PENNAccess Program

What is PennAccess ?

PennAccess is a joint venture by Facilities and Real Estate Planning and the Architectural Barrier Removal and Prevention Subcommittee. The intent is to provide information to those members of the Penn community with disabilities, primarily those who use wheelchairs, on the accessible features of the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.

PennAccess focuses on the buildings and campus grounds owned and maintained by the University of Pennsylvania and includes a detailed description of each building and a specific campus map designating accessible building entrances and areas where barriers do exist.

The information was attained during surveys of the campus over the Summer of 1994 with updated surveys during the Fall of 1994 and Spring of 1995. Individual updates are posted, as they become available

How to use PennAccess ?

From the Facilities Services @ Penn home page, click on the Campus Map... OR... from this page, click here to go to the University of Pennsylvania Campus Map page. Click on the map to go to a detailed map section. Click on a specific building to acquire results, which will include the PennAccess map and information about that building.
OR
Click here to go to the Maps & Buildings Locations @ Penn page. You may use the Advanced Keyword Search or the Quick Search By Building Name to acquire results, which will include the PennAccess map and information about that building.

How is PennAccess organized ?

Information about each building is categorized according to Entrance Information, Elevator Information, Restroom Information, and Building Information.

Some buildings are mentioned as being part of the Medical Complex. The Medical Complex refers to the Anatomy Chemistry Building of the School of Medicine, Stellar-Chance Laboratories, Blockley Hall, Clinical Research Building (CRB), Goddard Laboratories, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), John Morgan Building, Johnson Pavilion, Richards Medical Research Laboratories, and Stemmler Hall.

Entrance Information:

Entrances are numbered for reference within the text, and are not listed in order of priority. Non-accessible secondary and service entrances have not been noted. "Ramped entrances" are entrances which have been made wheelchair accessible through a constructed addition. Some are permanent additions to the entrance while others may be temporary. "Sloped entrances" are entrances where the sidewalk follows the natural grade of the land.

Security in buildings on campus is tight. Many buildings are unlocked only during class hours; some are locked at all times. This document references four ways in which students, faculty and staff can gain access to buildings when they are locked.

• Karey - a traditional metal key.
• Key Code - a push button number pad, which requires an access code.
• MC Key - Medical Complex plastic, strip key; doors can be unlocked without turning a key by pushing the MC Key in the lock and then pulling it out.
• Card Swipe - There are boxes installed outside the University Museum Academic Wing. For entrance into the building, the Penn
• Cd should be swiped through the box; there are also boxes at the interior entrance(s) to the libraries and dormitories.

* Some Key Codes and Card Swipes are operational only during normal building operating hours.

Elevator Information:

Elevators are numbered for reference within the text, and are not listed in order of priority. Banks of elevators are listed as a group and assigned one number. Lifts and other means of transportation between floors or levels in a building are contained within Elevator Information.

Restroom Information:

All restrooms listed under this category are wheelchair accessible, unless otherwise noted. There may or may not be other non-wheelchair accessible restrooms in the building.

Building Information:

The information listed here is general information applicable to the entire building, detailing public areas and accessible routes through the building. Some building descriptions also have information about specific rooms within the building. Buildings listed as "directly" connected have a level, ramped, or sloped interior connection or passageway between buildings on at least one floor.

More Information

For more information regarding accessiblity issues call the Office of Affirmative Action (OAA) at 215-898-6993 (voice) / 215-898-7803 (TDD).

The University of Pennsylvania is committed to ensuring that equal educational opportunity is available for students, faculty and staff with disabilities. OAA coordinates disability services and addresses accessibility issues. Some of the issues the OAA coordinates are related to: housing, access to buildings, orientation to campus, emergency evacuation procedures, health services, dietary concerns, transportation and parking. In addition, the University provides lift-equipped vehicles to transport students, faculty and staff with mobility disabilities around campus.