Accessibility Services
The Office of Accessibility Services at Hilbert College is committed to ensuring equal access and participation in college programs, services, and facilities for all students. We collaborate with students, faculty, and staff to determine and coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Accommodations may be requested for various needs, including classroom, college programming, testing, housing, dining, etc.
Receiving Accommodations
To receive accommodations at Hilbert College, students must:
- Contact the Office of Accessibility Services, disclose their status as a student with a disability, and request accommodation(s).
- Provide documentation from a qualified medical professional documenting their current disability or condition and demonstrating a significant functional limitation related to the accommodation being requested. Documentation may include educational, medical or psychological records.
- Meet with a member of the Office of Accessibility Services team to discuss the requested accommodation.
Current Students
Current students can request accommodations for the classroom at any time during the semester by contacting the Office of Accessibility Services. However, please be aware that accommodations are not retroactive and the request process takes time. Therefore, it is advisable for students to request accommodations as soon as they become aware that they are necessary.
Prospective Students
Prospective students interested in requesting accommodations should contact the Office of Accessibility Services as early as possible after acceptance. Documentation should be sent directly to the Office of Accessibility Services; it is not included in the academic records sent to Admissions by their high school or previous institution. Documentation sent to Admissions may not be received.
Documentation Submission
Documentation should be sent via email, post, or fax to:
Office of Accessibility Services
Hilbert College
5200 South Park Ave,
Hamburg, NY 14075
Email: asc@hilbert.edu
Phone: 716.926.8836
Fax: 716.648.6530
Documentation sent via email cannot be a photo or scan from a cell phone.
Testing Accommodations
Students who have been approved for testing accommodations by the Office of Accessibility Services may make an appointment to take a test in the Testing Center, located in the McGrath Library/Learning Commons.
Students can schedule an appointment to take an exam by coming to the Front Desk in the library. Before a student schedules an exam, they must send a copy of their accommodation letter to the professor of the class the test is being given in. (Students only need to provide the letter to each professor once per semester, not before every test.)
- Must be made in person at the Learning Commons Front Desk in the library.
- Must be made at least two business days in advance (Monday exams cannot be scheduled on Friday.).
- Must be scheduled for the same time the rest of the class takes the exam unless there is a direct class conflict.
Services Not Provided by Office of Accessibility Services
- Tutoring
- Personal Care Assistants or personal equipment
- Items for personal study
- Medical or psychological assessments
- Psychoeducational evaluations
- Fundamental alterations to the nature or purpose of programs, services, and activities
- Waiver of program essentials
- Waiver, reduction, or modification of academic standards
- Services that create a direct threat to the health or safety of self or others.
Academic Support
The Academic Services Center (ASC) in McGrath Library's Learning Commons is here to help all students unlock their potential. We offer workshops, tutoring, and guidance to improve your study skills and succeed in college.
Animals on Campus
Hilbert College generally prohibits animals in campus buildings. Exceptions may be made for Assistance Animals.
A service animal is any dog that has been trained to perform work or do a task for a person with a disability. The work or task performed must be directly related to the person’s disability. The provision of emotional support, well-being, comfort, companionship or protection does not constitute ‘work’ for the purpose of this definition. Service animals are working animals, not pets.
Service dogs are permitted to accompany their owner in all Hilbert facilities, except where prohibited for health and safety reasons. While not required, it is strongly suggested that service dogs wear an identifying harness, tags or other items to communicate to campus tat their dog is working.
Hilbert strongly recommends that commuting students accompanied by a Service Animal contact the Office of Accessibility Services prior to bringing their dog to campus. Students who do not require any additional disability related accommodation are not required to register with the Office of Accessibility Services, nor are such individuals required to submit a request for a reasonable accommodation to receive access for their Service Animal.
Residential Students are required to notify both the Office of Accessibility Services and Office of Residence Life as early as possible, but at least 60 days before move in, that they intend to bring a Service Animal to live on campus with them. Students are not required to register with the Office of Accessibility Services, provide supporting documentation related to their disability, or submit a request for reasonable accommodation to receive access for their Service Animal. However, if the student requires any additional disability related accommodations, they are required to follow Hilbert College’s Accommodations Processes and Procedures, which include providing supporting documentation.
Documentation of clean health, immunizations and rabies vaccination, NYS dog license will be required by the College before the dog move on campus.
An Emotional Support Animal, also known as a comfort animal, is any animal that provides emotional support to alleviate one or more symptoms or effects of a person’s disability. Emotional support animals provide companionship, relieve loneliness, and sometimes help with other mental health symptoms, but do not have special training to perform tasks that assist people with disabilities.
Emotional Support Animals may reside in Residence Halls with their owner when necessary to afford the individual an equal opportunity to use and enjoy housing. Students may not have an ESA in their residence hall room unless approved by the Office of Accessibility Services.
To request an ESA as an accommodation, a student should:
- Meet with the Office of Accessibility to request an ESA as an accommodation.
- Provide necessary documentation from a licensed mental health care provider
- Wait until the Office of Accessibility Services approves the ESA as an accommodation.
- Meet with the Office of Residence Life to review and sign the Animals on Campus policy.
A licensed mental health provider must be from New York state or the state of the student’s permanent residence and should have a working relationship with the student. Documentation from online providers will not be accepted.
ESAs are not allowed on campus until all steps are completed: the necessary documentation is provided, the accommodation is approved by the Office of Accessibility Services, and the Office of Residence Life has confirmed that they have appropriate space available.
Health & Wellness
The Counseling Center provides a confidential and respectful space for all student concerns, big or small. We offer personal counseling, group support, and referrals to help you navigate your college experience. Your well-being is important to us, and we also offer resources for student health, including early evaluation and education for a healthy campus.
Contact Us
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Katherine Wryk
Access and Academic Success Coordinator
