Frequently Asked Questions

Animals are allowed on public areas of campus if they are on a leash not more than 6 feet long. Generally, animals are not allowed in university buildings but there are exceptions for service animals and emotional support animals. You can read our Animals on Campus Policy for more information.

A pet is a domestic animal, sufficiently tamed to live with an individual(s) and kept and cared for as a companion. An emotional support animal (ESA) may work, provide assistance, or perform physical tasks, for an individual with a disability. ESAs are not trained to perform specific tasks directly related to an individual’s disability; instead, the animal’s owner derives a sense of well-being, safety, calm, or comfort from the animal’s companionship and presence. They are not considered Service Animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

A service dog is one that is individually trained to do work or perform a task for an individual with a disability, including physical, sensory (deaf or blind), psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. The work or tasks performed by the service dog must be directly related to the individual’s disability.

Pets are not allowed in housing. Only Service Dogs and approved emotional support animals are allowed.

Animals are generally not allowed in any campus buildings. Service Dogs can accompany their user wherever they go, and employees are allowed approved emotional support animals. 

Animals are generally not allowed in classrooms or labs. Service Dogs can accompany their user wherever they go if there are no other health and safety risks, and students are allowed approved emotional support animals. 

There is a DAC webpage about Emotional Support Animal (ESA) approval steps for students, faculty, staff, and residents.

No. Only a dog (or miniature horse) can be a service animal.

You can read the Animals on Campus policy or email access@berkeley.edu for more information.

Some details of the accessible entrances and exits for buildings are available on DAC’s buildings pages. If you need more information, please reach out to access@berkeley.edu.

There is a list of accessible features in classrooms on the classroom database or on 25 Live. You can also ask your Disability Specialist.

You can use DAC’s contact form to let us know about any architectural or physical access barriers.

DAC has some emergency funding which is used to remediate smaller architectural barriers, or where the architectural barrier may be causing immediate issues, such as a wheelchair lift being broken, or an accessible door opener not working. 

The Coordinating Committee for the Removal of Architectural Barriers (CCRAB) works very closely with the Campus Architect, Capital Projects, and the Building Department to ensure that new buildings or renovation work done on campus comply with relevant federal and state building codes on accessibility. 

You can email access@berkeley.edu or complete our online form for more information.

No, enabling Zoom captions is not sufficient if captioning is requested as a reasonable accommodation for a disability. Captioning for accessibility must be at least 98% accurate, which Zoom's automated captions do not guarantee.

Yes. Our Planning Accessible Events webpage includes a section on Promotional Materials, which outlines university policy on accessibility statements for both virtual and in-person events.

You should contact the event organizer to request any accommodations that they haven’t already advertised they are offering.

If a student is enrolled in a course at UC Berkeley and requires captioning as a reasonable academic accommodation, they should submit their request through their Disabled Students’ Program (DSP) specialist. 

Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is a live, real-time translation displayed on a separate screen or device and is most often used for live events like classes, presentations, conferences, and theater performances.

Captions provide a text version of audio and may be projected onto a public screen or transmitted to individual mobile devices. 

It depends. There is a small DAC fund available that pays for communication accommodations in certain circumstances. Once you complete the request for communication accommodation form, the answers to the questions will determine who will cover the cost. If you have further questions, please ask during the process.

You can email access@berkeley.edu or complete our online form for more information.

Our Disability Complaints Procedure page provides information on who to speak to and how to file a disability-related complaint, depending on who your complaint may be about. .

Complaints about disability discrimination are investigated by the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD) which is the department that would carry out an investigation to determine if you have been discriminated against. a webpage that is updated regularly to reflect their events.

Steve Johnston, the Senior Advisor on Disability Policy and Practice, holds a drop-in session every two weeks on Thursday afternoon where you can ask any questions about anything to do with disability or accessibility. You can also email Steve at stevejohnston@berkeley.edu to ask any questions. If you disclose that something has happened that could be said to be discrimination, Steve is a mandatory reporter and must inform OPHD but that will not necessarily start an investigation.

