Tulane University strives to ensure that our campus experiences and spaces - including athletic facilities, buildings, classrooms, digital content, dining areas, employment, events, medical facilities, parking areas, policies, and transportation - are accessible and free of barriers.
If you encounter any type of an accessibility barrier, please submit a report to the Equal Opportunity & Resolution Management team. Please include "disability & accessibility" in the type of concern.
At Tulane, the Goldman Center for Student Accessibility and the Office for Campus Accessibility provide supports to individuals with disabilities:
The Goldman Center for Student Accessibility provides supports and services to Tulane students with disabilities, including individualized accommodations, accessibility supports, and disability-related resources that promote equitable access to the university’s academic and student experience. The Goldman Center supports students with accommodations, self-advocacy and disability-related learning support, as well as accommodated testing through the Goldman Testing Center. Students can request accommodations through the Goldman Center for Student Accessibility website.
The Office for Campus Accessibility facilitates workplace accommodations for Tulane employees with disabilities, including facilitating discussion between the employee and their department. The Office for Campus Accessibility also collaborates with university partners to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local disability laws for all aspects of campus life, including buildings, digital content, emergency preparedness, and events. Employees can request accommodations through the Office for Campus Accessibility website.
Together, the Goldman Center and the Office for Campus Accessibility work collaboratively with the broader Tulane community to foster an accessible and inclusive environment. Both offices consult with and support members of the Tulane community in understanding the university’s responsibilities and identifying ways to provide accessible opportunities and meaningful access for all Tulane students and employees.
Below are some Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Accessibility at Tulane:
What is the difference between a service animal and an emotional support animal?
A Service Animal means any dog or miniature horse that is individually trained to work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with disability. A Service Animal must always be under the control of its handler, and the handler must take effective action to control the animal. Service Animals can accompany their owners to any building on campus. Visitors are not required to gain prior approval before coming to campus with their Service Animal. Staff may ask two questions to an individual with a Service Animal: (1) is the Service Animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the Service Animal been trained to perform? Staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card, or training documentation for the animal.
An Emotional Support Animal means any animal that provides emotional support alleviating one or more symptoms or effects of a person’s disability. Typically, Emotional Support Animals can provide companionship, relieve loneliness, and sometimes help with anxiety or certain phobias. Emotional Support Animals do not have special training to perform tasks to assist individuals with disabilities, unlike Service Animals. Employees must go through the workplace accommodations process to request use of an Emotional Support Animal at work. Employees must provide disability-related information about the individual’s disability and the related need of the Emotional Support Animal. Emotional Support Animals can only accompany the employee to the employee's office, and are not permitted in any other buildings on campus.
Students should contact the Goldman Center for Student Accessibility with questions about use of Emotional Support Animals.
Where is accessible parking on campus? Is there golf cart transportation?
Tulane's Interactive Campus Map provides accessibility features - including accessible parking locations, bathrooms, entrances, and elevators in the facilities on the Uptown Campus. Accessibility information is not yet available on the Downtown Interactive Campus Map.
There is no golf cart transportation around campus for employees; however, if an employee suffers a short-term impairment, the employee can contact the Office for Campus Accessibility to request a Medical Need Permit, which allows the employee to park in any zone on campus for up to three months, without a Tulane permit, for $6/day. The employee can also contact Tulane Shuttles and Transportation to request rides around the Uptown Campus.
Do I need to provide medical documentation to receive an accommodation?
Yes, both employees requesting workplace accommodations and students requesting academic or housing accommodations must supply medical documentation with their accommodation request. For employees, medical providers can complete and submit the ADA Medical Inquiry Form to the Office for Campus Accessibility, where the documentation is kept confidentially and separately from the employee's HR file. Employees can also submit any documentation from their provider from the past 12 months that describes their condition/symptoms, duration (if known), and functional limitations caused by that condition. For students, review the Goldman Center for Student Accessibility's Medical Documentation guidelines for more information.
How do I report an accessibility barrier?
For any physical or digital barriers, and for any instances of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation on the basis of disability - including for requesting accommodations - please submit a report to the Office of Equal Opportunity & Resolution Management.
How do I request workplace accommodations?
Submit the online request form, and upload supporting medical documentation. After you submit your request, the Office for Campus Accessibility will contact you to meet and discuss your disability, related limitations, and requested accommodations. To learn more about the accommodation request process, visit Office for Campus Accessibility - Employees.