This site serves as a centralized resource for students, staff, faculty, and campus partners on guidelines, training, processes for BPH accessibility accommodations, along with campus wide materials and resources.
Accessibility accommodations must be provided when a person with disability requests them.
Accommodation Request Language in communication/marketing materials. See the Event Planning section for template.
The building code requires that conference rooms seating seven or more people have the capacity to support Assisted Listening Devices (ALDs).
At large events such as commencement, ASL, and CART should be provided. See the Communication Accommodations section.
All web content posted on berkeley.edu websites must meet certain legal standards. See the Digital Accessibility Section.
All Berkeley content on third-party platforms (i.e., YouTube video or Apple podcasts) must be captioned, and audio-only content must include transcripts. Audio description should be included for video content if appropriate or requested. See the Transcription and Captioning section.
“If you require an accommodation for effective communication (ASL interpreting/CART captioning, alternative media formats, etc.) or information about campus mobility access features in order to fully participate in this event, please contact [name of accessibility coordinator] at [contact information: phone number and email] with as much advance notice as possible and at least (suggest 7–10) days in advance of the event.”
In order to make sure that all access requests are addressed in a timely manner and that those requests are met to the best of our ability, one person should be designated the Access Coordinator for every event.
Characteristics of an Effective Access Coordinator (AC):
As the host/event planner it is important to make a good-faith effort and if the host/event planner cannot secure said accommodations it should be well documented and should ask the person if there is anything else the host/event planner can provide to assist them instead.
If a participant requests something the host/event planner is unable to provide an accommodation, contact Disability Accessibility and Compliance (DAC) Office for consultation.
| Access Coordinator Name | When to List | |
|---|---|---|
| Alicia Slater | aliciaslater@berkeley.edu | Dean's Office-sponsored events/activities + NSO, Spring Visit Day, Commencement, & monthly Student Assemblies |
| Patricia Cruz and Lauren Magsanay | pmcruz@berkeley.edu and lrcastro@berkeley.edu | Undergraduate student-focused events/activities |
| Caitlin Green | caicgreen@berkeley.ed | RISE-sponsored events/activities |
| Che Abram | che.l.abram@berkeley.edu | DREAM-sponsored events/activities |
| Fred Smith | frederick.smith@berkeley.edu | Student Services-sponsored events/activities (aside from the above) |
| Lauren Goldstein | lhg@berkeley.edu | Research Brown Bags |
| Alicia Slater or Kristine Doss | aliciaslater@berkeley.edu or kdoss@berkeley.edu | SAC Events/Community-building events/activities |
| Kevin Guzman | kjguzman@berkeley.edu | DrPH, Interdisc MPH, & JMP-sponsored events/activities |
| Stephanie Nguyen | nguyens@berkeley.edu | OOMPH-sponsored online events/activities |
| Joonie Kim | joonie@berkeley.edu | HPM-sponsored events/activities |
| Jordan Elmowitz | jelmowitz@berkeley.edu | Biostatistics-sponsored events/activities |
| Claire Trias | ctrias@berkeley.edu | Epidemiology-sponsored events/activities |
| Andrea Natividad | a.natividad@berkeley.edu | EHS-sponsored events/activities |
| Yasmin Wofford | ywofford@berkeley.edu | CHS-sponsored events/activities |
| Teresa Liu | choihung433@berkeley.edu | IDV-sponsored events/activities |
| Lisa Peterson | lisapeterson@berkeley.edu | SafeTREC-sponsored events/activities |
| Kim Dinh | kdinh@berkeley.edu | Faculty recruitment "job talks" |
If you are unsure, need to update, or change BPH Accessibility Coordinator, please contact Seana Van Buren at skelly@berkeley.edu.
Learn more about zoom meeting privacy guidelines from UC Berkeley’s Office of Ethics, Risk and Compliance Services.
For more information, trainings, and resources on accessibility and inclusive Remote meetings, visit:
For more resources on which option is best for your event, please see Hybrid and Fully Remote Meetings document created by the UC Berkeley Information Technology Office.
For more information, resources and trainings on accessible in person events, visit
All recorded remote events on a public-facing website, it must be captioned.
