To the Editor:

Accessibility and inclusion for all Stanford community members with disabilities is of the utmost importance to the Diversity and Access Office (D&A). Regrettably, the office was not given the opportunity to contribute to the November 7th article “Making Stanford Accessible.”

In response D&A would like to remind the Stanford community of its role in removing barriers for individuals with disabilities who wish to participate in the University’s programs and activities. While the Office of Accessible Education (OAE) provides academic and housing accommodations for students with disabilities, D&A is responsible for ensuring that Stanford’s campus facilities and programs are accessible to persons with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. In addition, the office is responsible for investigating complaints and grievances alleging discrimination on the basis of disability.

Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Diversity and Access Office at [email protected] if they identify any barriers to accessibility, including elevator or power door outages, doors that would benefit from power operation, or obstructed pathways due to construction and/or bicycles.   Also, please note that D&A assists students with non-academic accommodations, including providing accessible transportation, for those wishing to participate in dorm activities, club sports and other campus activities. If you need accessible transportation and/or other accommodations to participate in a non-academic activity please contact [email protected].

D&A would like to thank those University partners who carefully consider accessibility and universal design when planning activities, constructing buildings and designing programs. We are committed to continuing to raise awareness and improve accessibility for all Stanford community members with disabilities.

Rosa Gonzalez and Sheila Sanchez

Rose Gonzalez is the Director, ADA/Section 504 Compliance Officer and Sheila Sanchez is Associate Director and ADA Program Director Director of Diversity and Access Office. They can be contacted at rgonzalez ‘at’ stanford.edu and sheilas ‘at’ stanford.edu.