The City University of New York is proud to announce the upcoming implementation of its new student disability management system, CUNY Accommodate. This innovative platform is part of CUNY’s ongoing commitment to fostering an inclusive, accessible, and supportive environment for all students as outlined in the first goal of the University’s Strategic Plan, “Be a national leader in providing access to higher education for diverse populations of students.”
The first goal also calls for the implementation of seamless transitions between CUNY campuses for students with disabilities. CUNY Accommodate will streamline the management of requests for accommodations and services that Disability Services Offices (DSO) provide on every campus. Accommodate will simplify this process for students with disabilities who are new to the University or transferring accommodations from one CUNY campus to another, and give them an accessible, mobile-friendly platform to easily initiate the accommodations process, schedule appointments with campus DSOs, and access resources across CUNY, such as extended time on exams, assistive technology, accessible furniture and accommodation counseling. Faculty will use Accommodate to efficiently manage their students’ accommodation requests in collaboration with the DSOs, all in one space.
The University Accommodations Policy states that “faculty, staff and students are vital partners in the accommodations process.” The introduction of a centralized disability management system marks another step toward removing barriers and enhancing the experience for students with disabilities, bringing together faculty, DSO staff, and students to ensure that all students can succeed.
This fall, self-paced training resources (including videos and documentation) will be available for students, faculty, and DSO staff. The training will cover detailed aspects of the system and provide instructions for accessing and using it. These resources are designed to facilitate a seamless transfer to the CUNY Accommodate system, set to launch in January 2025. Be sure to visit our Disability & Accessibility Services page to discover more about CUNY Accommodate and stay updated with the latest developments throughout the fall semester.
For questions about CUNY Accommodate or Disability Services at CUNY, please contact the Central Office of Disability Programs at disability@cuny.edu.
By Wendy F. Hensel
