Office of Accessibility Services

Current Campus Accessibility Barriers

Elevator outages or construction projects may affect physical access to classrooms, office, meetings, or residence halls. Along with opt-in email notifications, this page provides updates and guidance for students, staff, and faculty.

Current & Planned Elevator Outages or Construction Notices

Last updated March 5, 2026.

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Waterman Building Elevator Maintenance, Summer 2026

Planned Construction

Davis Center West Entrance Closure, March 9-13 (Spring Break)

The west entrance doors to the Davis Center (also called the Green Roof doors) will be closed March 9 through March 13 to add more snow guards to the roof on that side of the building. 

During larger snowstorms, the amount of snow that slides off that side of the roof lands right at the doors; this can be dangerous to anyone going in or out but also blocks the doors from opening. The additional snow guards being installed will stop this from happening.

The Green Roof entrance that will be closed brings you into the second floor. There will be signs to direct you to either of the first-floor entrances, which are both ADA compliant and maintained for snow removal. 

There is also a third floor entrance that can be used on the east side (where the flag poles are). 

Waterman Building Elevator Maintenance, Summer 2026

The elevator in the Waterman Building will be unavailable during scheduled maintenance periods throughout the summer. Specific dates and times will be shared as they are confirmed.

Employees whose work may be impacted and who may require an accommodation due to a disability are encouraged to contact the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) to discuss available options. Where job duties permit, temporary accommodations may include modified work arrangements, including consideration of remote work.

For questions or to set up an accommodation request, please contact OAS by emailing access@uvm.edu, calling (802) 656-8610, or filling out our online contact form.

Elevator Outage Information

If an elevator outage or construction project prevents access to a class, office or meeting:
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Physical accessibility barriers (such as elevator outages) may occasionally affect access to classrooms, offices, or meeting spaces. If you are unable to reach a classroom, workspace, or meeting due to a physical accessibility barrier, please take the following steps:

Students: Contact your instructor or Student Accessibility Services specialist as soon as possible to notify them that you are being prevented from accessing class. See below for additional information.

Employees (staff and faculty): Contact your supervisor, department, or meeting organizer, to notify them that there is a physical accessibility barrier preventing access to your workspace or meeting location. Departments should relocate meetings or make temporary arrangements whenever possible.

Accessibility assistance: Individuals who require disability related accommodations may contact the Office of Accessibility Services at access@uvm.edu or (802) 656-8610.

If you are currently stuck in a building:
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If you are currently in a building and cannot safely exit because the elevator is out of service, or another construction issue is occurring, please contact UVM Police Services for assistance: call (802) 656-3473

If you become stuck in an elevator, use the emergency call button to reach building security or emergency responders.

Additional Information for Students

Residence Hall Elevator Outage
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Residence Halls Without Elevators

Please note that the following buildings do NOT have elevators:

  • Simpson
  • Hamilton
  • Coolidge
  • Redstone
  • Hunt
  • McCann
  • Ready
  • Richardson
  • Sichel
  • Living/Learning Buildings
  • Converse Hall
  • The Cottages

If you are a UVM student who needs an elevator for accessibility, please work with Student Accessibility Services to make sure that you're placed in housing that meets all your needs.

Students Unable to Access Their Room

  1. Student Actions:
    • Contact the Resident Assistant (RA) and/or front desk staff.
  2. RA/Front Desk Staff Actions:
    • Contact the RET team or appropriate personnel to determine the availability of an alternative room for the student.
    • If a room is available and accepted by the student:
      • The RA or designated person will assist the student in retrieving items from their original room.
    • If a room is not available or not accepted by the student:
      • Explore the possibility of the student staying with a friend.
      • Consider other available options.
    • Determine if University Housing & Dining can provide transportation to the new location. If not, during hours of 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM, check with the OAS Specialist to see if CatsRide is an option.
  3. Note: Depending on the situation and the duration of the repair, the student may be required to relocate for life safety reasons.

Student Unable to Leave Their Room

  1. Student Actions:
    • Contact the RA to update the RET team or appropriate personnel.
    • Fill out the Meal Request Form, designating a friend or RA to pick up meals.
    • Contact their SAS Specialist.
  2. Student Accessibility Services Specialist Actions:
  • Contact faculty if the student is unable to attend class in person
  • Work with faculty to explore options for remote classes, recording classes, and providing note-takers in courses.

Academic Building Elevator Outage
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Notification

  •  Student Notification: The student will contact their Student Accessibility Services Specialist regarding the elevator outage.

Student Accessibility Services Specialist Actions

  1. Contact faculty and the Registrar’s Office if the student is unable to attend class in person.
  2. Explore the following options:
    • Convert the class to a hybrid format to allow remote attendance.
    • Temporarily or permanently relocate the classroom, depending on the duration of the elevator outage.

Faculty Guidance for Elevator Outages

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  • Elevators are essential for students who cannot use stairs to access classrooms or offices. If an elevator outage prevents a student from attending class, please do not penalize the absence.
  • Physical Plant Services usually inform us of outages, and we attempt to contact all professors with affected students. Even if you are not notified by our office, consider the student's communication as valid notification to excuse the absence and assist with acquiring missed materials.
  • You can verify the date and time of elevator outages with the Office of Accessibility Services or Physical Plant Services.
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Email notifications of physical accessibility barriers

Getting notifications in your email is a two-step process:

1. Please email listserv@list.uvm.edu with the following format: subscribe ELEVATORS [first_name] [last_name]
2. You will receive a confirmation email. Click the link in the confirmation email to activate your subscription.

Or sign up via the Office of Accessibility Services contact form

Email notifications of physical accessibility barriers

Getting notifications in your email is a two-step process:

1. Please email listserv@list.uvm.edu with the following format: subscribe ELEVATORS [first_name] [last_name]
2. You will receive a confirmation email. Click the link in the confirmation email to activate your subscription.

Or sign up via the Office of Accessibility Services contact form

Report an ADA Barrier

Use our online form to report physical accessibility issues on the UVM campus.

Report an accessibility barrier