FAQ's
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Toggle ItemHow do I receive services from the Accessibility Center?Please follow the intake process on the "Getting Started" page.
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Toggle ItemI'm having a difficult time getting to and around campus. What resources are there for mobility issues?Please make an appointment with the Accessibility Center (801-422-2767). We are happy to meet with you to review potential accommodations and resources that may be available to you for mobility issues at BYU! Here are some ideas to get you started:
1. Dropped off on campus.
Having a friend that can drop you off close to campus is always a plus.
2. Lockers:
https://lockers.byu.edu/rent
Click on the different buildings to see what lockers are available.
3. Free Shuttles:
https://studentmovement.byu.edu/all-routes
UTA Bus – UVX is free:
https://sustainability.byu.edu/transportation There are no shuttles from the bus stops.
4. Disability placards:
Have your doctor fill out a form for a disability placard if applicable.
Take the filled-out form to the DMV to get a temporary or long-term placard.
https://dmv.utah.gov/faq/disabled-placards
5. BYU Parking with Disability Placards once received from the DMV:
https://access.byu.edu/disability-parking (Rules and Maps available).
6. Rideables Access:
https://rideables.byu.edu/ 801-422-8754.
BYU campus allows rideables that can help you navigate the distance across campus. Please follow all rules and lock your rideable in the bike racks outside the buildings. Please contact the Accessibility Center, 801-422-2767, for additional rideables information.
7. Wheelchair Rentals:
The Accessibility Center does not provide wheelchairs or other medical equipment. However, listed below are a few resources in Provo:
*Alpine Home Medical: 801-852-0077
1481 N. State St., Provo, UT 84604
B & H Pharmacy: 801-373-7288
286 W. Center St., Provo, UT 84601
*Intermountain Homecare Equipment - 801-357-8250
289 W. Cougar Blvd., Provo, UT 84604
IOC Home Medical: 801-226-4741
1435 S State St., Orem, UT 84097
Ability 1st Utah: 801-850-5568
1455 W. 820 N., Provo, UT 84601
*Within 6 blocks of BYU
Please make an appointment with the Accessibility Center (801-422-2767). We are happy to meet with you to review potential accommodations and resources! Please note that you may be asked to work with your instructor and/or to submit documentation. -
Toggle ItemAre there accommodations for temporary disabilities (recent injuries, accidents, sudden illnesses, etc.)?See information about temporary conditions here.
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Toggle ItemI'm taking an Independent Study course, do I qualify for accommodations through the AC?No, Independent Study has their own accessibility office and requirements. Please visit their website to begin the process at is.byu.edu or call their office with questions at 801-422-9432.
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Toggle ItemIf I am receiving accommodations at another college or university, will I automatically receive accommodations at BYU?Although educational institutions receiving federal funds are obligated to abide by the same disability laws, differences in procedures and documentation requirements may vary from one institution to the next. Given this, we cannot guarantee that accommodations in place prior to attending BYU will automatically be available. However, we are committed to giving full consideration when evaluating specific disability-related requests.
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Toggle ItemWhat documentation does the AC need?The type of documentation needed depends on the nature of disability. See more details here.
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Toggle ItemWhere do I send my documentation?Upload your documentation in CougarAccess (https://cougaraccess.byu.edu/) by going to the "Documentation" tab and clicking on the "Upload New Documentation" button. Alternatively, documentation can be turned in to the Accessibility Center front desk located in 2170 of the Wilkinson Student Center. Also, documentation can be faxed to (801) 422-0174, or scanned/photographed copies can be attached to an email that is sent to uacfrontdesk@byu.edu.
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Toggle ItemAre accommodations retroactive?The question of retroactive accommodations frequently comes up with missed deadlines, forgotten deadlines, or late work. We do not have any accommodations that require an instructor to accommodate retroactively. If a student has been granted an accommodation related to flexibility of deadlines, it is crucial that the student provides the instructor with the letter of accommodation as soon as possible (i.e., at the beginning of the semester) and makes a specific request to use the accommodation before the deadline passes. Otherwise, normal classroom policies can be enforced.
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Toggle ItemWhat if I need to make changes to my accommodations?Accommodations can be modified over time as disability-related symptoms change or unanticipated academic demands arise in a new semester. Contact the front desk (801-422-2767 or here) to schedule an appointment with your coordinator to begin the process.
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Toggle ItemIs my disability information shared with my professors or other BYU faculty or staff?Information regarding your diagnosis, symptoms, and your disability-related history is not disclosed to your professors or other BYU faculty or staff. Letters of accommodation (which are delivered by each student to their professors) do include information regarding the specific accommodations that have been granted, a statement about your qualification to receive accommodations, and the professional qualifications of your coordinator.
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Toggle ItemHow do I let my professors know about my accommodations?Since each student shares in the responsibility to engage in the interactive process when sending accommodations, each student must send new letters of accommodation through CougarAccess. When a student sends letters, it will notify professors that letters are available for them to view on CougarAccess. If the student would also like to hand-deliver a hard copy to instructors, the student can download the letters as PDFs and print them out. Keep in mind that letters of accommodation must be sent each new semester or term.
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Toggle ItemCan I bring my service animal to campus?Subject to the limitations set forth in this section, Service Animals are permitted on campus and in on-campus housing to accompany students and individuals with disabilities who participate in university programs and activities.
