The Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) serves at the University of Vermont's central resource for disability-related accommodations, accessibility support, barrier reporting, and ADA/Section 504 coordination. We partner with students, employees, visitors, and campus units to promote equitable access to university programs, services, activities, employment, and digital environments.
The University of Vermont is committed to providing equal opportunity and access in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and other applicable federal and state laws.
How can we help?
The University of Vermont is committed to providing equal access and opportunity in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and other applicable federal and state laws.
The Office of Accessibility Services is the primary office responsible for coordinating disability-related accommodations, and accessibility support across the university. We work collaboratively with academic departments, supervisors, campus partners, and university leadership to reduce barriers and support access.
The Office of Accessibility Services supports:
- Student academic accommodations
- Employee workplace accommodations
- Accessibility and barrier reporting
- Guidance regarding digital accessibility
- Coordination of ADA/Section 504 access matters
- Consultation with campus partners on accessibility issues
Student Accommodations
What are student accommodations?
The Office of Accessibility Services works with students with disabilities to provide reasonable accommodations that support equal access to academic programs, services, and university life.
This may include:
- Classroom and testing accommodations
- Note-taking and assistive technology support
- Housing and dining accommodation processes
- Communication access services such as interpreters or captioning
- Access support related to programs, services, and activities
Get started with student accommodations
- Apply for student accommodations
- Learn about the student accommodations process
- Learn about the Exam Proctoring Center, and exam support services
- Get support for a screen reader
- Get ASL interpretation services and CART live-captioning
- Get captioning and transcription support
- Get audio description services
Employee Accommodations for Staff and Faculty
What are employee accommodations?
The Office of Accessibility Services coordinates requests for reasonable workplace accommodations for UVM employees and applicants. UVM employees include both staff and faculty who have disabilities. We engage in an interactive process to assess barriers, review supporting information, and identify reasonable accommodations that support access in the workplace.
This may include:
- Job-related accommodation requests
- Ergonomic or workspace access needs
- Scheduling or policy-related accommodation requests
- Communication access and auxiliary aids
- Access needs related to university employment activities
Get started with employee accommodations
Report an Accessibility Barrier
If you encounter a barrier that limits access to a UVM program, service, activity, facility, event, or digital resource, please let the Office of Accessibility Services know.
Barriers may include:
- Inaccessible building entrances, routes, or restrooms
- Malfunctioning door openers or elevators
- Inaccessible websites, forms, documents, or software
- Communication barriers affecting events, classes, or services
- Other access issue that limit equal participation
Reporting a barrier helps UVM identify and address issues promptly.
Distinguishing Between the UVM Office of Accessibility Services and the UVM Office of Equal Opportunity
The Office of Accessibility Services and the Office of Equal Opportunity have distinct but complementary roles.
Contact the UVM Office of Accessibility Services for:
- Disability accommodations
- Accessibility support
- Barrier reporting
- ADA/Section 504 access coordination
Contact the UVM Office of Equal Opportunity for:
- Disability discrimination complaints
- Formal complaints based on other identity categories, including sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, or immigration status
- Harassment or bias concerns
- University anti-discrimination process questions
If you believe you have experienced discrimination, harassment, or bias based on disability or another protected category, please contact the Office of Equal Opportunity.
Rights and Responsibilities
UVM is committed to an equitable and accessible environment.
Individuals requesting accommodations have the right to:
- Be treated with dignity and respect
- Engage in an interactive and individualized process
- Receive timely communication regarding their request
- Maintain appropriate privacy regarding disability-related information
Individuals seeking accommodations are responsible for:
- Making requests in a timely manner
- Providing information when needed to support the request
- Participating in the interactive process
- Communicating if accommodations are ineffective or need adjustment
University departments and supervisors are responsible for partnering in good faith to support access and implement approved accommodations as soon as possible.
ADA and Section 504 Coordination
The ADA/Section 504 Coordinator works collaboratively across the University to support compliance, address access concerns, and strengthen institutional accessibility practices.
This may include:
- Coordinating responses to accessibility concerns
- Consulting on institutional accessibility issues
- Supporting compliance and risk mitigation efforts
- Collaborating with campus partners on access-related planning and implementation