Disability Accommodations in Campus Housing
The process for requesting and acquiring disability accommodations in campus housing is managed by The Disability Accommodations Committee for Housing, a collaboration between Student Accessibility Support and Community Living.
We provide support services and reasonable accommodations 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 approved annually.
To get started, read on to learn the process for requesting disability accommodations in housing, and then submit the two required forms. Expand the drop downs on the lower part of this page to find answers to some frequently asked questions.
Fall 2022 Accommodation Request Deadlines*
Currently enrolled students: both required forms must be submitted by March 11, 2022.
Incoming first year and transfer students: both required forms must be submitted by June 15, 2022.
*Please note- if any deadlines are missed related to housing applications, housing selection, or accommodation requests, we may not be able to guarantee accommodation implementation.
If you are requesting accommodations, you MUST also fill out the Housing Application on your MyHousing Portal when Community Living makes that available. (The Housing Application opens for Incoming First year students May 4th; Transfer students May 1st. Both are due no later than June 29th.) Housing accommodation requests are not complete until you receive a selection number in the housing selection process, which requires an active MyHousing Application.
If you have questions about this process or need assistance, please email housingaccommodation@brandeis.edu.
Note: Do not submit any medical documentation via email, as it is not a secure form of communication. Documentation received via email will not be opened or reviewed.
Request Process
- Submit the Disability Accommodation Student Request Form for Campus Housing. Provide as much detail as possible. Ensure you are explaining how the accommodations you are requesting will help you be successful on-campus.
- Send a copy of your Request Form and a link to the Medical Care Provider Verification Form to your doctor/medical provider. The medical provider cannot be a family member. The accommodations requested should be the same on the Student Request Form and the Medical Care Provider Verification Form.
- Contact your doctor/medical provider to ensure they have submitted the Medical Care Provider Verification Form. If they are 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. Please do not email any pieces of documentation as attachments.
- Once the student request form and medical provider documentation have been received, the Disability Accommodations Committee for Housing will meet to 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 with your accommodation status. This email will include what accommodations you were approved for, what accommodations requests are not approved (if any), and will notify you if more information is needed before a decision can be made.
- After receiving an approval, Community Living will reach out to you to select from available spaces that meet your approved accommodations.
- Note: There may be some time in between when you are approved for accommodations and when you are contacted about a room change (if needed). Please read the additional FAQ's below for more information.
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You may be able to use documentation already on file with SAS, however, it would need to speak to the specific housing accommodations you are requesting.
Students who are going through the Disability Housing Accommodation Process should first fill out their student request form, and then may reach out to housingaccommodation@brandeis.edu and ask whether paperwork already on file adequately supports their request.
We understand that there may be delays in providing documentation due to medical offices being closed or over-taxed at this time. In order to provide accommodations to students and create housing assignments for all of our incoming students in a timely manner, we are unable to move submission deadlines.
The following guidelines have been created in order to optimize our ability to review your request during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If your care provider is not unable to submit the Medical Care Provider Verification electronic form:
- Please email housingaccommodation@brandeis.edu and we will send you a PDF version of the Medical Verification Form for your medical care provider to fill out and return to you. You will then upload the documents directly to the secure link shared in that email.
If you already have documentation of your condition, but your medical care provider is not able to complete the Verification Form:
- Email housingaccommodation@brandeis.edu to request a secure upload link for your documents. The committee cannot open any medical documents sent via email. We will reach out to you if additional documentation is needed.
- The committee will consider documentation other than the Medical Care PRovider Verification form due to extenuating circumstances. Please submit the most recent records you have available.
For any questions regarding disability accommodations in campus housing you should email housingaccommodation@brandeis.edu. Staff from SAS and Community Living work together to answer questions to this email. For questions about campus housing that are not about the accommodations request process, you should contact DCL@brandeis.edu. These include:
- Inquires about the MyHousingPortal and the forms within
- Questions about applying for campus housing
- Room changes
- Roommate concerns
- General questions about moving to campus, move in times, when Housing Selection Numbers will be released
Brandeis is able to offer housing to students based on the available, open rooms on campus. Room availability is consistently monitored; if you already have a housing assignment that does not meet newly approved accommodations, you will be contacted by Community Living if and when an appropriate space becomes available. This means that there can be a delay between an accommodation being approved and a room change being offered, especially when Brandeis residence halls are at full capacity.
