Mission
To foster equal access to the university experience for students with disabilities while maintaining academic standards through provision of academic accommodations and support services, in partnership with the Carleton community.
Mandate
- Create awareness at Carleton University through the provision of educational and communications materials, professional development and other campus activities
- Provide individualized support services for students with disabilities.
- Work co-operatively and in consultative capacity with the various faculties, schools and administrative units on campus to support services, research, teaching and program initiatives which relate to disabilities.
- Provide leadership in the identification and resolution of issues concerning access to post-secondary education for persons with disabilities.
- Facilitate, in co-operation with others, the transition of students with disabilities from school, college and community to the university and from university to community.
- Improve the physical accessibility of Carleton, making buildings more accessible to persons with disabilities.
- Provide student assistance through the support of a Volunteer program, which includes scribes, note-takers, tutors, and other necessary services
- Improve access to the teaching experience with classroom accommodations such as sign language interpreters
- Provide the facilitation of academic accommodations (e.g., extended time, alternate formats etc.)
- Provide mediation between staff and student if the necessity arises
- Make specialized equipment available for loan (e.g., digital recorders, SmartPens, FM systems for the hearing-impaired).
Philosophy
Services and programs for students with disabilities at the Paul Menton Centre are based on the values of integration, individualization, and independence.
Inclusion
The Paul Menton Centre is dedicated to fostering an inclusive university community that empowers students with disabilities to fully participate in all aspects of Carleton’s academic and social life. Through a shared sense of responsibility across the institution, we collaborate with faculty, staff, and the university community to promote equal access and opportunities for students with disabilities.
Individualization
Each student with a disability experiences their disability in a unique way, and this experience may vary depending on the situation. As such, accommodations and support services should be individualized to meet disability-related needs of the student with a disability without compromising essential academic requirements and standards.
Independence
The primary goal of support services and programs is to empower students towards self-directed learning, fostering independence and autonomy. By adopting an independence-oriented approach, we acknowledge that developing self-sufficiency is crucial for academic success and lifelong learning, both within the university and beyond.