Each campus of The City University of New York has designated an office to coordinate services for students with disabilities. The Coordinator/Director of the campus office of Student Disability Services provides students and faculty with assistance in meeting the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (to become effective January 1, 2009) as well as other, related federal, state and local laws and regulations. The Coordinator/Director is assisted in these functions by a college-wide committee, or a 504/ADA Committee, made up of faculty, administrators, and students who facilitate compliance with federal regulations to integrate students with disabilities into the college community.

The primary work of the Coordinator/Director is assisting students to successfully transition to college, identify and utilize effective accommodations matched to their needs and develop personal and academic success skills that help them progress toward their education and career goals.

They work with students who identify themselves or are referred by faculty/staff members or outside agencies. Official documentation of disability is required to determine whether and what kind of special aids or adaptations are appropriate.

Among the services provided or arranged for by the Office of Student Disability Services are pre-admission counseling, priority registration, academic advisement and such accommodations as room changes, readers, interpreters, note-takers, and exam proctors. If routine college tutoring services are not provided in an accessible modality, SDS may arrange for adaptations to meet student needs. More broadly, the Coordinators/ Directors serve as advocates for students with disabilities, ensuring that they have physical and programmatic access to all college programs and are effectively mainstreamed into the campus community. Additionally, they collaborate with the Colleges’ ADA Compliance Officers.

For faculty, the Coordinator/Director of Student Disability Services may render invaluable advisory services. They are the ones to consult for special adaptations for students with disabilities as well as to answer questions that may arise in accommodating the needs of students with disabilities in the classroom.

Students with disabilities represent a cross-section of diversified individuals. To facilitate their academic success, please consider alerting your classes to the office for student disability services on campus by including a statement in your syllabi.