UNIVERSITY SERVICES AND RESOURCES
Financial Assistance
In addition to the programs available to all University students, students with disabilities may be eligible for financial assistance from the Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (CBVH), Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) or the Veterans Administration Office. Contact the local branch office of these organizations for more information on programs.
Students with disabilities may be eligible to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. Individuals who were employed at the time they became disabled can also apply for Social Security Disability Benefits (SSD). Your local Social Security Office can provide further information on these benefits.
The Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment wants to assist you in maximizing your financial aid opportunities by providing you with information about available grants, work opportunities and student loan programs. To obtain maximum financial aid consideration, you should read the instructions on all forms and follow them carefully. Please pay attention to deadline dates, as timely submission of forms will enable processing of your request in time for the start of classes. For more detailed information, please refer to the Undergraduate Bulletin or call the Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment.
Student Accounts
All University fees must be paid or properly deferred in advance of registration. Please be aware of the deadlines set each semester for payment of bills. In order to receive a deferment, you must submit an approved deferment form and the required supporting documents. The required documents are 1) a letter of authorization from Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) or the Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (CBVH) that shows the amount of financial support you will receive and 2) a copy of your Tuition Assistance Award Certificate. Bring these supporting documents when you register. More detailed information on fees and related matters can be found in the Undergraduate Bulletin. Call the Office of Student Accounts (632-6175) for assistance.
Transportation and Parking
Handicapped Parking Permits All cars must be registered with the University through the Traffic Office. State Parking Permits available through county offices, can be used on campus for the handicapped parking spaces. DSS issues temporary handicapped parking permits on a very short-term basis (4-week) to those who have medical documentation of disability (hospital release forms or other documentation). These temporary disabilities must seriously restrict mobility and the ability to utilize the campus bus service or the Para-transit system.
People needing a permit for periods longer than four weeks should contact their local township (see below).
Permits are for the sole use of the individual named on the permit or for transporting the named individual; it may only be used at the parking location at which the named individual is working or visiting. For information on where to park, see the Where to Park page from Stony Brook Transportation Services.
Babylon
Handicapped Services
281 Phelps Lane,
Noth Babylon -
Babylon Town Annex
(631) 393-1050
Brookhaven
Brookhaven Town Clerk
1 Independence Hill,
Farmingville
(631) 451-9101
Huntington
Town Clerk Office
Room 101, Main Street, Huntington
(631) 351-3206
Islip
Handicapped Services
401 Main Street, Islip -
Town Hall West
(631) 224-5335
Riverhead
Town Clerk's Office
Town Hall, 200 Howell Ave., Riverhead
(631) 727-3200
Smithtown
Town Clerk
99 West Main Street, Smithtown
(631) 360-7620
Southampton
16 Southampton Rd., Southampton
(631) 283-6000
Nassau County
60 Charles Lindbergh Blvd.,
Uniondale
(516) 571-3147
Walk Service
In the evening, if you wish to be escorted to classes, the library or your campus residence, you may call the Walk Service. Questions regarding the service should be directed to 632-6337, if help is needed.
Campus Residences
If you plan to live on campus and require accessibility features in your dorm, you are strongly encouraged to discuss your individual housing needs with Disability Support Services. Contact Disability Support Services soon after you are notified of your admission to Stony Brook, and together with The Division of Campus Residences an evaluation can be made of the housing accommodations that are necessary to meet your needs. After this evaluation has been completed, Campus Residences will assign a room that most suitably meets those needs.
Please note that ALL housing applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Therefore, it is imperative that students requiring campus accommodations complete the application and return it along with the housing deposit.
Please contact Campus Residences at 632-6750 (V/TTY) should you have any questions regarding campus housing.
Emergencies
The Department of Environmental Health and Safety recognizes that people with physical disabilities have special needs that must be met in the event of a fire or other emergency. While this department stands ready to meet individual needs of students with disabilities, each student has the responsibility to notify officials about these needs. If you are a resident on campus, there are four ways that Environmental Health and Safety can assist you:
1. At the start of each academic year, or whenever you move, leave your name, campus address, and type of disability with the Environmental Health and Safety department at 632-6410. This information will be readily available to rescuers in the event of a residence hall fire or other emergency.
2. A “buddy system” can be arranged with residence hall staff. Call the residence hall director of your quad, if you are interested. Be sure to speak to your professors at the beginning of the semester if you will need any assistance in case of fire or emergency. If you have a class above ground level, discuss your evacuation route with your professor so that assistance may be sent to you.
Do not use an elevator if you are above the ground floor during an emergency. Seek an area of safe refuge, for example, a stairwell or a room with closed doors. If you go to a stairwell, choose one opposite the source of the fire or smoke and wait in a spot out of the line of traffic. Be sure to ask people passing by to alert rescuers of your position. Be prepared to instruct others in how to carry you or move your wheelchair down a stairway.
Environmental Health and Safety has an Evacuation Chair that can be used to rescue students with mobility impairments. If you stay in a room, attract attention by waving a large cloth or coat out of a window while calling for help. See http://ws.cc.stonybrook.edu/ehs/fire/disabilities.shtml for more details.
3. Special adaptations can be arranged to make fire alarms effective for all persons. A smoke detector with flashing lights is available for hearing impaired students. Contact Environmental Health and Safety if you would like this service.
Library and Technical Support
To assist students with disabilities, the Health Science Library and the Frank Melville, Jr. Memorial Library on campus offer specialized facilities, equipment and services. The Melville Library's Special Equipment Room is located just inside the arch next to the Reference Desk in the Central Reading Room. Specialized equipment includes: a computer with internet access and a printer, a reading machine, Zoom Text Xtra low vision software, Dragon Dictate Naturally Speaking, and a magnification machine.
Accessible computer sites (SINC) are available throughout campus.
Library services for students with disabilities include the paging of books from the stacks (upon presentation of the call numbers to the Circulation Desk) and photocopying of periodical articles (upon presentation of call numbers and periodical article citations to the Photocopy Service Desk.) Library tours are available on request for students with disabilities. For assistance, contact the liaison person for Library Services for students with disabilities at 632-1151.
Physical Education / Adapted Aquatics
The Physical Education department and Disability Support Services will work with students who need accommodations to participate in physical education classes. The Physical Education department offers three courses (PEC 225, 226 and 229) in Adapted Aquatics. These courses prepare University students to teach swimming to individuals with disabilities. Stony Brook students who have physical and/or multiple disabilities will be able to enroll in the program and be taught aquatic skills by student Peer Educators.