Accessibility Resources

Accessibility Resources

The University is committed to providing equal opportunities to individuals with disabilities in accordance with federal and state law. Below is a list of resources available to facilitate access.

Assistive Technology

Assistive Listening Devices. Information on how to obtain assistive listening devices.

Library Assistive Technology. Information on assistive technology available at University libraries.

Technology Assistance. For technology assistance, contact accessible-tech@uchicago.edu or itservice@uchicago.edu. In addition, IT Services staff hosts Accessible Tech Tuesdays on Tuesday afternoons between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. (and by appointment) at the IT Services Techbar (Joseph Regenstein Library, 1100 E. 57th St. First Floor). These sessions are regular drop-in office hours during which IT Services staff provide one-on-one or small group consultations and tutorials with a focus on accessible and assistive technologies.

For additional information on University-wide assistive technology available to all members of the campus community, visit Student Disability Services’ Assistive Technology and Web Technology webpage, which includes information on resources such as Kurzweil 3000 Software (reading and writing support software) and Sensus Access (a document conversion tool).

Website Accessibility. For more information on website accessibility or to provide feedback.

Discrimination on the Basis of Disability

The University of Chicago will not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of disability. If you believe you or someone you know has been subject to discrimination or discriminatory harassment on the basis of disability, the University encourages you to report the incident online or by contacting the Office for Access and Equity.

The University offers numerous support services and referrals to anyone who has been subject to discrimination or discriminatory harassment. For more information on resources, including confidential resources, visit the Get Help page. In addition, the University’s Policy on Harassment, Discrimination, and Sexual Misconduct contains an appendix that lists support services and resources. The list includes legal, disciplinary, and medical support services, as well as resources specifically for students, faculty, and staff. It also includes on-campus and non-University resources.

For more information on discrimination and discriminatory harassment generally, visit the Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment page.

Emergency Procedures

Emergency Evacuation Procedures. Information on emergency evacuation procedures for persons with disabilities. Environmental Health and Safety at the University encourages all persons with disabilities who may need assistance during an emergency to complete a voluntary and confidential self-identification questionnaire bi-annually. This information will be used to complete a Personal Emergency Plan, which includes specific evacuation procedures, sheltering procedures, and means of communication in the event of an emergency.

Events on Campus

The University of Chicago is committed to welcoming individuals with disabilities to events, meetings, or programs on and off campus. To that end, the University will provide reasonable accommodations to provide access for individuals with disabilities. For additional information on hosting inclusive and accessible events, see the Accessible Events Resource Guide and the Accessible Events Resource Guide Checklist.

Attending an event.

Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation in order to attend or participate in a University event should contact the event sponsor in advance of the event for assistance.

For additional information on events, including the location and event sponsors for upcoming events, visit the UChicago Events page.  Further, for additional information on the accessibility of a particular location on campus, visit the University of Chicago Maps page.

Planning an event.

Event sponsors are responsible for ensuring access at their events. We have listed a few guiding principles below, and for more information, you may review the Accessible Events Resource Guide and the Accessible Events Resource Guide Checklist or contact the Office for Access and Equity.

  • Include a disability accommodation statement by providing the name and contact information of the person responsible for responding to reasonable accommodation requests on all event materials, for example: “If you have any questions about access or to request any disability-related reasonable accommodations that will facilitate your full participation in this event such as ASL interpreting, captioned videos, Braille or electronic text, etc. please contact [insert name and contact information].” For pre-registration, consider asking attendees to identify any disability-related accommodation they may need, for example: “Please describe any disability-related accommodations that will facilitate your full participation in this event.”
  • Plan for accessibility-related expenses. The costs associated with disability access are considered part of the overall expense of an event. Most accommodation requests can be made at little or no cost, however.
  • Select a location that is accessible and supports other reasonable accommodations, considering: availability of accessible parking and accessible drop-off areas; accessibility of primary entrance; availability of wheelchair accessible seating; clear signage; accessibility of restrooms and drinking fountains; adequacy of lighting and space; acoustics; accessibility of outdoor space.
Facilities Services Requests

You may contact Facilities Services with any building accessibility concerns. You may file a report online, by email, or by calling Facilities Services at 4.1414 (campus phone) or 773.834.1414 (all other phones). If you have an urgent facilities services request (e.g., inoperable wheelchair lift), call 4.1414 (campus phone) or 773.834.1414 (all other phones).