Yes, DAC can review decisions about accommodations on request. Please complete our Contact Us form as ‘something else’ and provide as much detail as possible. Someone will reach out to you.

You can email access@berkeley.edu or complete our online form for more information.

There is a Disability Cultural Community Center (DCC) on campus which seeks to create and provide a safe and social space for the Cal disability community to build authentic connections and support one another. 

Many! DAC’s events will be advertised on our news and events page and sent to our disability community listserv. Further event information can be found on the Disability Cultural Community Center (DCC) webpages and they also have a separate listserv you can subscribe to. The Inclusive Recreation program also has a webpage that is updated regularly to reflect their events.

Alameda and SF Counties have rich disability community history and cultural offerings. You can find more information about the local disabled community on our Community Resources Page.  Each entity listed there has a website and many regularly post events information.

People with expertise and interest can request a position on one of three committees that DAC sponsors or co-sponsors:

1. Coordinating Committee for the Removal of Architectural Barriers (CCRAB)

2. IT Accessibility Policy Advisory Committee (ITAPAC)

3. Chancellor’s Advisory Council on Disability and Accessibility Planning (CACDAP)

You can request that you or one of your team become a member of the next Disability Access Liaison Team cohort which provides knowledge and resources on disability at UC Berkeley.

You can email access@berkeley.edu or complete our online form for more information.

Web accessibility reports are dealt with by the Digital Accessibility Program who can be contacted by following the instructions on their Report a web accessibility issue page.

The Digital Accessibility Program has a steps for owners page which provides help and guidance on making your website accessible.

DAC has a lending library where some equipment is available on a free loan to improve access.

Instructors can get assistance with making their course documents and materials accessible by contacting, DSP, CTL, or RTL. There are also many services available through the university libraries to make library materials more accessible.

Yes, any videos posted on your website must have at least captions on them.

You can email access@berkeley.edu or complete our online form for more information.

The DSP office handles all accommodations for classes. Please reach out to them at dsp@berkeley.edu. You can find more information on the DSP website which provides the links to register with DSP and arrange for an intake appointment.

To make your classroom more accessible, please contact the Center for Disability Learning (CTL), DSP, or Research Teaching and Learning (RTL). To request a classroom change to fit your disability needs, please refer to the classroom accessibility page on the DSP's website for more information. For course accessibility, please refer to our procedures and protocols for the provision of academic adjustment, and there are numerous tips available on CTL’s Instructor’s Guide to DSP accommodations page.

Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) both mandate that colleges accommodate disabled students to provide equal access to services, activities, and programs, including educational programs. You can read the Procedures & Protocols for Provision of Academic Adjustments for more information about how to provide accommodations.

A fundamental alteration is an accommodation that significantly changes a course’s goals and/or standards. There is a documented process at UC Berkeley for determining if providing an accommodation would constitute a fundamental alteration of a course.

You can learn more about classroom accessibility by referring to our Information and Training page.

You can email access@berkeley.edu or complete our online form for more information.

If you are a staff member, accommodations can be requested through the Staff Disability Reasonable Accommodation Process in People and Culture.

If you are a faculty member or an academic employee, you can request accommodations by speaking to your supervisor and receiving assistance from the Academic Personnel Office.

If you have questions about whether you should provide a requested disability-related accommodation, you should email StaffADAHelp@berkeley.edu for questions about the Staff Disability Reasonable Accommodation Process or contact the Academic Personnel Office if the employee is a faculty member or an academic employee.

Information about how and when to provide accommodations for interviews is covered in the ten-minute training on Inclusive Hiring and Employment. It is recommended every supervisor completes this training.

You can email access@berkeley.edu or complete our online form for more information.

We have an ongoing obligation to ensure maximum access for disabled people on our campus. This reflects requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

If you are organizing an event, we recommend that all advertising and literature should clearly state what accommodations you are offering and provide contact information (email and phone number) for whom to contact if someone needs to request an alternative accommodation to fully participate in the event. Additionally, selecting a venue accessible to wheelchair users, sharing the best path for disabled people to reach your event, and sharing that Service Dogs are welcome will create a sense of inclusion and encouragement.

