Disability Accommodations in Campus Housing
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 approved 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
Midyear students joining us Spring 2024, forms are due November 1, 2023 for Spring housing placements.
For new Fall admitted incoming students, forms were due in June 21, 2023 for Fall housing placements.
For continuing students, forms were due March 15, 2023* to be processed in time for Fall housing selection.
*Please note: If any deadlines are missed related to housing applications, housing selection or accommodation requests, we may not be able to implement approved accommodations before fall move-in.
If you are requesting disability accommodation in housing, you MUST also fill out the Housing Application or Housing Wait List Application on your MyHousing Portal. Disability accommodation requests and approvals are not finalized until you receive a selection number in the housing selection process that is high enough to qualify you for campus housing. Receiving a selection number requires an active MyHousing Application. Rising juniors and seniors are not guaranteed campus housing, even with accommodation approvals for specific housing features. All accommodated housing offers are contingent on housing inventory and selection numbers.
Request Process
- 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 accommodations approved. Previous requests and approvals will not carry over automatically.
- Tell your medical/mental health provider 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. 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. Please do not email any pieces of documentation as attachments. You may also request the form as a PDF that your provider can fill out in hard copy. We can provide a fax number upon request. (Our preference is the first two options provided).
- Brandeis Counseling Center providers cannot complete the Provider Verification Form. Instead, they 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. Email us at housingaccommodation@brandeis.edu for instructions on securely uploading a letter from the BCC. 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 cannot submit documentation specifically for ESAs.
- The Brandeis Health Center cannot provide any form of documentation for campus housing requests.
- 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 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. All accommodation approvals 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. Students with higher numbers may be placed on a waiting list for housing.