Physical Accessibility
Students
A student with accessibility needs is one who
- uses a mobility device—such as a wheelchair, walker, crutches, or cane—to negotiate the environment, or
- any student who negotiates the school environment with difficulty and/or at a slower pace than their peers, whether it is due to muscle weakness, lack of endurance, or any other reason.
If your child has a mobility impairment this should be documented in a 504 plan or an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Families
If you are a parent, family member, or member of the school community who requires a reasonable accommodation to attend an event (i.e., parent-teacher conference, school performance, graduation) at a building that is not accessible, please contact the school’s principal to request an accommodation. If an accommodation cannot be provided at the school level, you may contact the Division of Space Management's Accessibility Coordinator at accessibility@schools.nyc.gov, and your request will be reviewed.
Employees
Employees in need of an accommodation should visit the Employee InfoHub (log in required) for the ADA Accommodations page . This explains how to request accommodations. Employees can also contact the Division of Space Management's Accessibility Coordinator at accessibility@schools.nyc.gov
Building Accessibility
Accessible Schools are located in fully or partially accessible buildings where an individual with a mobility impairment may enter and access relevant programs and services, including the science laboratory, library, cafeteria, the gymnasium, and at least one restroom.
Each school or program in our directories or on Find a School will be labeled as one of three accessibility levels: fully accessible, partially accessible, or not accessible.
Fully Accessible
A fully accessible building is one in which all educational primary function areas are accessible.
Partially Accessible
A partially accessible school or program allows for anyone with mobility impairments to enter and exit the building, access relevant programs, and have use of at least one restroom, but the entire building may not be accessible.
We continually assess all of our buildings to determine levels of accessibility and ways to improve. Contact schools and programs directly or visit them to learn more about their accessibility. The Building Accessibility page also has a link to citywide Building Accessibility Profiles (BAPs) of school buildings as well as a description of the accessibility rating scale used in the (BAPs).
Download a citywide Building Accessibility Profile List .
Contacts and Resources
For questions about building accessibility, please contact the Division of Space Management's Accessibility Coordinator at accessibility@schools.nyc.gov
Accessibility in Admissions
All admissions applications include a question that will ask you to indicate whether your child has accessibility needs and requires a school or program in an accessible building. Fully and partially accessible schools prioritize students with accessibility needs. Placements to meet an accessibility need are based on documentation that details the particular needs of the child. If the offer your child gets through the admissions process does not meet their needs, we will work with you after offers are sent.
Find more information about accessibility in admissions on the enrollment for students with accessibility needs page.
Contacts and Resources
Specialized Transportation
The DOE provides specialized transportation to students whose Individual Education Programs (IEPs) recommend this service or to other students with disabilities who cannot take public transportation. Specialized transportation refers to school buses that are staffed by both a school bus driver and an attendant. Instead of being picked up at a centralized stop, the student is picked up at the closest, safest stop to their residence.
Find more information on the specialized transportation page.
Contacts and Resources
For questions about specialized transportation, please contact your student’s IEP team and the school’s transportation coordinator.
Website Accessibility Statement
New York City Public Schools is committed to ensuring its digital content is accessible to and usable by people with disabilities. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone and applying the relevant accessibility standards.
Conformance Status
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) defines requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. It defines three levels of conformance: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA. Our digital content is substantially conformant with WCAG 2.1 level AA.
Feedback
We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of our digital content. Please let us know if you encounter accessibility issues by using the Website Accessibility Feedback Form.
If you need assistance accessing a particular program or service, please email DigitalAccessibility@schools.nyc.gov.
Assessment Approach
New York City Public Schools assesses the accessibility of its digital content through self-evaluation.
Date
This statement was created on 03/01/2023.