Resources and Links

The following are resources which parents and families may find useful. Additionally, Accessibility Services is available to answer any general questions you may have, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Resources

Wesleyan Parents & Families Page
Parents and families are integral and vital members of the Wesleyan community. This website is designed to provide you with the tools and resources to help support your student and keep you connected to Wesleyan… by staying informed, volunteering, attending Wesleyan events on-campus or near you and by contributing to the Parents Fund. The Office of Alumni and Parent Relations welcomes your active participation, and hopes you will find it to be rewarding!

Student Academic Resources (SAR)
SAR at Wesleyan coordinates programs for intellectual enrichment and academic support. SAR staff members are available to meet with any student individually throughout the year. Staff members can assist students in developing academic skills or connecting with other resources on campus. Students who believe that they would benefit from academic support, but are not sure where to turn, are encouraged to connect with SAR at any time.

An Open Letter to Parents
Jane Jarrow is the founder and president of Disability Access Information and Support, providing technical assistance and professional development to the higher education community surrounding issues of accommodation and support for students with disabilities. She is also a parent of a child with a disability who attended college, and wrote this “Open Letter to Parents of Students with Disabilities About to Enter College” describing her own anxieties and providing suggestions for embracing your new role as supporter.

Disability Rights, Education, Activism, and Mentoring (DREAM)
DREAM is a national organization for and by college students with disabilities; it is open to higher education students of all types with any kind of disability, explicitly including people who have traditionally been marginalized or under-represented in the disability or higher education communities. DREAM strongly advocates for disability culture, community, and pride, and hopes to serve as an online virtual disability cultural center for students who want to connect with other students.

Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology (DO-IT)
The DO-IT Center is based at the University of Washington, Seattle, but efforts are global. DO-IT is dedicated to empowering people with disabilities through technology and education. It promotes awareness and accessibility—in both the classroom and the workplace—to maximize the potential of individuals with disabilities and make our communities more vibrant, diverse, and inclusive.

Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education
Students with a disability need to be well informed about their rights and responsibilities, as well as the responsibilities postsecondary schools have toward them, in order to ensure having a full opportunity to enjoy the benefits of the postsecondary education experience. The information on this website, provided by the Office for Civil Rights in the U. S. Department of Education, explains the rights and responsibilities of students with disabilities who are preparing to attend postsecondary schools, as well as the obligations of a postsecondary school.

Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE)
FARE’s mission is to improve the quality of life and the health of individuals with food allergies, and to provide them hope through the promise of new treatments. The FARE website has a wealth of resources, including information for students with food allergies going to college. Wesleyan is proud to participate in the FARE College Food Allergy Program.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI is an association of hundreds of local affiliates, state organizations and volunteers who work to raise awareness and provide support and education. For more information, view their Guide to College and Mental Health or Connect with your local NAMI.

Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
JAN is the leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues. Working toward practical solutions that benefit both employer and employee, JAN helps people with disabilities enhance their employability, and shows employers how to capitalize on the value and talent that people with disabilities add to the workplace.

Lime Connect
Lime Connect is a global not for profit organization that's rebranding disability through achievement by attracting, preparing, and connecting university students and professionals with disabilities for scholarships, internships, The Lime Connect Fellowship Program, and full time careers. They are breaking stereotypes and leading companies of every size, industry and location to understand the importance of, and fully value, the talent and strengths that employees with disabilities bring to the workplace.

Bender Consulting Services
Bender Consulting Services works to provide employers with reliable talent, and give well-trained individuals with disabilities the chance to display their abilities and enhance their lives through solid careers. They provide disability employment expertise in the areas of recruitment, workplace mentoring, strategic planning, training, and digital accessibility to drive innovation and realize business value for customers. The mission is to recruit and hire people with disabilities for competitive career opportunities in the public and private sectors.

National Organization on Disability (NOD)
NOD is a private, non-profit organization that promotes the full participation and contributions of America’s 57 million people with disabilities in all aspects of life. NOD focuses on increasing employment opportunities for the 80-percent of working-age Americans with disabilities who are not employed. To achieve this goal, NOD works with leading employers and partners with educational and philanthropic institutions to pilot innnovative approaches to disability inclusion, then scales these up into initiatives with even broader impact.