Accessibility at HWS

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HWS is committed to equal access and inclusion for people with disabilities and strives to have a barrier-free environment. Offices, departments, and teams from across campus work together to create a more accessible HWS. 

All HWS community members who are organizing an event must refer to the Event Accessibility Checklist and ensure their event is as accessible as possible for all guests.

Students

Students requiring academic or non-academic accommodations can find information regarding support on the Disability Services webpage. Student can also contact Disability Services, housed within the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), at (315) 781-3351, ctl@hws.edu or by visiting CTL on the second floor of the library.

Staff/faculty

It is HWS policy to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with a disability who are employees or applicants for employment. HWS is committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the New York State Human Rights Law (NYHRL), and all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination in employment against qualified individuals with disabilities. The Colleges will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so would result in undue hardship to the Colleges. The interactive process of identifying a reasonable accommodation begins when an employee or applicant discloses a disability, provides documentation, and requests an accommodation. Volunteering information about a disability will not subject an employee or applicant to any adverse treatment or penalty. All information concerning disabilities will be considered confidential and will be released only in accordance with the ADA and the NYHRL.

Guidance on the accommodation process, including how to apply and resources, is available by clicking here. Employees can also directly access the accommodation request form and return it to Human Resources.

Tabatha Spinner, Associate Vice President for Human Resources, also serves as the Colleges ADA/504 Compliance Coordinator and can be reached at spinner@hws.edu or (315) 781-3312.

Guests

Prospective Students and their Families

Information coming soon!

Campus Visitors

(Events Organized with Conference Services/Events on Seneca)

For accessibility information and support for guests or event organizers working with HWS’ Conferences and Events team, please contact their office at 315-781-3103 or events@hws.edu.

Campus Visitors

(Events Not Organized with Conference Services)

If you are: (1) A guest visiting campus for a scheduled event who may need reasonable accommodations; or (2) A HWS community member who is sponsoring a campus guest or event for which accommodations may be needed that are outside of the event organizer’s scope, please contact HR@hws.edu. 

Please note that major institutional events like commencement are organized by a committee and will provide separate accessibility information to participants. Please contact the organizer of the campus-wide event for accessibility support.

Sign Language Interpreter Requests – Campus Events

In cases where sign language interpretation services are required for a campus event (excluding matriculation, commencement, and other major institutional events), the Office of Human Resources will assist in the scheduling of the interpretation and will cover the cost. If you need to request accommodations, it is best to complete the Interpreter Request Form as soon as possible to ensure availability; however, every attempt will be made to meet such requests.

Physical Campus and Facilities

ADA Accessibility on Campus – Procedures and Reporting Form

HWS is committed to equal access and inclusion for people with disabilities and strives to have a barrier-free physical environment. The HWS Interactive Campus Map indicates ADA accessibility.

ADA door controls for administrative buildings are unlocked when the building is open.

Reporting Physical Barriers on Campus

Use the ADA/Campus Access Barrier Report Form to report broken or damaged accessibility items (doors, elevators, ramps, accessible toilets, etc.) In addition to this form, concerns may also be reported directly to:

If you require immediate ADA accessibility assistance, call Campus Safety at 315-781-3333.