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Individuals with Disabilities Resources

The University of Pittsburgh embraces the "different-abilities" of it's students, faculty and staff. Through University and Community Resources we will create a environment that appreciates everyone's ability and contribution to the community.

Disability Resources & Services (DRS) 

Disability Resources & Services (DRS) partners with individuals with disabilities and the University community to provide equal access to employment, classes, programs, and activities.

Get Started with DRS

University Resources

Campus Accessibility Map

Access the Campus Accessibility Map.

Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL)

The Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL) is a collaboration between the University of Pittsburgh, the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, and UPMC Health System. HERL is dedicated to wheelchair and mobility research, specifically by improving the mobility and function of people with disabilities through advanced engineering in clinical research and medical rehabilitation. HERL also studies athletics in rehabilitation, assistive living spaces, the efficiency of wheelchair transfers, clinician training, and force and vibration on wheelchair users.

 

Community Resources

Many excellent external resources exists for individuals with disabilities, including:

Entry Point! Identifies and recruits students with apparent and non-apparent disabilities studying in science, engineering, mathematics, computer science, and some fields of business for internship and co-op opportunities.  

Workforce Recruitment Program The WRP is a recruitment and referral program that connects employers with highly motivated college students and recent graduates with disabilities who are eager to prove their abilities in the workplace through summer or permanent jobs.  

Medical Students with Disabilities Medical students with disabilities: A Generation of Practice.  

National Association of Law Students with Disabilities A coalition of students dedicated to disability advocacy and the achievement of equal access, inclusion, diversity and non-discrimination in legal education and the legal profession.

American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Provides worldwide leadership in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities.

American Association of People with Disabilities The American Association of People with Disabilities is a convener, connector, and catalyst for change, increasing the political and economic power of people with disabilities.  

Office of Vocational Rehabilitation The Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, or OVR, provides vocational rehabilitation services to help persons with disabilities prepare for, obtain, or maintain employment.

Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services The mission of the Bureau is to assist Pennsylvanians who are blind or visually impaired gain the skills necessary to live and work independently in their communities.  

National Association of the Deaf The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is the nation's premier civil rights organization of, by and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals.  

ACHIEVA​ Their commitment helped to establish a nationwide movement that changed the long history of isolation and segregation for both children and adults with disabilities.  

National Federation of the Blind The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future.

Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania (DRN) is a statewide, non-profit corporation designated as the federally-mandated organization to advance and protect the civil rights of adults and children with disabilities.

The Arc is the largest national community-based organization advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) is a leading national civil rights law and policy center directed by individuals with disabilities and parents who have children with disabilities.  

MindFreedom International is a nonprofit organization that unites 100 sponsor and affiliate grassroots groups with thousands of individual members to win human rights and alternatives for people labeled with psychiatric disabilities.  

The Center for Assistive Technology (CAT) is a joint program of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh which offers specific products and services, based on the client's individual needs and goals and include mobility, communication, and comfort.

Request an Accommodation

The University of Pittsburgh strives to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related laws which prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities in employment practices.

Make a Request

Disclose Disability Status

The University is committed to fostering an environment where individuals with disabilities can thrive professionally and takes affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities.  To reach these goals, we ask that you disclose your status.

You may disclose your status by accessing the University of Pittsburgh Self-Disclosure Form, or via My.Pitt.edu (choose Pitt Worx log-in, click on PHR Employee Self Service, then choose Disclose Disability Status).

File a Grievance

If you believe that you have been inappropriately denied a requested accommodation, that an accommodation is inadequate, that a program or activity is inaccessible, or that you have suffered discrimination or harassment based on disability, you may have the opportunity to file a grievance.

Additional Resources