Student Disability Access Services

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Academic Accommodations

To request academic accommodations: 

1. Complete the Disability Registration Form. 
2. Provide disability documentation to [email protected] (See Documentation Guidelines above)
3. Meet with Disability Access Services to discuss potential accommodations and create an academic accommodation plan.
4. DAS will share your accommodation plan with faculty you designate each semester via the Accommodation Letter Request Form.

*Generally, faculty must receive accommodation plans prior to implementing classroom accommodations. Advanced notice is recommended to ensure adequate time to plan and coordinate accommodations. 

Types of Accommodations:
Accommodations are decided on a case-by-case basis and are highly individualized, dependent on a student’s disability, current functional limitations, and environmental barriers. However, common academic accommodations are (including, but not limited to): alternative testing arrangements, alternative formats of course materials, assistive technology, and note-taking assistance.

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Housing Accommodations

To request housing accommodations, all students must:

1. Complete the Disability Registration Form 
2. Provide disability documentation to [email protected] (See Documentation Guidelines above)
3. Meet with Disability Access Services to discuss accommodations
4. DAS informs Residence Life of approved accommodations

First-Year Students:
You must submit your completed request (documentation included) by June 1 prior to your arrival; this deadline is important because once housing assignments are completed and announced, availability is restricted. For general housing information, please see Bard College’s Residence Life and Housing.

Returning Bard College Students:
You must submit your completed request (documentation included) by March 1 for the following academic year.
 

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Dining Accommodations

To request dining accommodations, all students must:

1. Complete the Disability Registration Form 
2. Provide disability documentation to [email protected] (See Documentation Guidelines above)
3. Meet with Disability Access Services to discuss accommodations
4. DAS informs Residence Life of approved accommodations

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Assistance Animals

In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and all applicable federal, state and local disability laws, Bard College will accommodate students with disabilities who require an assistance animal. All requests for assistance animals must be processed by Disability Access Services (“DAS”).

Assistance animals are animals that work, perform tasks, assist, and/or provide therapeutic emotional support for individuals with disabilities. This policy addresses two types of assistance animals: 
Service Animals 
Per the ADA and 28 CFR 35.136(i), Service Animals are any dog or miniature horse “that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of” an individual with a disability. Moreover, “the work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the individual’s disability.” Emotional support, therapy, comfort, or companion animals are not considered Service Animals.

Unlike Support Animals, Service Animals are generally permitted in all campus spaces with their handler. A Service Animal does not need approval to access the Bard College campus as long as it is readily apparent that it is a Service Animal, meaning that the dog or miniature horse is trained to work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. If it is readily apparent that the animal is a Service Animal, Bard College may not make inquiries about the Service Animal. However, if it is not obvious that the animal is a Service Animal, Bard College may ask the following questions:

1. Is the dog or miniature horse required due to a disability?
2. What work or task(s) has the dog or miniature horse been trained to perform?

Bard College cannot require documentation that the Service Animal has been trained, certified, or licensed as a service animal. 

Students who plan to bring their Service Animal to campus are encouraged to contact DAS prior to doing so. This way, DAS can assist the student in providing notice to faculty or other Bard College employees of the presence of the animal and help coordinate any other accommodations or auxiliary services needed. 

Emotional Support Animals
An Emotional Support Animal (“ESA”) is an animal that provides therapeutic emotional support for an individual with a disability and is not trained to work or perform specific tasks. ESAs must stay in the student’s assigned room in the residence hall and are not permitted  to attend class, enter kitchens or dining areas, or the rooms of other residents. If the ESA is to be transported outside of the student’s room, it should be properly restrained by a leash or in an animal carrier.

DAS, in conjunction with Residence Life, will only approve an ESA if:

1. The animal is necessary for the student with a disability to have equal access to housing;
2. There is an identified relationship between the symptoms of the disability and the assistance the animal provides; and
3. The accommodation is reasonable.

An accommodation is unreasonable if it presents an undue financial or administrative burden to Bard College, poses a substantial and direct threat to personal or public safety, or constitutes a fundamental alteration of the nature of the housing provider’s operations. 

Factors which may determine whether the presence of an ESA is reasonable include whether:

• The size of the ESA is appropriate for available housing;
• The ESA’s presence forces another individual from housing;
• The ESA violates an individual’s right to peace and quiet enjoyment;
• The ESA is housebroken and able to reasonably live with and among others;
• The ESA’s vaccinations are up-to-date during the animal’s entire stay on campus;
• The ESA poses, or has posed, a direct threat to others (e.g. aggressive behavior or injury); or
• The ESA causes, or has caused, excessive damage beyond reasonable wear and tear.

Dangerous, poisonous, and/or illegal animals are not permitted under any circumstances. Residence Life will make reasonable efforts to notify the members of the residential community of the presence of an ESA. Conflicting conditions, including allergies, will be considered by DAS and Residence Life.  

To request an ESA as an accommodation, all students must:

1. Complete the Disability Registration Form. 
2. Provide disability documentation to [email protected] (See Documentation Guidelines above).
3. If necessary, meet with Disability Access Services (DAS) to discuss potential accommodations and work to create an ESA accommodation plan.
4. If an ESA accommodation plan is agreed upon by you and DAS, DAS will inform Residence Life of your accommodation needs.
5. If a student’s request for an ESA is approved, the student must then:

• Provide appropriate veterinary records, if applicable
• Complete Animal Registration Form on My Annandale portal

*Please request accommodations in advance; some accommodations may take time to implement.
*For additional information regarding denials of accommodations requests and the appeals procedure regarding accommodations, please see our Student Accessibility site.

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Other Accommodations

Parking: Students may register their vehicles for on-campus parking. Please see vehicle regulations for more information about student parking. For accessible parking, please contact Disability Access Services [email protected].

Transportation: The Bard Shuttle provides accessible transportation on campus and in two neighboring towns (Tivoli and Red Hook).

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Reporting an Access Barrier

If you or someone you know encounters a physical barrier that is preventing equal access to a building or area, please report it to us.
Report a Barrier

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Filing a Complaint

Students who have a disagreement about their accommodation and/or the way a disability is being handled can contact Erin Braselmann ([email protected]), Director of Disability Access Services, to discuss potential mitigation of barriers and solutions. Students who believe that they have been discriminated against on the basis of a disability can contact Lauren Gretina ([email protected]), the College’s Civil Rights Coordinator, in the Office of Title IX and Nondiscrimination (OTN) to discuss their options and how to move forward with either an informal resolution or the formal complaint process. Students can also speak to Hannah Zipple ([email protected]), Dean of Students, regarding these complaints. Students who file a complaint are protected against retaliation in any form. If a student suspects that such retaliation has occurred, the student should contact OTN.

Externally Filing a Grievance
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the U.S. Department of Education is a law enforcement agency charged with enforcing federal civil rights laws to ensure that educational institutions receiving federal financial assistance do not engage in discriminatory conduct. For more information, visit the Office of Civil Rights webpage.

To file a complaint, use the Office of Civil Rights Discrimination Complaint form.