Disability Accommodation
University Policy
School of Law Policy
Excerpt taken from the Student Services section of the JD Handbook:
10. Disability & Access Services
BU Disability & Access Services, 25 Buick St., 3rd Floor; 617-353-3658 (Voice/TTY); www.bu.edu/disability; access@bu.edu.
Students seeking accommodations due to a disability must first contact BU Disability & Access Services. Students must provide documentation regarding their disability. Disability & Access Services can explain the BU guidelines to which this documentation must conform. After reviewing the documentation, Disability & Access Services may recommend accommodations. Such recommendations must be reviewed and approved by the BU Law Dean or Dean’s designate.
Please note that Disability & Access Services requires several weeks to complete its review, and BU Law cannot provide disability accommodations without a recommendation from Disability & Access Services. Accordingly, students seeking accommodations should start the process as soon as possible. (Do not wait until exam period.) For further information, see Associate Dean Muir, Law Room 503 or 617-358-1800.
Students with temporary or permanent disabilities seeking accommodations should contact Boston University Disability & Access Services at 25 Buick Street, Boston, MA 02215 (telephone 617-353-3658 Voice/TTY; email: access@bu.edu). Disability & Access Services arranges for academic accommodations for students with disabilities. Such accommodations may include the use of a note-taker and course materials in alternative formats, such as Braille or enlarged print. Other accommodations that might be approved include a reduced course load and exam-related accommodations, such as extended time or a distraction-free environment.
Students seeking academic accommodations on the basis of a disability (such as extended time on examinations or the use of a note-taker) initially must work directly with Disability & Access Services. Disability & Access Services will review a student’s medical documentation and recommend academic accommodations to the School of Law on the basis of that documentation. The recommendations of Disability & Access Services must be reviewed and approved by the Dean of the School of Law. Medical documentation must comply with University guidelines, which may be obtained from Disability & Access Services. Please note that Disability & Access Services may require as much as two weeks to complete its review, and that the School of Law cannot provide academic accommodations on the basis of a disability unless Disability & Access Services has recommended accommodations. Thus, students should start this process before starting classes at the law school.
Students who are deaf or hard of hearing may arrange for sign language interpreters, computer aided real-time transcription (“CART”), or assistive listening devices through Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (“SDHH”) at Disability & Access Services. Please call SDHH at 617-353-7790 (TTY) or 617-353-6882 (Voice) to make arrangements for interpreter or CART services. Students with learning disabilities also may receive services beyond academic in-class and exam accommodations through Learning Disability Services (LDS) at Disability & Access Services.
Requests for housing accommodations for students with disabilities should be directed to the BU Real Estate Services office at 846 Commonwealth Avenue; 617-353-4101. Be sure to indicate your interest in accessible apartments. An extremely limited number of accessible dormitory-style rooms are available through the Assignments Area in the University’s Housing office, 25 Buick Street; 617-353-3511. Students must submit their housing application, Residence License Agreement, and medical documentation directly to the Housing office. The Disability & Access Services office will review the medical documentation and work with the Housing office to arrange housing accommodations. Please note that due to the extremely limited availability of graduate housing, requests for housing accommodations must be submitted as soon as possible.