Per UC Berkeley legal requirements, any event recordings posted on Youtube or other public venues (even if unlisted) must be captioned with 98% accuracy. This means correct punctuation, capitalization and name spellings. This usually means having your videos professionally post-captioned. And if you have a public-facing site with previously embedded videos without captioning, you must caption it prior to posting.
Provide transcripts for audio-only recordings such as podcasts:
Provide captions for video:
There are two types of captions:
Subtitles:
If possible, depending on budget, it is best practice to have both transcription and captioning options for videos intended for large audiences such as Commencement, New Student Orientation, Admission Workshops etc.
For more information on Transcripts, visit the Berkeley Web Accessibility page on “Transcripts”.
For BPH Student Services related videos, email Che Abram, BPH Chief Diversity Officer, at che.l.abram@berkeley.edu and DREAM Office at sphdiversity@berkeley.edu for approval. A staff with Verbit access can upload your videos and process a “clean” transcription. Please allow 5–7 business days for full clean transcription and SubRip Subtitle file (SRT) captions.
If you require access to Verbit, email Che Abram, Chief Diversity Officer, at che.l.abram@berkeley.edu.
Captioning: spoken language translated into written form and embedded into the video to capture spoken content.
CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation): live spoken language, translated into written form in real-time and made available to those viewing the event (projected or personal screen).
ASL (American Sign Language): a language spoken with hands and face used by some Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HOH) people, it can be provided in real-time, or video of it can be ‘burned’ into video capturing spoken language.
VRIS: ASL provided by an interpreter who is visible to the consumer by video.
Audio Description: Spoken language added to a pre-recorded video to explain what is happening on screen to Blind and Visually Impaired people, inserted when there is no spoken language occurring in the recorded content.
If, prior to the event, a participant requests ASL/CART services for either an in person or zoom event, campus will coordinate and pay for with advance notice of 3–5 business days for events to ensure a caption Writer or ASL interpreter is available.
If requested by a participant, Event Planner must complete a request form for captioning/ASL through Berkeley Disability Access & Compliance Office.
If this option is not available, please consult your BPH accessibility coordinator.
For more information and trainings visit,
To request auxiliary aids through BPH reach out to Paul McCue, BPH Facilities Specialist, at pmccue@berkeley.edu or through Berkeley Disability Access and Compilance’s “Lending Library Google Form Request”.
Make and/or receiving Relay Service Calls:
For more information and training on visit:
Materials must be screen reader accessible and include best practices in portraying disabled people in those materials.
Click through relevant sections on creating accessible document guidelines.
For more information on headings, visit Berkeley Digital Accessibility website on “Headings”.
For more information on headings, visit:
For information on Color accessibility, visit:
For more information on plain language, visit:
For more information, resources, and trainings, visit:
For more information visit:
For more information on embedding links, visit Berkeley’s Digital Accessibility site on “Links”.
To request this document in an alternative format, including large print, braille or electronic formats, please contact [responsible staff] at [email/phone].
Sharing a website/link is more accessible than a PDF.
For more information on making Google Docs accessible, visit:
For more information, visit UC Berkeley’s Accessible Course Content page on “Creating Accessible Word File”.
For more information, visit UC Berkeley’s Digital Accessibility Office page on “How to make PDFs Accessible”.
For more information, review UC Berkeley’s Esignature Preparing Documents for DocuSign Google Slide.
For more information and trainings visit:
UC Berkeley strongly encourages using Open Berkeley, which is a “complete web solution for UC Berkeley campus websites: hosting, support, site launch, Berkeley Brand theme, continuous improvement.”
For more information on creating an accessible website using Open Berkeley, visit
If a website already exists, use WAVE or SiteImprove as automated accessibility web checkers.
Include the embedded link (linked below) on the footer on all the department/unit’s website landing page that links to the Digital Accessibility Program (DAP) website that lets users contact DAP if they encounter a barrier using it. Having this link is required for all websites.
UC Berkeley Digital Accessibility – Report a Web Accessibility Issue
For more information, resources and trainings on IT and web accessibility visit:
All accommodations pertaining to students with disabilities and courses should be directed to Disabled Students’ Program.
If an accommodation will fundamentally alter the course, reach out to the DSP specialist listed on the letter of accommodation (LOA) as soon as possible. DSP will determine if an instructor’s concern meets the legal definition of a fundamental alteration. If so, the DSP Specialist will remove the accommodation from the LOA or figure out an alternative, where possible. Instructors must provide the accommodation until it is determined that it does fundamentally alter the course.
