Disability in dorm accommodations

[PeterPan]

I know this is a weird place to put this, but I wanted to catch people who don't read on LC. If your dc used disability accommodations in the dorms for college, what was the process for renewing them each year? I'm wanting to compare what my dd's school is saying to what other places do. Do you just fill out a form? Do you have to provide documentation all over again?

[regentrude]

I suggest you cross post your question on the College Board.

[DawnM]

My oldest son's college:

Initial time needs documentation.  Each year renewal, but no further documentation is needed.  Renewal is an online form.

[TravelingChris]

Only one did a renewal and she has had no issues.  She just kept and will keep the same room.  She also was able to get a suite (with separate bedrooms) this summer with a male friend of hers (not her boyfriend who was not staying at the college this time) even though normally this college does not allow sharing of suites by different sexes.  (She cannot share with females unless they agree to strict rules on perfumes, shampoos, hairsprays, etc. since she is highly allergic to both citrus and strawberries and inhalation of scents of those ((often found in perfumes, etc)) is potentially deadly for her- she was dragged out of car by hospital staff last week because her blood pressure had fallen so low all because some women at the all women coding competing wore perfume with some allergen of hers).  She is finishing her senior year back in her old single room, with single bathroom which is in area between boys and girls dorm but officially in boys.

[Pawz4me]

At DS19's university the renewal process involved submitting an online form and any new documentation. We provided an updated letter from one of his medical providers. But on campus housing is only guaranteed for freshmen. Beyond that rooms are awarded via a lottery system, even for special needs students.

[AngieW in Texas]

My oldest had an on-campus private apartment. We were told that in order to keep that apartment, she would have to pay for it year-round (during the summer too). Once she moved out, she would be back in the lottery.

My youngest had a private dorm room with air conditioning (AC was a medical accommodation). A did not return to that school the following year because everything was a fight to get them to comply with ADA, the school was highly conservative to the point that there were some terrifying incidents for some of the LGBT students on campus, and they had a lousy math department.

[TechWife]

11 hours ago, Pawz4me said:

At DS19's university the renewal process involved submitting an online form and any new documentation. We provided an updated letter from one of his medical providers. But on campus housing is only guaranteed for freshmen. Beyond that rooms are awarded via a lottery system, even for special needs students.

This was the same process my son went through. My son's update letter from his physician also stated that he should continue to have on campus housing so that he could access specific on campus services that were specific to his special needs. This meant that not only was he requesting a housing accommodation, but that the provision of on campus housing itself was an accommodation that he needed.