Medical Disability Housing Accommodations
The process for requesting disability/medical accommodations for specific features of campus housing is managed by the Disability Accommodations Committee for Housing, a collaboration between Student Accessibility Support and Community Living.
We grant reasonable accommodations for specific housing features to students who qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Fair Housing Act. All accommodation requests must be submitted and substantiated annually and need to be directly related to a documented medical/disability condition that impacts residential life.
Read on to learn the process for requesting accommodations. For answers to some frequently asked questions, visit our Housing Accommodation FAQ page.
If you have questions about this process or need assistance, please email HousingAccommodation@brandeis.edu.
Deadlines and Important Information
For continuing students (rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors) forms were due February 12*, 2025 to be processed in time for Fall 2025 housing selection. *Community Advisor forms were due February 5, 2025.
Incoming first year and transfer* students forms are due June 11, 2025. *If you are matriculated after the June 11, 2025 deadline, please email us so we may support you. Please note: you will not hear back until late June regarding the status of your request(s).
If any deadlines are missed related to housing applications, housing selection or accommodation requests, we may not be able to implement substantiated accommodations before fall move-in. We will review requests after the deadline; however delays will occur.
Rising juniors and seniors are not guaranteed campus housing, even with substantiated accommodation requests. All accommodated housing offers are contingent on housing inventory (and selection numbers if the requests are completed during the Spring Housing Selection Process).
Request Process (for new/additional requests)
- Submit the Disability Accommodation Student Request Form. Provide as much detail as possible about the accommodations you need and how they will help you have equitable access to campus life. You must do this for every housing selection period you are requesting accommodations, even if you have previously had substantiated accommodations. Previous requests and approvals may not carry over automatically.
- Tell your treating health care provider who knows you and is qualified to speak about your disability-related request what you are requesting and ask them to submit supporting documentation.
- Off-campus medical/mental health providers must submit a completed, detailed Provider Verification Form. The medical provider cannot be a family member, even if they are a licensed provider. The accommodations requested should be the same on the Student Request Form and the Provider Verification Form. If your provider is unable to fill out the form for any reason, email us at HousingAccommodation@brandeis.edu for instructions on securely uploading other forms of medical documentation; we will send you a secure link. You may also request the form as a PDF that your provider can fill out in hard copy. Please do not email any pieces of documentation as attachments. We can provide a fax number upon request. Please be aware that faxes may be subject to processing delays.
- Brandeis Counseling Center providers should submit letters describing the length of their relationship with you, your diagnosis if applicable, your disability symptoms, and how they impact you on campus. Please do not email any pieces of documentation as attachments.
- Please note; there are specific documentation guidelines for requests for emotional support animals. The Brandeis Counseling Center and the Health Center cannot submit documentation specifically for ESAs.
- Contact your medical/mental health provider to ensure they have submitted documentation.
- Once the Student Request Form and provider documentation have been received, the Committee will review your request. The committee does not review requests until both forms are submitted for a student.
- Once your request has been reviewed, you will receive an email from the committee (HousingAccommodation@brandeis.edu) with your accommodation status. This email will include what accommodations you are substantiated for, what accommodations requests are not substantiated for (if any), and will notify you if more information is needed before a decision can be made.
- After receiving the email, Community Living will reach out to you to select from available spaces that meet your substantiated accommodations. All substantiated accommodation requests are contingent on housing inventory and selection numbers. Juniors and Seniors will be offered accommodated spaces if their selection numbers are in the range of numbers receiving campus housing. As a reminder, rising juniors and seniors are not guaranteed campus housing even with a submitted disability accommodation request. Students with higher numbers may be placed on a waiting list for housing.
A More Streamlined Process (Returning Students)
For returning students whose housing accommodations have been substantiated in the past, SAS and Community Living (CL) have streamlined the 2025-2026 Housing Process.
When completing the Waitlist Student Housing Application 2025-2026(Fall 2025) through the MyHousing Portal, four options will be presented to you:
- I would like to secure Medical Disability Housing based on these accommodations.
For students who wish to keep the same accommodations that were substantiated for 2024-2025, you no longer need to submit a new Student Request Form and Medical Care Provider Form.
- I would like to secure Medical Disability Housing, but I intend to apply for new or different accommodations.
For students who wish to request medical disability housing accommodations for the first time or make changes to their 2024-2025 substantiated accommodations, you will need to submit a Student Request Form and Medical Care Provider Form (please see the Request Process section on this page). Within 24 hours of submitting the Returning Student Housing Application, you will receive an email reminder to complete the Request Process.
- I would like to waive my accommodations for Medical Disability Housing.
For students who wish to not use medical disability housing accommodations during the 2025-2026 academic year, you will be placed without your accommodations considered.
- My accommodations are only for Emotional Support Animal/ Service Animal, I understand I will not be placed based on housing accommodations.
For students whose sole accommodation is an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) or have a Service Animal (SA) in residence, please note you will be placed without your accommodations considered. If you have an ESA/SA AND other substantiated accommodations do not select this option, and select from the other three options that best applies to you.