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Main Image for Student Disability Access Services

Student Disability Access Services

Photo by Karl Rabe
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Bard College strives to create an accessible and welcoming campus community for all students with disabilities. Students who may require particular accommodations to ensure access should register with Disability Access Services (DAS). DAS utilizes an interactive process to determine accommodations, including documentation and information gathering through direct communication with individual students.

Services for Students with Disabilities

  • Photo by Scott Barrow
    Registering a Disability
    Students who request disability accommodations should:
    1. Complete the Disability Registration Form (Please allow two to three business days for a response; for Annandale campus students only)
    2. Provide disability documentation to [email protected]. See Documentation Guidelines on this page.
    3. Meet with Disability Access Services to discuss potential accommodations
  • Photo courtesy Bard Farm
    Disability Documentation
    Students requesting disability-related accommodations should provide current documentation that outlines the existing disability and need for disability accommodations. In addition to documentation, Disability Access Services uses an interactive process of ongoing engagement and dialogue with students to determine their accommodations.
    Photo courtesy Bard Farm

    Disability Documentation

    Students requesting disability-related accommodations should provide current documentation that outlines the existing disability and need for disability accommodations. In addition to documentation, Disability Access Services uses an interactive process of ongoing engagement and dialogue with students to determine their accommodations.

    Please note: disability documentation sent to Disability Access Services is not shared with Health Services. If you want Health Services to receive your documentation, you must send it to them directly. 

    DOCUMENTATION GUIDELINES
    Ideal disability documentation should:
    1. Licensed Professional: Be written in English on official letterhead, signed and dated, by an appropriate licensed professional
    2. Describe Disability: 
      • Attest to the nature of the disability, diagnosis, diagnostic criteria, and evaluation methods;
      • Functional limitations of condition;
      • History of disability symptoms and treatment, and prognosis.
    3. Accommodations: 
      • Outline past accommodations that were helpful; 
      • Recommend accommodations intended to mitigate the impact of the disability in a college setting;
      • Present a clear connection between the functional limitations of the disability and the requested accommodations. (Students with concerns or barriers surrounding documentation should contact DAS to discuss.)
  • Photo by Karl Rabe
    Accommodation Letter Request
    • If you are already registered and have an existing accommodation plan/accommodation letter in place, please complete the Accommodation Letter Request Form. Completing this form each semester notifies DAS which faculty you are requesting receive your accommodation letter.
    • If you would like to modify your accommodation letter, please contact DAS for a meeting: [email protected].

Accommodations

  • Academic Accommodations

    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.
  • Housing Accommodations

    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.
     
  • Dining Accommodations

    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
  • Other Accommodations

    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).

Report a Problem

  • Reporting an Access Barrier

    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
  • Filing a Complaint

    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 Bethany Nohlgren ([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.
Bard College SensusAccess Document Conversion Tutorial

Bard Accessible Document Converter

On-Demand File Conversion for Accessible Documents
Bard SensusAccess
 is a new, on-demand file conversion service that helps Bard students, staff, and faculty convert digital materials into alternate formats, such as audio books, e-books, digital large-print and Braille. This service improves the accessibility and readability of your digital documents. 

Bard SensusAccess

Contact

Erin Braselmann, Director
Rachel Flynn, Program Associate
Megan Brien, Administrative Assistant
Nancy Smith, Campus Accessibility Project Manager

845-758-7532
[email protected]
Olin 106

Student Resources

  • Bard Learning Commons
  • Office of Title IX and Nondiscrimination
  • Diversity at Bard
  • Report a Barrier
  • Health, Counseling, and Wellness
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Annandale-on-Hudson, New York 12504-5000
Phone: 800-BARDCOL
Admission Phone: 845-758-7472
Admission E-mail: [email protected]
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