For additional information and training visit:
The black buttons are in Braille and act the same as the buttons on the screen for visually impaired persons.
Contact BPH Berkeley Way West building manager, Jeanette G. Thompson at Jeanette.Thompson@nmrk.com for more specific accommodation and BWW space reporting.
Before assisting an individual with disabilities, ask if assistance is needed and how best to assist.
During an emergency evacuation, individuals requiring evacuation assistance should relocate to the Designated Waiting Area (DWA). DWA locations are shown on building evacuation floor plans posted near building elevators and most stairwells. Persons who cannot self-evacuate should follow the instructions on the DWA signage located at each DWA. The signage includes rescue information to report to first responders.
If a DWA cannot be reached, individuals requiring evacuation assistance should find a room with an exterior window and call 911.
An emergency evacuation chair to assist in carrying a person requiring evacuation assistance up or down stairs is available in most buildings if multiple floors lack ground level access. They are often stored in marked grey cabinets. People who need mobility assistance may request a universal key to the cabinets. If a cabinet key is not available during emergency evacuation, the lock on the cabinet may be broken to access the evacuation chair inside.
Emergency Evacuation Chair located on the 4th floor adjacent to Stairwell 2, required key is an FR205, and it is taped to the top of the cabinet.
Instructions on how to use the emergency evacuation chair are posted on the inside of the cabinet door. Only in life threatening situations should occupants carry in an individual in an evacuation chair. At all other times only trained emergency responders should carry someone.
For photographs demonstrating evacuation chairs visit DAC’s website on Evacuation Chairs.
Before assisting an individual with disabilities, ask if assistance is needed and how best to assist.
During an emergency evacuation, individuals requiring evacuation assistance should relocate to the Designated Waiting Area (DWA). DWA locations are shown on building evacuation floor plans posted near building elevators and most stairwells. Persons who cannot self-evacuate should follow the instructions on the DWA signage located at each DWA. The signage includes rescue information to report to first responders.
If a DWA cannot be reached, individuals requiring evacuation assistance should find a room with an exterior window and call 911.
An emergency evacuation chair to assist in carrying a person requiring evacuation assistance up or down stairs is available in most buildings if multiple floors lack ground level access. They are often stored in marked gray cabinets. People who need mobility assistance may request a universal key to the cabinets. If a cabinet key is not available during emergency evacuation, the lock on the cabinet may be broken to access the evacuation chair inside.
Instructions on how to use the emergency evacuation chair are posted on the inside of the cabinet door. Only in life threatening situations should occupants carry in an individual in an evacuation chair. At all other times only trained emergency responders should carry someone.
Open folded chair (like opening a folded lawn chair).
Make sure that latches at the rear of the chair are secure.
Secure passenger in chair with seat belt.
If person with disability cannot control movement of limbs (e.g., arms, legs) then use straps to secure limbs to chair before moving person.
When a person is being carried either up or down stairs, make sure the person being carried is always facing up (not down) the stairs.
Once on the final level surface, set chair down and push chair out of building in a posture similar to pushing a wheelbarrow (the legs of the evacuation chair have wheels).
For additional support at Golden Bear on Emergency Evacuation Plans for People with disabilities, contact Facilities Manager Janis Honda at jkhonda@berkeley.edu or call (510) 418-3691; or contact Facilities Specialist, Paul McCue at pmccue@berkeley.edu or call (415) 238-9253.
For a video demonstration of instructions, visit Evacuation Chair Instructions on Youtube.
For information on the full BPH Emergency Plan, visit BPH Emergency Preparedness.
To report an inaccessible path of travel or building issue at Berkeley Way West, contact Jeanette Thompson at Jeanette.Thompson@nmrk.com. For Golden Bear Center, contact Janis Honda at jkhonda@berkeley.edu or Paul McCue at pmccue@berkeley.edu.
It isn’t only those who use adaptive equipment like wheelchairs and walkers for whom such projects can create a barrier to work. Disabled people with certain conditions (such as Multiple Sclerosis or Cerebral Palsy) must know how much physical exertion will be required to get through their day in order to plan for the optimal execution of their daily tasks. A procedure like this helps them to do so.
