Accessibility and Community for Students with Disabilities

The Moses Center for Student Accessibility is your first entry point into using NYU as an accessible space. Here, you’ll work with an accessibility specialist. They will talk with you about your needs and help you create a course of action. They can also tell you about academic-related help, such as alternative formats for course materials and assistive technology software. Additionally, they can provide housing accommodations, like furniture modifications or a wheelchair-accessible room.

Jake Anders, a Gallatin student from Florida, was both excited and nervous about coming to NYU. But the Moses Center for Student Accessibility helped ease his apprehension about coming to New York City. “NYU is my dream school. But starting college is stressful enough as it is, and worrying about entering university as a student who experiences disability in a place as dynamic as New York City was extremely intimidating,” says Jake. “The Moses Center helped me gain my footing at NYU in the most comfortable way I could have imagined. They eliminated the fears I had about my first day of classes by relaying accessibility information to my professors through a respectful and humanizing letter. They also took care of testing accommodations. And they adjusted them throughout each semester based on my needs.”

“I used my experience with disability as an entry point into building a community around an identity I had never had an opportunity to engage with before,” says Jake. It all started with a course called Disability Arts and Culture, taught by Professor Jessie Male. “It was an introduction to the intersection of disability studies scholarly work and the culture and community surrounding disability in New York City,” says Jake. The course changed Jake’s academic focus. It inspired him to concentrate in representation in medicine and add a minor in Disability Studies. “Throughout the semester we went to performance spaces, art galleries, and so many inclusive and progressive spaces for people who experience disability. We challenged all preconceptions of what art should be.”

“Connecting with others who have similar experiences is vital for personal growth and understanding who you are. It may also be hard to believe at times, but there are so many others within the disabled community who want to hear your stories. Let your voice be heard, because the rest of the world will listen.” —Jake Anders