ACCOMMODATION REQUEST GUIDELINES FOR COMMENCEMENT AND SPECIAL OCCASIONS
General Information
All faculty, staff, and graduating seniors who have personal accommodation needs or needs for guests, must contact Disability Support Services at least one week prior to graduation. The University will continue to make a good-faith effort to arrange accommodations for any requests made up until the day of the event.
Reserved Parking
A limited number of designated wheelchair accessible parking spaces will be available during graduation in parking lot 14. This area will be blocked off and reserved for those whose names have been given in advance to Disability Support Services. One car per family and/or person with a disability will be allowed in the designated area. Someone will direct cars as they enter. Drivers must display their handicap plate or placard as well as their reserved parking hang tag upon parking. These hang tags will be available in the Disability Support Services office the week of graduation. Disability Support Services is located in room 111 in the DF Lowry building.
Transportation from the parking lots to the graduation site, for those who are ambulatory, but can not walk long distances, will be provided. Courtesy golf carts will be circling campus parking lots. There may be a short wait, depending upon the number of people requesting this service.
Reserved Seating
1.
Seating for guests who use wheelchairs will be located on the floor of the gymnasium. One person may accompany the person in the wheelchair.
2.
Seating for those who are ambulatory will be located in the first row of the gymnasium. It is important to arrive early to guarantee access to these seats.
3.
Seating for persons who are hearing impaired will be located within the first row of the gymnasium and at the closest point to the interpreter.
Graduating seniors who would like to guarantee reserved seating for a disabled guest must make a reservation with Disability Support Services at least one week in advance of graduation. A reservation will guarantee up to two seats in a reserved seating area, one for the disabled guest and one for a companion. Because the reserved area is designated for disabled persons and those assisting them, we regret that it is not possible to seat whole families together in that area.
Every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate a last minute, unanticipated need for reserved seating, as space is available. In such cases though, it may be possible to accommodate only the disabled person. People with a reservation will be served on a first come first serve basis. Seating cannot be guaranteed unless it is reserved in advance.
Interpreter Services and Assistive Listening Devices
A Sign Language Interpreter, using American Sign Language, will be available for graduation. Deaf guests who need priority seating must make prior arrangements with Disability Support Services for reserved seating.
For those who are hearing impaired, an Assistive Listening Device has been installed. Those who will need a receiver should contact Disability Support Services to reserve one.
Alternative Formats
Large print and Braille copies of commencement programs can be made as long as requests are received no later than one week before graduation in order to assure the best possible arrangements. The University will continue to make a good-faith effort to arrange accommodations for any requests made up until the day of the event.
Chemical Sensitivity
Although the University cannot guarantee a chemical-free environment, some guests may be subject to chemical sensitivity. In consideration of others, please consider not wearing strongly scented products.
For more information or requests for accommodations, contact:
Disability Support Services
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke
PO Box 1510
Pembroke, NC 28372-1510
Phone: 910-521-6695
FAX: 910-521-6891
TTY: 910-521-6490
Email: arc@uncp.edu
Visit the Accessibility Resource Center