We understand that it can be frustrating to wait for a new space. When a student is offered a new space, there is much work in the background which needs to be accomplished.
This includes but is not limited to, (1) having the space inspected and thoroughly cleaned, (2) ensuring a good match if a room change involves new roommates (3) finding times when moving can be scheduled (4) unpredictable weather, etc.
We appreciate your patience and kindness as we move as quickly and efficiently through this process as possible.
Students are asked to abide by the Service Animal and Emotional Support Animal Policy.
Service Animals
Students with disabilities who require the use of service animals are permitted to bring such animals on campus. Students should notify Student Accessibility Support and Community Living in order to ease the animals' transition onto campus and into the residence halls.
While service animals do not need to be approved through the accommodations request process, a Service Animal/Emotional Support Animal Housing Agreement must be completed before the animal joins the student in the residence hall. Please email housingaccommodation@brandeis.edu to notify our offices that you will be bringing a Service Animal.
Emotional Support Animals (ESAs)
Students who wish to bring an emotional support animal should complete the accommodation request process. If approved, the student will work with members of Student Accessibility Support and Community Living to complete the Service Animal/Emotional Support Animal Housing Agreement. Once the request is approved and the agreement is submitted the animal may move into the residence hall.
The animal must not be in residence prior to receiving approval from the Housing Accommodations Committee. The approval of a request is animal-specific, is not transferable to another animal, and must be renewed every year. Approval to have an ESA in campus housing does not extend to having the animal elsewhere on campus; if the animal needs to be with you outside of the residence halls you must be approved for that additionally through SAS.
Requesting accommodations for religious purposes is separate from the disability accommodations process. If you are seeking housing accommodations for religious purposes and a medical condition/disability, please complete both the processes for disability housing accommodations and the process outlined below for religious accommodations. It is helpful to indicate in both processes that you are also engaged with the other, so we can ensure all of your needs are met.
Those seeking religious accommodations inside the residence halls are asked to submit a letter with their specific requested accommodations and how that connects to their religious practices. To submit religious accommodations please email Melody Smith, Associate Director of Community Living Operations, melodysmith@brandeis.edu, to request the full religious accommodation process instructions.
Requesting accommodations for Title IX/Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) purposes is separate from the disability accommodations process. If you are seeking housing accommodations for Title IX/OEO purposes and a medical condition/disability, please complete both the processes for Disability Housing Accommodations and the process outlined below for Title IX/OEO Accommodations. It is helpful to indicate in both processes that you are also engaged with the other, so we can ensure all of your needs are met.
Title IX / Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) is available to assist students with housing accommodations for those seeking support.
The Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) is responsible for addressing all issues of discrimination, harassment and sexual violence within the Brandeis community.
Brandeis University is committed to providing its students, staff and faculty with an environment conducive to learning, and working, and where all people are treated with respect and dignity. OEO helps the University comply with laws regarding discrimination, harassment and sexual violence, including Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, ADA, and the Rehabilitation Act Section 504.
If your Medical Care Provider(s) is concerned about completing the online Medical Care Provider Verification Form due to confidentiality purposes, please inform them all documentation submitted is classified as Protected Student Records, and is only viewed by the Medical Housing Accommodation Committee. To access the records, The Medical Housing Accommodation Committee must use Two-Factor Authentication Protocol.
Using the form is highly encouraged as the questions on the form have been written to try and ensure a detailed response.Without a detailed response, the Medical Housing Accommodation Committee will not have enough information to approve a requested accommodation. This will result in the student being required to submit additional documentation to substantiate requested accommodations from their Medical Care Provider.
If your Medical Care Provider(s) would still prefer to use fax, our fax number is (781) 736-2003.