Contact Physical Access Compliance Manager, Ben Perez, with Berkeley Disability Access and compliance at bperez@berkeley.edu for physical space reporting.
Blue spaces are reserved for persons with disabilities with a permit and disability placard/license plate. Non-compliance with this provision will result in a parking citation. Most, but not all, of these spaces meet access codes requirements. For example, due to the hilly terrain on which the campus sits, not all “blue” parking spaces are sufficiently level (or wide) to meet the needs of all persons with disabilities.
Faculty, Staff, and students may obtain parking permits on the Parking & Transportation Permit Portal.
Berkeley Way West accessible parking spaces can be found:
For campus parking map and list of accessible parking, visit:
The Loop is a golf cart that provides intra-campus rides for eligible faculty, staff, and students with disabilities on a first-come, first-served basis. This service was created to assist students with mobility disabilities (including temporary disability as a result of injury) and visual impairments, during the fall and spring semesters, and during class time. It has since extended to serve disabled staff and visitors, and to run during additional hours and times of the year (e.g., Golden Bear Orientation Week and summer sessions). The Loop only operates on the core campus.
To make a request, complete the Loop Request Form on Berkeley Disability Access and Compliance site.
For more information, visit:
UC Berkeley Parking & Transportation offers several wheelchair-accessible shuttle routes free of charge to Campus community members.
For more information and resources visit:
For larger BPH student services related events, (New Student Orientation, etc.) connect with Che Abram, BPH Chief Diversity Officer, at che.l.abram@berkeley.edu and DREAM Office at sphdiversity@berkeley.edu for funding.
Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals both serve as supports for disabled people that help them live independently. They are governed by different laws, serve different roles, and what type of animal can fill each role is different.
For additional information and trainings visit:
All job listings should be processed through UC Path; the system verifies the accessibility of the advertisement.
All job listings are advertised through Berkeley Recruit. For applicants with disabilities needing additional assistance utilizing UC Berkeley AP Recruit, or reasonable accommodations during the interview or search process, please contact Office for Faculty Equity and Welfare at aprecruit@berkeley.edu.
“If you require reasonable accommodation to complete a job application, pre-employment testing, or a job interview or to otherwise participate in the hiring process, please contact [include name and/or department, telephone, and e-mail address, etc.].”
“Academic Student Employees who are disabled or become disabled should notify their supervisor or department to request reasonable accommodations, in advance of their start date or any time during their appointment, in accordance with Article 23 – Reasonable Accommodation of the UC-UAW Agreement.”
While each request is assessed on an individual basis (and not every accommodation is reasonable in every circumstance), there are a many different types of accommodations, including but not limited to:
Certain requests are generally outside the scope of what is reasonable and therefore, cannot be accommodated by the University. Those include, but are not limited to:
The academic appointee has primary responsibility for starting the accommodation process and providing necessary documentation. Specific responsibilities include:
An employee is eligible for FML under FMLA/CFRA if the employee has at least 12 months of University employment (all prior University employment counts) and if they worked at least 1,250 actual hours during the 12 months prior to the requested leave.
Staff employees who are not covered by a collective bargaining agreement must exhaust all accrued vacation and sick days prior to taking an unpaid leave unless otherwise requested by the employee and approved by the department head, provided that the leave is not running concurrently with pregnancy disability or work-incurred illness or disability leave.
To request a FMLA, submit a ticket with HR Service Now at servicenow@berkeley.edu.
For more information visit:
The California Fair Employment and Housing Act provides up to four months (88 work days) leave during the time a woman is actually disabled and unable to perform her job due to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
Upon the documented advice of her health care provider, a pregnant employee may request temporary reassignment to a less strenuous or hazardous position. If the employer can reasonably accommodate such a request, it must be granted.
For more information visit:
When disabled people have a complaint of disability discrimination it is usually for one of the following reasons:
It is important to remember that when the allegation concerns disability discrimination, there is no requirement to show any intention to discriminate.
For more information on student reporting and student resources, visit:
Report accessibility barriers on websites or BerkeleyX courses, captions on videos, and transcripts for podcasts with Berkeley Digital Accessibility’s Web Accessibility Issue Google Form.
Develop an office accessibility best practice for procuring new products and renewing existing contracts. Best practice should include:
Embrace Disability Resource Google Form
This content was compiled and the page was created by Jessica Ko.
Last update: December 6, 2024