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, 2023. Every reasonable effort will be made to implement accommodations in an effective and timely manner.
Seating Accommodations
Wheel Chair Seating
Wheelchair seating is intended for guests who will require a wheelchair. All venues have specific accessible seating locations.
Limited Mobility Seating
Limited mobility seating is intended for guests who need shorter distances and limited staircases, but do not need a wheelchair for mobility. In some venues, this limited mobility seating is the same section as the wheelchair seating.
Tickets
When ordering tickets, please indicate the exact number of wheelchair or limited mobility seats required, not the size of your full party. At least one of your guests will be allowed to join a guest needing wheelchair or limited mobility seating, but your entire party may not be able to sit together. Please note, these tickets do not include any parking permissions, but we host accessible drop off locations at all venues. Please see Transportation.
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
Saturday, June 10
Bus Schedule: 8AM – 12PM
Accessible Information: Buses will be a standard low floor transit style bus with a ramp that can be deployed for anyone in need of assistance.
Sunday, June 11
Bus Schedule: 8AM – 8PM (There will be some downtime during the day depending on ceremony timing)
Accessible Information: Buses will be a standard low floor transit style bus with a ramp that can be deployed for anyone in need of assistance.
Monday, June 12
Bus Schedule: 7AM – 5PM (There will be some downtime during the day depending on ceremony timing)
Accessible Information: Most buses will be a standard full-size motor coach bus, without ramps or lifts, however, there will be two standard low floor transit style buses with a ramp that can be deployed for anyone in need of assistance. There will also be a paratransit vehicle on-site that will be in rotation with the other buses.
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
- graduation@northwestern.edu
- 847-491-3600