Disability Services in the Dean of Students Office strives to ensure that all students feel welcome; that they belong and have access to the full educational experience at Boston College. We provide disability-related accommodations for students with medical, physical, psychological, and temporary disabilities and address issues of accessibility across campus.
Contact
Maloney Hall, Suite 448
Phone: 617-552-3470
Email: disabsrv@bc.edu
Eligibility Requirements
The Office of the Dean of Students closely follows the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when determining student eligibility for accommodations and services through our office. We work to fulfill the needs of enrolled students exclusively.
What is the ADA?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in everyday activities. The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability just as other civil rights laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. The law guarantees that people with disabilities have equal access to their education.
Section 504 of the Rebilitation Act of 1973
"No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States…shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance…"
Both Section 504 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibit the discriminatory assignment of students with disabilities to segregated classes or facilities. These laws are applicable to elementary, secondary, and postsecondary schools. In elementary and secondary schools, students with disabilities may only be assigned to separate facilities or special education courses when such placement is necessary to provide equal educational opportunity to them. Any separate facilities, and the services provided in separate facilities, must be comparable to other facilities and services.
To determine what the educational needs of a student with disabilities may be, schools must carry out preliminary evaluation and placement procedures.
Disability Definitions
The law defines a disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. The ADA considers major life activities to be any of the following: walking, seeing, hearing, working, learning, caring for oneself, breathing, digesting food, etc. Though the term “substantially limits” is interpreted broadly, not every diagnosis will meet this standard. For example, a mild allergy to pollen would not be considered a substantially limiting condition.
Temporary Impairments
Temporary impairments are not listed as disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); however, every attempt is made to provide support and assistance to students who experience a temporary disability. Accommodations may include the use of a laptop, extended time on exams, use of the Eagle Escort van service, or having swipe card access to the Government Documents Room in order to bypass the O'Neill Library stairs next to 21 Campanella Way.
Reasonable Accomodations
Under the ADA, individuals with disabilities have a right to certain reasonable accommodations. Accommodation requests must address and clearly connect the specific functional limitations that the disability causes to the needed accommodation. Further, accommodations must not fundamentally alter the nature of a program. For instance, the College does not waive either course or degree requirements based on a disability.
Registration Deadlines
Students are welcome to make accommodation requests throughout the academic year; however, there are certain constraints that may make it impossible to grant an accommodation not made by the deadline. For instance, requesting a housing accommodation after housing selection is over often prevents the Disability Services team from implementing the accommodation due to limited availability.
Housing Accommodation Deadline
- For returning students, the housing accommodation request deadline is Friday, January 30, 2026. For incoming first-year students, the deadline is Monday, June 1, 2026.
- Requests made after the deadline will still be considered, but we cannot guarantee availability.
Academic Accommodation Deadline
- Students are able to request Academic Accommodations at any time. Please note that requests made in the last weeks of a semester may not be reviewed until the next semester.
Complete the registration form.
Students use the same form to request academic and other accommodations.
Students must be eligible for housing through Residential Life and must complete any required Residential Life documents in advance of a housing-related Disability Services registration (Housing Application Form, e.g.).
Disability Services may not be able to approve/implement accommodations if you have not gone through the standard Residential Life processes.
Please note that many housing accommodations must be re-requested or renewed each year with updated documentation, to ensure continued medical necessity. This will be noted in your approval letter. Please read it through thoroughly in preparation.
If you wish to request an additional year of housing due to a disability, you will also need to register with the Disability Services Office (DSO). Please note that diagnosis of a disorder/condition alone does not automatically qualify an individual for accommodations under the ADA. The documentation must explain how the disability substantially limits one or more major life activities, and must also demonstrate how the student is unable to obtain access to their education by not living on campus despite the various accessible transportation options available.
If you are applying for an accessibility parking permit on campus, you will need to complete the following Application for Accessible Parking. This must be completed by both the student and an appropriate medical professional. When you submit your registration, please upload this as your documentation.
Please note that if the request is approved, the parking permit must still be purchased, and parking in an accessible parking space is only permitted with a state issued placard.
For any Dining or Dietary related accommodations, please submit a registration form along with corresponding documentation. No intake is necessary through our office.
Upon approval of your registration, you will be referred to the on-campus nutritionist for an intake appointment. They will help you navigate the dining hall and/or help develop a specialized meal plan that meets your needs.
The deadline for incoming first-year students (Class of 2030) to request housing accommodations is Monday, June 1st, 2026.
If you have a learning disability and/or ADHD please register with the Connors Family Learning Center.
Upload your medical documentation to the registration form.
The documentation serves as the foundation for legitimizing the request for a reasonable accommodation. Please see documentation guidelines in the following dropdown that correspond to the nature of your disability. Your treatment provider will need to write a letter that includes the information outlined in these guidelines.
