Assistance is available at HBS for students with disabilities, which may include mobility, vision, hearing, and other physical impairments or health conditions, as well as learning disabilities, attention deficit, and other processing disorders. Accommodations can be made for short-term disabilities related to accidents or medical conditions and treatments.
To request disability-related assistance, or if you have a documented disability or health condition, please review the information below and contact Janelle Mills, Disability Coordinator, MBA Student & Academic Services as soon as possible.
Policy
The Disability Coordinator will work together to address each student's particular needs for campus access and for accommodation to both academic and non-academic aspects of the MBA program. Accommodation requires active teamwork between the student and HBS's Disability Coordinator; students must take the initiative to disclose the need for accommodation.
Procedure
After submitting documentation, the student can then initiate a formal request for accommodation. HBS reserves the right to request additional diagnostic information. Last-minute submission of information could delay the implementation of accommodations, and accommodations cannot be granted without having completed each of the guidelines outlined in the Documentation Guidelines Template.
The Disability Coordinator will assess the documentation provided and determine if HBS needs additional information. In some cases, the Disability Coordinator may consult with other personnel to determine an appropriate response to a student's request. He will then make a decision regarding the request and notify the student both verbally and in writing. The documentation and implementation will be kept in a confidential file. Information about the student's disability will be shared on a "need-to-know" basis only for purposes of coordinating accommodations and for reasons of personal safety.
The same procedure applies for continuing students. Documentation for a cross-registered student resides at that student's home school. However, the student must authorize that school’s Disability Coordinator to provide sufficient information to HBS to justify the request for accommodation here at HBS.
Appeal Procedure
If a student disagrees with or has concerns regarding the School's plan for accommodation, he or she may provide, in writing, a request for reconsideration to the Executive Director of the MBA Program. The appeal will be reviewed and a response given within three working days. If needed, the Disability Coordinator may be contacted to request additional documentation from the student or to request assistance in obtaining an independent opinion.
In the event that the decision is unsatisfactory to the student, the student can make a final appeal to the Director of University Disability Services whose decision in the matter will be final.
Housing Accommodations
Students who require housing accommodations in HBS residence halls or Harvard University Housing (Soldiers Field Park or One Western Ave.) should contact Janelle Mills, Disability Coordinator, MBA Student & Academic Services, as soon as they know they are planning to attend HBS.
Policy on Personal Care Assistants
Students who need information about policy and practice with respect to Personal Care Assistants should contact the Disability Coordinator.
Transportation Services
Students with disabilities or injuries that impair their mobility are eligible, with documentation, to use the Harvard University Accessible Van Service. If you have questions about the documentation needed to obtain this service, please contact the Disability Coordinator.