Pace students at their commencement ceremony, smiling at the camera.
Commencement

Accessibility Resources

Pace University and the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center are committed to providing access for everyone attending Commencement. Information about accessibility initiatives and resources is below. Graduates and guests should expect to travel two to three miles around the Tennis Center grounds on Commencement day. If you or any of your guests need accommodations, please submit an accessibility resources request to give us the opportunity to assist you in having the best possible day celebrating the Class of 2024.

Submit an Accessibility Request

Mobility Shuttle

For those who need mobility assistance, including elderly guests, guests with disabilities, and families with small children, there will be a Mobility Shuttle running from the Citi Field parking lot to the Tennis Center’s East Gate entrance. No advanced registration is required, but service will be limited. To prevent long shuttle lines, we encourage those who can walk to do so.

ADA Parking

Limited ADA/accessible/handicapped parking spots are available and will be granted first come, first served to those who have a ticket to attend Commencement.

To request parking:

  • Submit an accessibility resources request by midnight on Friday, May 3, 2024
  • Provide a copy of the requestor’s permanent, state-issued handicapped parking placard
  • Provide a copy of the valid driver’s license for the person who will be driving the vehicle on Monday, May 20, 2024
  • Graduates and guests granted a parking pass will receive confirmation and instructions about where to pick up the pass in-person the week before Commencement.

We recommend arriving one and a half to two hours before the start of your first ceremony to ensure you are seated for the event. Graduates and guests using ADA parking will enter the USTA Campus through the West Gate.

Drop-Off and Pick-Up Zone

Limited Drop-off and Pick-up passes will be granted first come, first served to those who have a ticket to attend Commencement and submit an accessibility resources request by midnight on Friday, May 3, 2024. Drop-off and pick-up times will be scheduled and staggered. There will be time slots available for both the morning and afternoon ceremonies. We recommend utilizing this service if you are unable to secure a parking pass.

Graduates and guests granted a Drop-off and Pick-up pass will receive confirmation and instructions about where to pick up the pass in-person in the week before Commencement.

Drivers who are dropping off members of their party must park in the Citi Field parking lot. We recommend dropping off members of a party one and a half to two hours prior to the start of the ceremony, to ensure all, including the driver, are seated before the beginning of the ceremony.

Wheelchair Guidance

If a member of your party needs or prefers access to a wheelchair or other mobility devices for the duration of the day, we recommend bringing your own personal device. For those who do not own their own personal mobility device, we recommend renting a device for the day, as navigating the USTA Campus requires quite a bit of travel.

Wheelchair Escorts

A limited number of wheelchair escorts will be available to provide assistance from waiting areas at both the East and West Gate Tennis Center entrances. The escorts will bring guests to the ADA seating areas in the Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong stadiums. Escorts will help guests get from point to point, but they cannot permit guests to remain in the wheelchair for the day or throughout the ceremony. Please complete the accessibility resources request to indicate your interest in using this service in advance.

To ensure your party can make the most of your day, we recommend arriving about two hours prior to the start of the ceremony, as we anticipate the wait for escorts will get longer as we near the ceremony start times.

Pick-up after the ceremonies will be available on the Loge Level of Arthur Ashe (Level 4) and the Lower Level of Louis Armstrong (Level 2). There will be limited seating available near these pick-up locations, and escorts will take guests to any of the following locations: Arthur Ashe, Louis Armstrong, East Gate, West Gate. If a guest needs access to a wheelchair escort other than at the locations indicated, Guest Services at both stadiums is available throughout the ceremonies and can call for an escort.

Accessible Seating

Accessible seating is provided at Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium. You must submit the accessibility resources request to request accessible seating.

The seating will be set up on the Loge Level of Arthur Ashe Stadium (Level 4) and the Lower Level of Louis Armstrong Stadium (Level 2). To ensure we have enough seating for all who need access to it, please limit the number of guests in your party who sit with the individual requesting accessible seating to one other person. Additional party members can sit in the reserved rows directly below the Accessible Seating area.