alliance

The Disabled Student Alliance is a student organization comprised of students with all types of disabilities that works to create community, promote visibility, and address ableism, particularly at its intersections with other social justice issues.

Peer Mentoring Program

The Peer Mentoring Program launched in 2013, in response to a history of disabled students expressing an interest in connecting with one another socially and academically.

The Peer Mentoring Program matches experienced students with disabilities to incoming students with disabilities in a mentor/mentee relationship. Mentors provide support and advice to their mentees based on their own experiences navigating Smith with a disability. Individual weekly meetings between mentor and mentee are encouraged. Please contact the office for more information or to sign up.