The Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) coordinates and provides appropriate and reasonable accommodations and support services to students with disabilities, as mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
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Office of Accessibility Services
The CUNY SPH Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) coordinates and provides reasonable accommodations and support services to students with disabilities.
The reasonable accommodation process is student-driven and self-advocacy focused. The Office of Accessibility Services works in collaboration with students, instructors, and CUNY SPH staff to ensure that students with disabilities are provided with equal access (a ‘level playing field’) to CUNY SPH’s academic and non-academic programs and activities.
All correspondence with the Office of Accessibility Services is confidential. For accommodation implementation, instructors and applicable CUNY SPH staff may be informed of the granted accommodation(s), but not the disability or disabling medical condition of students.
For more, see the CUNY Reasonable Accommodations and Academic Adjustments policy and the CUNY Procedures for Implementing Reasonable Accommodations and Academic Adjustments.
What is a disability?
A disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities that is permanent or temporary. This includes disabling conditions because of pregnancy and pregnancy recovery and what are commonly referred to as ‘invisible disabilities,’ for example:
- Learning disabilities
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or ADD
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
- Major Depressive Disorder/clinical depression (MDD)
- Bipolar disorder
- Physical conditions, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) and chronic pain disorders
How to register with the Office of Accessibility Services
There are two ways to start the process of registering with the Office of Accessibility Services. You may:
- Obtain a letter from your provider that:
- Is on letterhead and includes the provider’s license number;
- Includes the disability and/or disabling medical condition; and
this should include the functional limitations because of the disability or disabling medical condition. - Details the specific accommodation request related to the disability and/or disabling medical condition.
Documentation must include explanations as to why the accommodation(s) will be useful. Individual Education Programs (IEPs); a psychological/educational report; or medical documentation can also be provided.
- Submit the registration form
To access the registration form, log into SharePoint using your SPH login (sph\_______) credentials.
If you need assistance with SharePoint, reach out to the HelpDesk@sph.cuny.edu or fill out the PDF version of the form and email it and the letter from your provider and any other applicable documentation to accessibility@sph.cuny.edu.
– OR –
- Schedule a meeting with the Office of Accessibility Services by sending an email to accessibility@sph.cuny.edu.
Before the start of every semester
After you have registered with the Office of Accessibility Services and before the start of every semester that you wish to have your granted accommodation(s) implemented, you will need to email the Office of Accessibility Services the:
- Course number(s) you are registered for, and
- Corresponding instructor name(s) to accessibility@sph.cuny.edu.
CUNY-wide, most accommodations are implemented by instructors. Students and instructors are encouraged to work together to discuss the accommodations as early as possible in the semester.
Appeals
Students may submit appeals regarding accommodation determinations, academic adjustments, or implementation by sending a written complaint via email to Sahana Gupta CUNY SPH Chief Diversity Officer, Title IX Coordinator, and ADA-504 Coordinator sahana.gupta@sph.cuny.edu. For more on the accommodation process, see the CUNY SPH Policy Implementation Workflow.
If you have issues with a course unrelated to accommodations that you feel cannot be resolved directly with your instructor, contact the Chair of the department of the course.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Correspondence with the Office of Accessibility Services is confidential. When needed to implement an accommodation, instructors or staff will be informed of the accommodation only.
No. Reasonable accommodations, once granted through OAS, are only applicable to the date granted and onward or if temporary, are noted as such.
A reminder that once you are registered with OAS, you must inform OAS of the courses you wish the accommodation to be implemented in. Implementation of most accommodations is student-driven and in many cases requires communication and an agreement between student and instructor.
Students may submit appeals regarding accommodation determinations, academic adjustments, or implementation by sending a written complaint via email to Sahana Gupta CUNY SPH Chief Diversity Officer, Title IX Coordinator, and ADA-504 Coordinator sahana.gupta@sph.cuny.edu.
Yes. Regardless of immigration status or location of the student, the Americans With Disabilities Act applies to all CUNY SPH students. Using the services provided by the Office of Accessibility Services will not impact any future immigration petition, or your chances of getting your documents legalized or being granted a Permanent Residency.
No. Requesting to take an incomplete in a course is an agreement made between student and instructor. A student who is registered with the Office of Accessibility Services may both be receiving accommodations and may request an incomplete from their instructor.
No. Requesting a leave of absence is a separate process.
For students
Tips for students
- Before the start of every semester, inform the Office of Accessibility Services of the courses you are registered for with the course numbers you are registered for and corresponding instructor names to accessibility@sph.cuny.edu.
