Academic Accommodations
Disability Support Policy
Harvard Business School (HBS) is committed to providing support services and accommodations to students who need and have a legal entitlement to them. In accordance with its obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, HBS does not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities, either in the School's admissions or in access to programs and activities.
Students with disabilities should disclose all pertinent information to the Disability Coordinator immediately after accepting admission to the School in order to allow adequate time for the exchange of essential information and for necessary arrangements to be made. Accommodations cannot be arranged through members of the faculty. It is the student's responsibility to take the initiative to disclose the need for accommodation and ours to be appropriately responsive.
The student can then initiate a formal request for accommodation following the disclosure, along with current clinical documentation that supports the request for accommodation. The documentation must include the specific diagnosis and specify the nature and duration of accommodation requested. Please note that Harvard Business School reserves the right to request additional diagnostic information if the documentation provided does not adequately support the request for accommodation.
The date of the documentation required will depend on the particular disability involved. For example, in cases of learning disabilities (including attention deficit and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders), a diagnostic evaluation typically should be no more than three years old.
The Disability Coordinator may consult with other personnel when necessary to determine an appropriate response to a student's request. The Disability Coordinator 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 procedures as detailed above also apply for continuing students and cross-registered students, although the time between diagnosis and implementation may vary.
In the event that the decision is unsatisfactory to the student, the student can make appeal to the 504 Coordinator at Harvard University, whose decision in the matter will be final.
Transportation Services
Disabled students, in addition to students with temporary injuries that impair their mobility, are eligible, with documentation, to use the Harvard University Accessible Van Service. Please see the HU site for more details.