Services for Persons with Disabilities

Southern Methodist University is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible campus for students, faculty, staff, and visitors with disabilities. The President’s Commission on the Needs of Persons with Disabilities (PCNPD) was established to support this effort and make annual recommendations to the University President.

Main Points of Contact

President's Commission on the Needs of Persons with Disabilities

Mission Statement

The PCNPD is established to advise the University President on the special needs of disabled persons. Its activities shall include, among others, a study of the needs of the disabled, methods of making the campus community more aware of such needs, and steps that should be taken to make facilities more accessible. The Commission will meet not less than twice each semester. The Commission will not respond to individual complaints nor will it function as a grievance board, but it will forward any complaint alleging discrimination to the Affirmative Action office. The Commission may invite and meet with appropriate members of the administrative staff, Safety Commission, faculty, and students to obtain and disseminate information. At the close of the academic year, it will make a report and recommendations to the President.

For information about PCNPD, contact the chair Jennifer Culver at jlculver@smu.edu.

Assistive Listening Systems & Devices

A Listen Technology portable assisted listening device is available for student, faculty, and staff use on campus. It is perfect for tour groups on campus as well. The system allows the speaker to wear a portable headset that transmits the signal to people wearing the receivers. Contact Shawn Remek to inquire about using the system. Shawn can be reached at 214-768-4419. There is no charge for usage.

Event Accessibility Statement

University departments are responsible for providing reasonable accommodations for guests attending their events. IAE is available to provide guidance and assistance to departments as needed. IAE recommends that hosts of SMU events place the following statement on their event advertising:

“Any person who requires a reasonable accommodation on the basis of a disability in order to participate in this program should contact the [department name] at [department phone number and/or email] at least one week prior to the event to arrange for the accommodation.”

Web Accessibility Policy

University Policy 8.5 governs web accessibility. It establishes standards and designates a Web Accessibility Committee. This committee's primary responsibility is to oversee compliance with the policy and to promote web accessibility efforts. Communications about this policy, the Web Accessibility Committee, or about web accessibility in general should be directed to web-accessibility@smu.edu.