Office of Institutional Equity

Access Purdue

Purdue University is committed to creating a campus that is fully accessible to everyone and to eliminating discrimination against people with disabilities. The University believes everyone is entitled to an opportunity to compete on a global stage.

Purdue increases universal accessibility by helping all students gain employment, participate equitably in activities, and benefit from all programs within the institution. We seek to remove barriers so that all students, faculty, staff, and visitors, can enjoy the same opportunities. We prohibit discrimination against a person with a disability in employment, education, public accommodations, telecommunications, and transportation.

Equal opportunity means providing equitable experiences by implementing systems and designs that remove barriers to people with a disability. Equal opportunity does not mean equal treatment. This resource guide provides information about campus resources and designs. It also directs you to information for accommodations regarding employment, coursework, web access, and physical and program access.

Purdue University is committed to an inclusive and welcoming experience for all students. To that end, the Disability Resource Center (DRC) is the office designated by Purdue to provide services, resources, and programs to facilitate equal access for disabled students, resulting in their full participation in curricular and co-curricular offerings.

The DRC serves disabled undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at Purdue’s West Lafayette campus and Purdue Polytechnic Institute Statewide Programs, whether part-time or full-time (including students taking online courses). The DRC strives to proactively identify and remove barriers to access, promote inclusion and minimize the need for individual accommodations. The DRC also determines whether students are eligible for reasonable accommodation and, if so, the nature of the reasonable accommodation. The DRC does not test for, diagnose, or treat disability but relies on third-party documentation when determining accommodations.

Campus Events

Purdue is committed to making all programs accessible to participants with disabilities.  The university has a variety of options available to individuals with varying disabilities including hearing impairments, vision impairments, mobility impairments, and other physical and mental impairments that require assistance.  Options include but are not limited to: FM System or similar assisting listening systems, CART, captioning, transcripts, etext, sign language interpreter, alternative formats for print materials, notetakers, non-allergic or gluten-free food, accessible seating with companion seating, and accessible parking.

  • FM Systems consist of a transmitter microphone (used by the speaker) and a receiver (used by the listener) to transmit the sound to the user’s ears or a hearing aid. In situations where the FM system is used in large gathering areas (e.g., theaters, conference rooms, convention centers, etc.), the microphone/transmitter is built into the overall sound system, and the user is provided with an FM receiver that can connect to the user’s hearing aid or cochlear implant. The receiver can also connect to a headset if the user does not wear a hearing aid.
  • When using Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART), everything that is said is "captioned" live for individuals who are hard of hearing or Deaf. In fact, it can be thought of as captioning for non-broadcast settings, such as classrooms, meetings, and conferences.   The captioning may be on a small screen that can be read only by the individual requiring the service.  The CART captions can also be displayed on an overhead (for a small group) or broadcast on a large screen. The process is so fast that there is hardly any lag time between what is said and what the individual with hearing impairment can read.
    • Due to needed compatibility testing for CART and the shortage of certificated sign language interpreters and certificated CART providers, requests for these services must be made in advance (at least one month prior) to ensure the necessary accommodation is in place for the event the individual wishes to attend. 

The accessibility resources for performances in Elliott Hall of Music, Loeb Playhouse, and Fowler Hall can be found on Purdue Convocations Accessibility debagged. Information for performances in the Carole and Gordon Mallett Theatre or Nancy T. Hansen Theatre located in Yue-Kong Pao Hall can be found here.

To request accommodations or special assistance due to a disability for performances and events, individuals need to contact the group/unit sponsoring the event at least one month before the event.  For contact information, please refer to the following list of key units on campus that host the majority of performances and events on campus:

Planning for accessibility starts before the event even begins. Learn how to create and host accessible events.

Convocations

Purdue Convocations is committed to making its performances and the power of the arts accessible to everyone. They are happy to assist patrons when special services are required. Communicate with the box office at (765-494-3933) with as much advance notice as possible. A list of available accessibility options can be found here.

Graduation

Visit the Commencement page for information on making Candidate and/or Guest Accessibility Requests for Commencement.

Disability Resource Center