- Your disability or disabling condition will not be shared with your instructors. For instructor-implemented accommodations, you may need to maintain communication with your instructor(s) and in some cases, reach an agreement with your instructor(s) about how to implement your granted reasonable accommodation(s).
- It is suggested that you be in touch with your academic advisor every semester and if you choose to, inform your advisor of your accommodation(s).
- Throughout the semester, periodically review the academic calendar and your course syllabi.
- CUNY SPH Counseling and Wellness Services
Students seeking support may contact Counseling and Wellness Services for free short-term confidential individual counseling and support group sessions. - CUNY Psycho-Educational Evaluation Site List
See the CUNY Psycho-Educational Evaluation Site List that contains a list of sites where CUNY students can go to be evaluated for learning disabilities. - CUNY Assistive Technology Services (CATS)
CUNY Assistive Technology Services (CATS) is a team of assistive technology specialists with the goal to stay on the forefront of assistive technology, providing support for those technologies, to all students attending the various CUNY colleges. - CUNY SPH Writing Assistance and Quantitative Tutoring
One-to-one appointments for Writing Assistance and Quantitative Tutoring are offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Be sure to check out all available CUNY SPH Academic Resources, Student Services, and Student Resources. - Blackboard Tips:
- Blackboard Ally, a Blackboard Accessibility tool
- For some useful time-management tools, see the CUNY Blackboard page, specifically the resources listed under Staying Organized and Communication:
- CUNY Coalition for Students with Disabilities and the Universal Design Learning and Leadership Project (UDL²) at CUNY
The CUNY Coalition for Students with Disabilities is committed to increasing awareness, opportunity, and fostering community amongst CUNY’s more than 11,000 students with disabilities. The Universal Design Learning and Leadership (UDL²) initiative is a project housed out of Hostos Community College’s Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) in partnership with the CUNY Central Office of Student Inclusion Initiatives. It is operated by a diverse group of paid ‘student colleagues’ who are given the opportunity to elevate their leadership skills while promoting positive university-wide awareness around disability empowerment. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. - CUNY Central’s Disability & Accessibility Services
- See the CUNY SPH Counseling and Wellness Services webpage for mental health resources in and outside of CUNY.
- Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)
- Disability Rights New York – Contact Us (drny.org)
- For pregnant students, see the Pregnant Scholar, Title IX Basics
For instructors
Tips for instructors
- Be sure to include in your syllabi: “To request an accommodation because of a disabling medical condition, disability, or pregnancy and recovery, confidentially register with the CUNY SPH Office of Accessibility Services (OAS). Before the start of every semester, email OAS with your course number(s) and corresponding instructor name(s) to accessibility@sph.cuny.edu. Once you are registered with OAS and have informed the office that you are taking my course, implementation of some accommodations requires communication and an agreement between you and I, including for example, for group assignments. Information about your disability status will not be shared with me nor are you obligated to disclose it to me, I will only know what the accommodation is.”
- If you think a student could benefit from an accommodation because they have self-disclosed a disability, disabling medical condition, or pregnancy to you, you may recommend that the student contact the Office of Accessibility Services at accessibility@sph.cuny.edu.
Instructors may not ask about an assumed disability, disabling medical condition, or pregnancy and may not request nor receive/open letters from a student’s provider.
- For suggestions on implementation and other useful information regarding students with disabilities, refer to:
- CUNY’s Faculty Guide to Teaching Students with Disabilities (This document is currently being edited and it is anticipated that the next edition will be released early 2023.)
- Blackboard Ally, a Blackboard Accessibility Tool
- CUNY Assistive Technology Services (CATS) is a team of assistive technology specialists with the goal to stay on the forefront of assistive technology, providing support for those technologies, to all students attending the various CUNY colleges. For example, see CUNY CATS’s how to videos and guides on:
- CUNY SPS Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning
To help make higher education available to as many students as possible, CUNY SPS supports course design that upholds the principles of accessibility and Universal Design in Learning (UDL). CUNY SPS offers the course Universal Design in Higher Education at least once an academic year.
- How to extend time in Blackboard for specific students
- Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education on Campus
- ADA One, Higher Education – useful information on the Americans With Disabilities Act and higher education
- United Spinal, Disability Etiquette – tips on interacting with people with disabilities
- Teaching Strategies
- Designing Accessible Websites
Office of Accessibility Services Contacts
Sara Ingram
Student Disability Services Coordinator
sara.ingram@sph.cuny.edu
Office hours: Monday – Thursday, 12pm – 3pm
Lynn Roberts
Associate Dean of Student Affairs & Alumni Relations
lynn.roberts@sph.cuny.edu
646-364-0253