Announcing Stony Brook University’s New ADA Advisory Board
April 2, 2025
Dear Stony Brook Campus Community,
Stony Brook University has a long-standing history of proactively ensuring equal and integrated access for persons with disabilities in all of its programs and services. To improve physical access on campus and to educate the university community about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the President’s ADA Advisory Committee was established in 1994. Over the past three decades, the committee has been instrumental in making our campus one that is accessible for all, providing a platform for issues to be raised and addressed.
To help ensure that Stony Brook University continues to strengthen its commitment to accessibility, inclusivity and ADA compliance through a unified, comprehensive approach, the President's ADA Advisory Committee will be reconstituted to encompass a wider charge and broader enterprise-wide representation. Stony Brook’s newly formed ADA Advisory Board will bring together key executive leaders and stakeholders from our East, West and Southampton campuses, including student representation, to address issues and initiatives that impact our entire community. I have asked Marjolie Leonard in her role as ADA coordinator to lead this newly envisioned board, which will hold its first meeting later this spring.
While the scope of the ADA Advisory Board can extend to all accessibility issues, the board’s first priority will be to address the recent updates to the ADA. In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice updated the mandates for Title II of the ADA, requiring all websites, digital documents, and mobile applications used in our programs, services, and activities to be accessible to individuals with disabilities by April 2026. By aligning potentially competing priorities and fostering collaboration among diverse campus groups, the ADA Advisory Board will help guide our compliance with the updated regulations by the April 2026 deadline.
Given that Title II requirements encompass the needs of students, faculty, staff and patients, the creation of this board provides an essential, centralized space for addressing questions, concerns and challenges related to accessibility and inclusivity. The board will work diligently to help the campus create actionable plans, so all stakeholders can be accountable as we strive to meet this critical deadline.
This transformation from committee to advisory board reinforces Stony Brook’s commitment
to creating a more inclusive and accessible environment for everyone on campus. I
am grateful to the President’s ADA Advisory Committee for its work over many years
that has provided a solid foundation for the new ADA Advisory Board. Together, we
will continue to work toward a university environment that is welcoming and accessible
to all. Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to fostering a campus culture
of inclusivity. And thank you for all you do for Stony Brook.
Sincerely,
Richard L. McCormick
Interim President