Skip to main content

Guests with Accessibility Needs

Northwestern University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all events and programs. Accommodations such as sign language interpreters, accessible seating, and presentation materials in alternate formats are provided upon request. Please contact the Graduation Office at graduation@northwestern.edu or 847-491-3600 by June 1, 2024. Every reasonable effort will be made to implement accommodations in an effective and timely manner.

Seating Accommodations

Accessible Seating

Tickets to all ceremonies are general admission. When ordering tickets, the system will prompt students to enter how many guests in their party require accessible seating for a guest who uses a wheelchair. Please note: every wheelchair space has one companion seat included. Because these spaces are limited and in high demand, we are not able to seat entire parties. 

 

Transportation 

Accessible Parking Information

Accessible parking is provided for all of our Graduation Weekend venues, however, due to the limited amount of accessible parking spots, we recommend you utilize our Accessible Drop Off Locations for guests with accessible needs.

Shuttle Information

Shuttle information will be available during Spring Quarter, 2024.

 

Hearing Accommodations

We have updated our accommodations for guests with hearing needs to meet best-practice standards. 

Captions

For guests who need hearing assistance, real-time captions-only (without video or audio) of the ceremony will be available on any device. Captioned languages include English, Spanish, and Mandarin, and can be selected from the Commencement page after streaming begins.

Sound Enhancement

For guests who need additional sound enhancement, the ceremony will be live-streamed with audio, video, and captions. Headphones can be plugged into a mobile device so that guests needing this accommodation can amplify the sound to their desired level. Please note that the livestream will be delayed by approximately one minute.

Questions or Requests

For any additional accommodation requests,  please contact graduation@northwestern.edu.