Disability Information

Campus and Community Resources

Cornell University provides a number of resources to individuals with disabilities.

  • The Office of Workforce Diversity, Equity and Life Quality - works with other departments on campus to carry out the university's commitment to diversity, which includes individuals with disabilities.  In addition, the office serves as a clearinghouse for disability issues and coordinates a response to disability-related issues that have not been addressed elsewhere in the university.
  • Student Disability Services (SDS), in concert with the Center for Learning and Teaching, provides a unique, integrated model to serve the needs of students with disabilities. SDS will arrange for the provision of auxiliary aids, assistive technology, and reasonable accommodations for all qualified students with documented disabilities.
  • The Medical Leaves Office within the Office of Human Resources coordinates the university's disability accommodation process for faculty and staff.
  • The Employment and Disability Institute (EDI), within the School of Industrial Relations, advances knowledge, policies, and practices to enhance the opportunities of people with disabilities through our projects, publications, research, technical assistance, and training.
  • CU as People First is a weekly informal group for students with disabilities to meet and support one another in their personal journeys of recognizing and accepting their differences. Students have an opportunity to learn skills to advocate for themselves and others by looking at an issue from a systemic perspective, not from an individual liability perspective. The group offers a unique opportunity to share the joys, challenges, and experiences related to being a part of this often-overlooked minority group.
  • Cornell Union for Disabilities Awareness (CUDA) is a union of people with disabilities and allies in the Cornell community dedicated to education, awareness and activism in support of disabilities issues in the Cornell community. CUDA is dedicated to encouraging constructive, issues-based conversation and debate and works to achieve this goal through a variety of avenues on campus and beyond. CUDA meets weekly to discuss issues impacting disabled students, faculty and staff at Cornell.