Schedule an intake appointment using the DSO online scheduling calendar.
Boston College is committed to ensuring and improving physical and technological access on campus. Submissions will be reviewed by DSO and our campus partners.
When should you report an accessibility problem?
Report access issues such as elevators that are out of service or push buttons on doors to administrative or academic buildings that are malfunctioning. The Accessibility Report Form is intended for members of the BC community to report physical access barriers that the Disability Services Office is unaware of, and that it wishes to resolve quickly.
Who receives the report?
The Disability Services Office receives the report and will begin work to resolve the problem as soon as possible.
How are accessibility problems addressed?
The DSO staff will work with various administrative offices such as Facilities Management and Capital Planning to resolve the issue.
Will the reporting party receive a response?
Yes, if you choose to include your contact information on the form, we will get in touch once the problem has been resolved.
This must be completed by both the student and an appropriate medical professional. When you submit your registration, please upload this as your documentation.
This interactive, detailed map contains information on accessibility pathways, entrances, elevators, and parking.
Alumni Stadium: Direct access to Alumni Stadium can be gained at Gates D & E North, and Gate F South via a ramp. There are four elevators in each corner of the stadium that access all levels of the stadium designated for accessible seating.
Burns/Bapst Library: The accessible entrance is located on the west side of the building facing College Road. This door is controlled by library staff and security. Access can only be gained by a key card issued by the Office of Student Development or by intercom (during normal library operating hours).
Campion: Has three accessible entrances. At the main entrance on the east side of the building across from McGuinn Hall, an accessible ramp into the Campus School at the main gate directly opposite the guard shack on the south side, an accessible entrance is also located on the north side across from the service building.
Carney Hall: Has two accessible entrances. An accessible ramp is located adjacent to the Beacon Street bus stop on the south side. A second accessible entrance is located at the basement level directly across from McGuinn Hall on the east side.
Conte Forum: Accessible entrances to Conte Forum can be found at both the North and South Main entrances. The south student athlete’s entrance leads directly to a ramp and elevator that accesses all levels of the building. The north entrance has a lift that allows access the concourse level.
Devlin Hall: The main accessible entrance is in the front, north side of the building facing the quad. A second accessible entrance is located on the south side with exclusive access to a lecture hall.
Fulton Hall: Has two accessible entrances. At the main entrance facing the Academic Quad on the north side, and on the south side facing McGuinn Hall.
Gasson Hall: Gasson Hall has four accessible entrances. Two accessible entrances are located opposite the Academic Quad on the south side of the building, two additional accessible entrances were recently added via a split accessible ramp at the eagle statue on the north side of the building off Linden Lane.
Higgins Hall: The main entrance across from the statue of St. Ignatius is accessible. There is also an accessible entrance on the first floor behind the parking lot to the right of the loading dock, which is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Lyons Hall: The accessible entrance is on the south side of the building, basement level, adjacent to Stokes Hall North.
McElroy Commons: The accessible entrance is located on the south side of the building adjacent to Beacon Street.
McGuinn Hall: Has two accessible entrances. One is located in the front of the building’s east side to the left of the main entrance accessed by a ramped walkway into lecture hall 121 lobby. The second is located in the rear of the building’s east side, directly across from Carney Hall.
Merkert: Has two accessible entrances. One is located at main entrance on the north side facing Conte Forum and the second is located at the upper plaza entrance facing Campion Hall.
O'Neill Library: Access to O’Neill Library main level 3 is from the east plaza side, access to the first level is opposite Maloney Hall and to the right, follow signs to access elevator to other levels.
Stokes Hall: All of the building’s entrances are accessible. One entrance on the west side of the building is equipped with auto door operators, and is located off of the accessible parking area directly across from McElroy Hall.
Dining Hall Accessibility
Accessible entrances to University Dining Facilities:
Carney's, McElroy 3rd floor: Accessible from the first floor lobby elevator
Eagle's Nest, McElroy 2nd floor: Accessible from the first floor lobby elevator
Faculty Dining Room, McElroy 3rd floor: Accessible from the first floor lobby elevator
Hillside Café, Maloney Hall, 1st floor: Accessible from the front entrance
Lower Campus Dining Hall, Corcoran Commons, 1st floor: Accessible from the front entrance
Lyons basement ("The Rat," Welch Dining Hall): Accessible from the basement entrance
The University runs three primary shuttle routes: The Commonwealth Ave. Route loops around Chestnut Hill campus and goes to Cleveland Circle. The Newton Campus Route runs from Chestnut Hill to Newton Campus, where first year residential halls, the Law School, and various athletic fields are located. The Brookline Campus shuttle goes from Messina College to the Chestnut Hill Campus. All buses are wheelchair accessible.
BC community members with a disability or temporary injury may register to use an Eagle Escort Van, which have been specially fitted for wheelchair access.