Accessibility, disability services and immigration assistance spotlighted as CUNY seeks funding and system fixes

Disability access and legal services for immigrant students were central themes in the hearing’s testimony and public comments.

Disability services and CUNY Accommodate
CUNY described CUNY Accommodate, a systemwide platform launched in 2025 to streamline student accommodation requests. Provost testimony said the university’s goal is to move from request to grant within two weeks; officials reported a roughly 25% increase in students requesting accommodations after the rollout and asked the council to consider additional funding roughly in the $2–2.5 million range to meet expected demand as more students connect records from New York City Public Schools under the revised data‑sharing arrangements.

Student advocates and disability-rights lawyers told the council that systemic shortfalls remain: offices are understaffed, students sometimes face high documentation costs (neuropsychological evaluations), and faculty compliance with approved accommodations can be inconsistent. New York Lawyers for the Public Interest recommended funding free or low-cost evaluations and cited Assembly Bill A3494 as a policy remedy allowing postsecondary institutions to rely on IEP/504 documentation from K–12 systems when appropriate.

Immigration legal assistance and Citizenship Now
Witnesses described expanded legal support for undocumented and immigrant students. CUNY’s campus-based Citizenship Now program — funded in part by the council — and a new CUNY Immigration Assistance Project (CIAP) supported by philanthropic partners were highlighted as rapid-response and continuity resources. City Council testimony from CUNY staff and the City Council’s Citizenship Now managing attorney confirmed that program partners and philanthropic donors help underwrite rapid legal assistance for detained individuals and provide outreach in district offices and community locations.

Why it matters
Students with disabilities and immigrant students face procedural and financial barriers that impede enrollment and successful course completion. Both audiences argued that modest targeted funding — for disability office staffing, assistive technology, evaluation subsidies, and legal-response capacity — can reduce attrition and protect vulnerable students.

Committee follow-up
Council members requested additional cost breakdowns and an implementation timetable for increased Accommodate capacity and for planned data-sharing with NYC public schools to proactively reach students who may need accommodations upon admission. CUNY agreed to provide detailed asks and implementation steps.

Ending
Advocates and CUNY officials left the hearing with mutual commitments to share more precise budget requests and timelines. The council signaled interest in reviewing concrete costs for disability evaluations, staffing increases and the continued scaling of Citizenship Now and CIAP resources before finalizing its FY27 appropriations.