Federal laws prohibit asking about the nature or extent of a person’s disability to determine if an animal is a Service Animal. However, when it is not readily apparent that an individual has a disability or that an animal is trained to perform a task to support a person with a disability, a university employee is permitted to ask the following questions to determine if an animal qualifies as a Service Animal:- Is the animal required due to a disability?
- What task(s) has the animal been trained to perform?
If an animal handler reports that an animal is required due to the handler’s disability and has been trained to perform tasks to assist the handler, then the animal qualifies as a Service Animal. If an animal is not required due to a disability or has not been trained to perform a task to support the person with a disability, then it may be excluded from campus programs and activities.
University personnel may not ask persons using a Service Animal to demonstrate the task the Service Animal has been trained to perform or to document that the Service Animal has been certified, trained, or licensed as a Service Animal. Service Animals are not required to display any visible markings, including wearing vests or tags, to establish status as a Service Animal.
A handler who brings a Service Animal to campus is responsible for the following:- Caring for, supervising, and maintaining control of the Service Animal at all times through the use of a leash, voice, signal, or other effective control
- Ensuring the Service Animal is housebroken
- Ensuring the Service Animal relieves itself in appropriate areas
- Ensuring the immediate cleanup of the Service Animal’s waste
- Complying with all local licensing requirements, including registration, immunizations, and applicable tags
A Service Animal may be excluded from campus or a particular portion of campus if one of the following occurs:- The Service Animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of people or animals
- The Service Animal is not harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless these devices interfere with the Service Animal’s work or the individual’s disability prevents the use of these devices (in this case, the individual must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective controls)
- The Service Animal is out of control (e.g., running unleashed through a facility, touching others with paws or nose, barking, jumping, running away from the handler, etc.) and effective action is not taken to control it
- The Service Animal is not housebroken
- The owner fails to immediately clean up any waste from the Service Animal
- The Service Animal is left unattended
- A facility cannot accommodate the type, size, or weight of a miniature horse
Due to health and safety concerns, Service Animals are generally not permitted in restricted areas on campus, including research laboratories, boiler rooms, custodial closets, facility equipment rooms, classrooms with research/demonstration animals, areas where protective clothing is required, wood and metal shops, motor pools, rooms with heavy machinery, food preparation areas, and areas outlined in state law as being inaccessible to animals. Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis by contacting the Accessibility Center (AC) and the appropriate department representative. The person responsible for the restricted area has the final decision-making authority on whether to admit a Service Animal into the area.
Students with Service Animals may voluntarily work with the AC, which may provide the student with a letter that can be shown to campus personnel to establish that an animal is a Service Animal. A Service Animal may not be excluded from campus because its handler does not have such a letter.
Assistance Animals in On-Campus Housing
A handler who brings a Service Animal into on-campus housing or receives an accommodation to bring an Emotional Support Animal into on-campus housing is responsible for the following:- Caring for, supervising, and maintaining control of the Assistance Animal at all times through the use of a leash, voice controls, signal controls, or other effective control
- Ensuring the Assistance Animal relieves itself in appropriate areas
- Ensuring the timely cleanup of the Assistance Animal’s waste
- Ensuring that the Assistance Animal is housebroken or housed in cages where the animal’s waste may be appropriately contained
- Complying with all local licensing requirements, including registration, immunizations, and tags
- Maintaining immunization records and documentation regarding the health and safety of the animal in a manner in that it is readily available
- Obtaining an annual clean bill of health from a licensed veterinarian for Assistance Animals other than cats and dogs (documentation can take the form of an animal vaccination certificate or a veterinarian’s statement regarding the animal’s health)
- Maintaining a safety plan by filling out a safety plan form provided by Residence Life and filing a copy of the plan with Residence Life
On a case-by-case basis, the AC or Residence Life may place other reasonable conditions or restrictions on Assistance Animals.
Residence Life personnel will make a reasonable effort to notify tenants in the residence building where an Assistance Animal will be located. Students with medical conditions that are affected by animals (e.g., respiratory diseases, asthma, severe allergies) should contact the AC if they have a health or safety concern about exposure to an Assistance Animal. The AC and Residence Life will attempt to resolve these concerns, which may include relocating tenants. The AC and Residence Life may use the University Student Health Center as a resource to provide information on medical issues relating to exposure to Assistance Animals.
For additional information about animals on campus, see BYU's Animals on Campus policy and procedure at the following links:
Animals on Campus Policy
Animals on Campus Procedure -
Toggle ItemCan I bring my emotional support animal to campus?Emotional Support Animals are limited to the on-campus dwelling unit of the student with the accommodation and designated relief areas and are not allowed in other campus locations.
Emotional Support Animals in On-Campus Housing
A student who is under contract for or is living in on-campus housing must request an accommodation from the AC to be accompanied by an Emotional Support Animal in on-campus housing. Students should meet with the AC and provide appropriate documentation at least thirty days before housing is needed. Representatives from the AC and Residence Life will review the requested accommodation to determine if the request for an Emotional Support Animal is reasonable.
Requests for accommodation may be denied where the presence of an Emotional Support Animal imposes an undue financial or administrative burden, fundamentally alters the nature of the housing program or services, or constitutes a direct threat to others. Requests for accommodations may also be denied if an Emotional Support Animal causes significant property damage. Residence Life has the final decision on any request for an accommodation involving an Emotional Support Animal in on-campus housing.
For additional information about animals on campus, see BYU's Animals on Campus policy and procedure at the following links:
Animals on Campus Policy
Animals on Campus Procedure
For Faculty FAQS, click on this link: Faculty FAQS