Mission Statement

The Committee for an Accessible University (CAU) serves as an advisory committee to the Vice President for Facilities and Real Estate Services and the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs. The Committee works closely with the University Architect to implement the Architectural Barrier Removal and Prevention Program (ABRP) effort. Included in the Committee's charge: monitoring major renovations, landscape projects and new construction; identifying barriers, recommending, prioritizing and requesting individual projects.

Members are University-wide representatives from Schools, Centers, Offices and Programs who come in frequent contact and/or work with, or are themselves faculty, students and staff with disabilities. Meetings are held in the fall and spring of the academic year. The ABRP Subcommittee meets frequently throughout the year.

The CAU advances three major objectives:

•  To provide undergraduate/graduate/professional matriculants with disabilities an opportunity to fully participate in and contribute to the undergraduate and graduate/professional school experience.

•  To ensure that every teaching and research opportunity is conducted within barrier free facilities, so that Penn will not be denied the minds and talents of gifted and highly motivated students, faculty and staff and other individuals who may have disabilities.

•  To contribute to the protection and enhancement of Penn's physical plant and financial assets by removing and preventing the creation of both landscape and architectural barriers that limit the full utilization of Penn's facilities; and, by contributing to the continuing optimum maintenance and service effort.