Associated Student Government Addresses Ableism at University Through Open-Letter
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Santa Clara University’s disabled students face accessibility barriers, from broken elevators to delayed academic accommodations, according to an Open Letter by Associated Student Government Senator for Health and Wellness Tay Grett that calls for urgent reforms in how the University addresses ableism on campus.
The letter, “Addressing Ableism at SCU,” was meant to highlight the issues of ableism that students have faced on campus during the 2023-2024 academic year and 2024 fall quarter. Examples in the letter included students facing microaggressions and threats as well as accommodations not being met by University faculty.
In the United States, disabled students generally have a lower GPA compared to their able-bodied peers, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Some of the adversities students face while in college include struggles with self-advocacy and finding the right resources, not knowing what accommodations they need or can have, and discrimination from University faculty, according to the United States Government Accountability Office.
Students living in the Residential Learning Communities at Santa Clara University can face many complications. Issues include a lack of ramps to enter residence entrances and facilities that are regularly out of order.
This includes when the elevator in the Casa Italiana Residence Hall was broken during the 2024 spring quarter. “Even I was struggling with that as an able-bodied person,” said Olivia Allye, the Associated Student Government senator at-large for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and a co-sponsor of the letter.
Another example includes the handicap button in Vari Hall being broken. “Those doors are heavy if you’ve ever tried to open them,” said Grace Davis, the Associated Student Government senator at-large for LGBTQ+ inclusion, and another co-sponsor of the open letter.
“I have no idea how someone could do it without that if they needed it,” said Davis, referring to the lack of a working handicap button. Davis noticed the button being broken during the entirety of the last week of the fall 2024 quarter, however, is unsure of how long it had been broken prior to that week.
Some of the historic buildings at Santa Clara University can have a harder time when it comes to accessibility, such as Nobili Hall: which doesn’t have automatic door openers. However, the historic buildings at Santa Clara University are still subject to minimum accessibility standards, according to Mo Lotif, the ADA/504 Coordinator at Santa Clara University. Some historic buildings at Santa Clara University have been adjusted to meet ADA standards, including O'Connor Hall and St. Joseph’s Hall, which had automatic door openers added to the entrances, according to Lotif.
“No one in the institution is trying to do this, but it's been overlooked, and it affects the whole student body,” said Allye, regarding the lack of proper accommodations for disabled students at the University.
All forms of ableism can have an “incredible burden on the emotional, social and physical well-being of disabled students,” said Grett in the letter. The letter also noted that ableism can also have an academic impact on students, specifically when it comes to professors not complying with students’ accommodations.
Students not having their accommodations met may hinder their ability to participate in class, often causing students to have multiple absences. This in turn can then lower a student’s GPA and alter their academic timeline, Grett pointed out in an interview. This has been confirmed by the National Library of Medicine.
Additionally, some students have struggled when it comes to getting accommodations in the first place. This was the case for Collin Strong ’26, who was unable to get his accommodations until Oct. 24—over a month into the academic quarter. Strong was required to set up an appointment with an Office of Accessible Education advisor and wasn’t given any accommodations beforehand, such as extra time on tests, according to Strong.
“For the first half of the quarter, I had to try to do extra studying and was more stressed because I didn’t have one important accommodation for me,” said Strong.
When asked for comment, the Office of Accessible Education said they would not be available until after the winter break.
Santa Clara University’s quarter system can make getting accommodations early even more important for students with a single week being 10% of the quarter. “Even within the first two weeks, these classes are so key that even just two weeks is monumental,” said Grett.
Grett took the issues addressed in the letter to a meeting with the Committee for Social Change, and on Nov. 4, the letter was shared with the broader Santa Clara University community. The Committee for Social Change at Santa Clara University is a student committee focused on addressing various social issues on campus that affect marginalized communities.
“The work that I do and the work that I see a lot of my peers do is always driven by a sense of love, and it's driven by a real and sincere wish to leave the University better than it was when we came,” said Davis. “I want to do everything in my power to ensure that our university is better for every class that comes after me.”
“The climate of our campus culture towards disabilities must change,” wrote Grett in the letter, and urges both students and faculty to hold themselves and one another accountable to prevent ableism on campus.