Services for People with Disabilities
The University campus is accessible to all people. And Parking and Transportation Services offers programs specifically for individuals with disabilities.
Riding the Bus
All campus shuttles and buses and the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) buses are lift-equipped. Please let the bus driver know if you need assistance boarding.
Paratransit Service
The University's Paratransit service offers door-to-door transportation free of charge to faculty, staff, and students with either temporary or permanent physical disabilities. The service operates Monday through Friday, year round, except for official University holidays and season days.
To register with the Services for Students with Disabilities office at (734) 763-3000 to use the service.
Disability Parking
Parking for people with disabilities is provided in all University lots and structures.
To use handicap-designated parking during enforcement hours, your vehicle must display:
- a state-issued Disability placard. State of Michigan applications are available online (external link)
- applicable U-M parking permit or device
- a U-M Handicap Verification permit
Eligibility requirements for purchasing U-M parking permits are waived for disabled faculty, staff and temporaries who have a state-issued placard.
Disabled Students (All Class Levels)
Handicap parking is provided in University lots and structures in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students with disabilities may have access to faculty and staff handicap parking areas. To authorize use of the handicap spaces, display of a state of Michigan handicap disabled parking placard, UM Verification decal and applicable UM parking permit is required during enforcement hours.
All disabled UM students will be required to obtain a State of Michigan disabled parking placard before access to University faculty and staff parking areas will be provided. For students whose primary residence is out of state, it will be necessary to consult a Michigan-based physician in order to complete the State of Michigan Disabled Parking Placard application. The completed application may be mailed or hand-carried to any Michigan Secretary of State office for issuance of the disabled parking placard.
To obtain the University permit and Handicap Verification decal, students must be registered for classes and present their Student Identification card, driver's license and State of Michigan disabled parking placard to the Parking Services' office. Once ownership of the state permit is verified, a free static-cling style verification decal and a University permit will be issued for the duration of the handicap or the period of time that the student is on campus, whichever is more applicable. There is no charge to the student for the permits. When parked in a University parking area, all three permits must be on display: state disabled parking placard, UM verification decal and permit.
When used in conjunction, the permits are valid in all color-coded locations except Gold (controlled parking) and Red (visitor parking.) Please note all University structures are gate-controlled; therefore, the student's MCard will be programmed to provide access. If parking meters or cashier-attended areas are used, and the state handicap parking permit does not specify free parking, the meter or cashier fees must be paid.
Handicap Parking Assistance Program
We recognize that the handicap-designated parking provided in University lots and structures may not meet all needs. The Handicap Parking Assistance Program was created to assist those with exceptional needs.
To apply for special consideration, you must complete a Petition for Handicap Parking Assistance form. (Please note: a portion of the form must also be completed by your physician.) Completed forms should be returned to Parking & Transportation Services, which will coordinate review of the petition by the Handicap Parking Assistance team. The team comprises faculty and staff representatives from the University community, including disabled representatives, who will approve special arrangements or identify alternatives. Parking and Transportation Services is not represented on this team.