Getting Around

Accessible Campus Routes and Building Entrances This map provides information about building accessibility and depicts accessible routes. Ongoing construction projects may temporarily limit accessibility. For questions or concerns about the accessibility of any of the routes depicted on the map or about accessibility during campus construction, you may contact Facilities Services by filing a report online, by email, or by calling Facilities Services at 4.1414 (campus phone) or 773.834.1414 (all other phones).

Campus Construction For questions or concerns about accessibility during campus construction, you may contact Facilities Services by filing a report online, by email, or by calling Facilities Services at 4.1414 (campus phone) or 773.834.1414 (all other phones).

For information on Parking and Transportation, see below.

Housing

Housing Accommodations. Students with disabilities seeking housing-related accommodations should contact Student Disability Services.

Student Disability Services
773.702.6000
disabilities@uchicago.edu

Charnessa Warren Director, Student Disability Services
charnessa@uchicago.edu

You may also visit the Request an Accommodation page to learn more about the process.

Interpreting and Captioning Services

Students who would like to request assistance coordinating interpreting or captioning services, please contact Student Disability Services directly or complete this Interpreting/Captioning Request Form. Faculty or other academics who need assistance, please contact Marquetta Scott, mscott12@uchicago.edu. Staff, please contact Employee Labor Relations at elrations@uchicago.edu.

Event sponsors are responsible for budgeting for accessibility needs and coordinating all interpreting and captioning services for their events. Event sponsors may contact vendors directly; the Center for Digital Accessibility provides a partial list of vendors used by the University for interpreting and captioning services.

 

Library Services

Library Services provides information about all five of the University’s libraries for persons with disabilities, including regarding accessibility, assistive technology, and other accommodations.

Parking & Transportation

Accessible Parking. For information on short-term and long-term accessible parking options, please contact the Parking Office. For detailed information about accessible spaces in parking lots, visit the University of Chicago Map.

On-Campus Transportation Services. All campus bus and shuttle transportation is accessible to individuals with disabilities, including the Chicago Transit Authority Routes 170, 171, 172, and 192. The Evening Shuttles and Safe Ride also provide accessible transportation. In addition, the University offers transportation services for students with disabilities and injured students. For information on how to access these services contact Student Disability Services or visit the Transportation Services page for more information.

Public Transportation Services

Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). The CTA provides fully accessible services on most of its bus routes and rail (“el”) services, and provides door-to-door paratransit services to those who qualify.

Metra. All train lines in the Metra system are fully accessible. Service spans all six counties in metropolitan Chicago.

PACE Bus. PACE provides fully accessible transit services within the six county metropolitan Chicago area, and door-to-door paratransit services for those who qualify. For more information on Getting Around, see above, or visit the University of Chicago Map for additional information on accessible parking and accessible routes.

Website Accessibility

The University of Chicago is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive environment. Maintaining accessible websites enables users of all backgrounds and abilities to have a better digital experience.

The Center for Digital Accessibility is a resource for the University of Chicago community. The Center provides digital accessibility consulting, assessment and training for students, faculty, other academic appointees, staff, and postdoctoral researchers.

Please contact the Center to report a digital accessibility barrier or request additional information or services.

 

Questions?

Contact Equal Opportunity Programs.

Bridget Collier, Associate Provost for Equal Opportunity Programs
773.702.5671
bcollier@uchicago.edu

Marquetta Scott, Director, Access UChicago
773.834.3988
mscott12@uchicago.edu