Generally, you will only need to book an interpreter or captioner for your event if someone requests those accommodations. However, for some events (commencements) and other large public events, it would be recommended that at least live captions be provided as standard practice. Please reach out to DAC if you have any questions.

Please refer to our Communications and Requests page for more information on how to order an interpreter or captioner and where to submit your request.

You can email access@berkeley.edu or complete our online form for more information.

University Health Services are available at the Tang Center for most health needs.

There is a Counselling and Psychiatric Services Program that offers a variety of mental health services and resources to support you.

There is a Mobile Crisis Response Team which responds to non-violent calls from students, faculty, and staff experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis on campus.

University Health Services (UHS) and DSP work closely and frequently to address needs for medical leaves and retro medical leaves based on health conditions and disability. UHS has a dedicated webpage for students with disabilities.

You can email access@berkeley.edu or complete our online form for more information.

Please see the UC Berkeley Housing Department web pages for more information on how to request accommodations for your disability. Please also refer to the Accommodations & Identity-Based Needs page on the UC Berkeley housing website which provides the links to request accommodations.

For a full list of all deadlines to request housing accommodations, please refer to the Deadlines page on the UC Berkeley housing website. There are separate deadlines for continuing students and new students each semester. Be sure to apply on time. Accommodation requests submitted after the deadline will be processed on a space-available basis, which may result in limited options due to housing availability. While priority is given to students who provide documentation by the standard deadline, students may submit requests and documentation at any time during the academic year.

For information on how to request accommodations for a dietary restriction, please read the information on Dining’s Special Diets webpage which provides information about the accommodation practices in place, and who you contact for additional advice.

You can email access@berkeley.edu or complete our online form for more information.

UC Berkeley offers adaptive workout equipment and inclusive recreation programs to support diverse fitness needs. Additionally, there are disability-specific sports such as wheelchair basketball, and even a Decal course on adaptive sports. For accommodations, please contact inclusive.rec@berkeley.edu or submit an accommodations request form at least 7-10 business days in advance.

We have accessible pools and gyms on campus. Please reach out to inclusive.rec@berkeley.edu for more information about where to find the accessible features you require.

Information on the Youth Recreation Camp offerings is available on the Youth Recreation webpage, and the request for accommodations is included in the registration process.

You can email access@berkeley.edu or complete our online form for more information.

You can complete the Access and Functional (AFN) Needs Survey every semester to let the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) know where you might be during an emergency and what assistance you might require.

You can request an Individualized Emergency Evacuation Plan by completing the survey to receive guidance and assistance on evacuation plans, evacuation routes, and assembly points.

You should sign up to receive WarnMe messages so you receive alerts about potential emergencies.

The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) has an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) which sets out the university’s plan for emergencies, and an Emergency Evacuation Preparedness Policy which sets out your and the university’s obligations.

You can contact the Office of Emergency Management directly or email access@berkeley.edu, or complete our online form for more information.

DAC has a training bundle with 26 short trainings on disability topics. They are accessible and trackable on the LMS as BEDAC001-026. You can request a presentation by completing our online form. If you would just like to discuss your options, you can speak to our Senior Advisor on Disability Policy and Practice, Steve Johnston, by emailing stevejohnston@berkeley.edu or by phoning 510-697-9313.

You can request that one of your team becomes a member of the Disability Access Liaison Team which would provide them with knowledge and resources to perform this function.

You can request that DAC works with you on a Special Project which will look at all aspects of accessibility in your department, and provide expert advice and guidance on how you can be more accessible.

You can email access@berkeley.edu or complete our online form for more information.

Loop is an on-demand service, so rides cannot be scheduled in advance. You should request a ride only when ready to begin your trip.

If you're interested in driving for Loop, please contact Parking and Transportation for more information.

No, Loop operates Monday–Friday only. Regular hours are 7:45 AM – 10:00 PM, and summer hours are 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM.

Your access has likely expired. To regain access, you’ll need to complete the Loop application process again and provide updated documentation in your new application. If you are a DSP student, please contact your DSP specialist so they can notify us to extend your access

You can email access@berkeley.edu or complete our online form for more information.