Accessibility

The Georgetown University Writing Center’s Accessibility Statement

Our definition of accessibility is inspired by Georgetown University’s “Accessibility Resources for Students” webpage.

At the Writing Center, we interpret accessibility as the ability for all individuals to interpret and engage with all Writing Center websites, documents, programming, and services when possible. Our goal is for all Hoyas to feel comfortable and empowered to make use of the Writing Center’s resources. 

The Georgetown University Writing Center recognizes accessibility to be crucial to Georgetown’s mission of cura personalis. We desire to run a center that meets the needs of every student, writer, and tutor. This statement serves as our commitment to the ongoing development of a Writing Center for all Hoyas. 

As we currently integrate formal disability training into our curriculum through collaboration with CNDLS and the Disability Cultural Initiative, we are working to focus on continuing education and professional development to emphasize diversity, equity, and inclusion across the Writing Center. These trainings will equip us with a foundation for promoting greater accessibility in the Writing Center. Currently, all Writing Center tutors must complete the WRIT-298 three-credit course in their onboarding process, which gives tutors the opportunity to study Writing Center pedagogy, engage in a productive tutor-centered discussion, and participate in continued professional development throughout their tenures. This course provides tutors with a theoretical background to approaching Writing Center accessibility, for example 1) reading literature on the perception of disabilities in teaching and educational spaces, 2) collaborating with disability-focused organizations on campus, and 3) allowing tutors to discuss and develop practices that center accessibility in tutoring.  

The Writing Center bases our dedication to accessibility on our philosophy of “writing is social.” We emphasize that the one-on-one peer tutoring model of the Writing Center provides both tutors and clients the flexibility to adapt a session to a client’s needs. In contrast to a classroom setting with multiple students and a professor, the Writing Center provides an individualized experience for each student based on mutual agreement. We aim to create an environment in which clients can learn about and develop their own personal learning styles through a variety of modalities, understanding that no two students learn or write in the same way. We also value the agency of the client to help us work through the session in the way that is most effective for them. For example, tutors may switch between taking notes on a computer, drawing out visual diagrams on a whiteboard, and walking through templates or example papers. By offering sessions both on Zoom and in-person in Lauinger Library, we hope to provide multiple methods of connecting with the Writing Center while maintaining the social interaction that is essential to our practice. 

The Georgetown University Writing Center affirms its commitment to the creation of a space that aims to be accessible for every writer. The Writing Center recognizes that our work on accessibility is only in its initial stages and we will continue to develop our approach through: 

1. Greater integration of accessibility and accommodations pedagogy into our training curriculum, 
2. Further work with the Georgetown University Academic Resource Center and Disability Cultural Initiative; and 
3. Ongoing conversations that center Georgetown’s disabled community. 

We welcome all feedback to ensure adjustments in our efforts going forwards. 

No official accommodation letters or formal disclosures are required to have accessibility needs met when working with a tutor at the Writing Center. If you require assistance regarding academic accommodations for your classes, please visit the Academic Resource Center’s website and contact arc@georgetown.edu. 

All questions regarding this statement, or the Writing Center at large, can be directed to writingcenter@georgetown.edu. 

Thank you,

The Writing Center Team