Housing Accommodation Request Process

Housing Accommodation Request Process

Process for Requesting a Housing Accommodation

Student Accessibility Services (SAS) and Housing & Residential Education (HRE) work collaboratively to provide approved housing accommodations for students with documented disabilities.

Emerson students should maintain awareness of the College’s residency requirement and policies as well as HRE deadlines and processes for housing applications, financial deposits, etc. Information can be found on the Housing Portal.

Students who have documented disabilities may request housing accommodations if access barriers are present in the college’s residential environment. Housing accommodation requests are processed by SAS and are evaluated on an individualized basis.  

Housing accommodations are intended to resolve access barriers that students cannot otherwise address through preparation, practice, professional treatment, adjusting expectations/routines, and other implementation strategies that any student may consider and incorporate to successfully participate as a student at Emerson College.

On-Time Deadlines for Submission of Requests

On-time approvals will be placed by HRE prior to housing selection or in advance of the upcoming semester. 

Late requests

Late requests will be processed on an extended timeline. Students who are approved for an accommodation will be granted priority status and assigned by HRE based on the available housing inventory.

SAS will engage in an interactive process with the student which consists of a completed Housing Request Form, documentation of the disability, and an interview with a SAS staff member.

SAS requires documentation from a current treatment provider to establish the presence of a disability as well as to provide information to help us understand how and why a requested housing accommodation may be reasonable and necessary to ensure equitable access relative to the disability.

Information provided during an interview will aid in the evaluation of the student’s request. The goal of the interactive process is so that SAS understands the nature of the student’s disability, as well as the rationale for the requested housing accommodation. Additionally, we want to ensure the student understands SAS’ process and procedures as stated below. 

Steps for Making a Request

1. Complete the SAS Registration Form if not previously submitted
2. Complete the Housing Request Form
   1. Log in to SAS Portal with Emerson credentials > Navigate to Accommodation on the left sidebar > Click Housing Requests > Click Add New > Fill out the Housing Request Form as directed
3. Provide documentation of the disability that satisfies the criteria outlined in the Documentation Guidelines
4. Once the above materials have been submitted, the student will be invited to schedule an interview as part of the interactive process

Students are responsible for submitting a new accommodation request each year. SAS will request current documentation in support of the request.

Evaluation & Decision Notification

SAS will evaluate the materials to make a determination about the requested accommodation once the above steps are complete. Factors considered during an evaluation may include, but are not limited to: presence of a disability, access barrier relating to the request and whether the requested accommodation can be met in another way such as through preparation, practice, counseling/coaching/professional guidance, adjustment to expectations and routines or implementation of other strategies.

While third-party documentation may be sufficient to establish the presence of a disability, documentation alone does not inform whether accommodations are reasonable. Medical information will be considered but is not the definitive information that informs our final decisions. We consider a multitude of factors. A medical provider’s recommended accommodation does not automatically bind SAS to approve the accommodation as being reasonable. When recommendations within documentation would primarily enhance academic success or are considered outside the scope of what is necessary for equal access, the student will be referred to other resources and or given options that may be able to address the specific need.

The timeline for decisions: is up to 3-4 weeks for requests that meet the on-time deadline and up to 6-8 weeks for late requests. The evaluation process is paused during the HRE Housing Selection period.

Students will receive written notification of SAS’ decision to grant or deny the request.

SAS may consult with representatives from the following offices during the evaluation, including but not limited to: Emerson Wellness Center, Housing and Residential Education (HRE), and Facilities.

If the request is approved:

HRE is notified of approval decisions and manages the housing components which may include placement, reassignment, release from a housing contract and/or communication regarding necessary steps for the accommodation to be met. 
 

On-Campus Placement / Accessibility

• HRE will give priority to the student’s approved accommodation and collaborate with SAS on the housing placement.
• Spaces will be assigned in accordance with the HRE’s housing assignment timeline.
• Based on the available housing inventory, the placement offered to the student may or may not be the approved accommodation; at times a reasonable alternative may be offered.

Release from Housing Contract

• Students must complete the HRE Exemption Form before a release from the housing contract can be processed by HRE.

Emotional Support Animals

• There are additional steps that must be completed in order for permission to be granted by HRE for the animal to join a student on-campus. HRE will communicate the additional steps.

If the request is not approved:

If the accommodation request is not approved and the student believes the decision is unreasonable, they have 10 business days to provide additional supporting documentation to SAS for re-evaluation. The decision will be shared in writing from the Director, or their designee, and is final. Documentation should be uploaded to the SAS Portal, sent to sas [at] emerson.edu (sas[at]emerson[dot]edu), or faxed to 617.824.8941.

Students who believe they have been discriminated against by SAS staff during the interactive process or in the outcome of your request may pursue a formal grievance. The grievance process can be found here and the individual who plans to bring a grievance should notify the Office of Equal Opportunity in writing of that intention within 10 business days (oeo [at] emerson.edu (oeo[at]emerson[dot]edu)).

Important Information:

• Requests for specific housing accommodations based solely on a student’s preferences, rather than on a documented disability, will not meet the criteria for evaluation in SAS.
• Accommodation requests are for individual students only.
• Accommodation requests for specific roommates, suitemates, or residence halls cannot be considered.
• Returning students with a housing requirement who wish to reside with a specific roommate or suite group have the opportunity to participate in HRE Housing Selection to meet their preferences.
• Students who fall under the residency requirement are advised not make any binding financial commitments to alternative housing unless they have confirmation from the college that they've been officially released from the housing contract.
• Service Animal and Emotional Support Animal Policy

Documentation Guidelines for Housing Accommodation Requests

Documentation must be in the form of a typed letter and meet the following criteria:

• Current (within one year).
• Written by a qualified impartial professional who is treating you for the diagnosed disability. This provider should be the one you meet with most frequently and is the most familiar with your needs (examples include: physician, psychiatrist, psychologist/therapist or other licensed treatment provider). The writer should have expertise and experience in the area for which the accommodations are being requested. Documentation cannot be written by a family member.
• Letterhead (name, license/certification, area of specialization, employer, contact information, credentials).
• A valid signature or electronic signature.
• Written in English or officially translated to English.
• A clear diagnostic statement of disability (including DSM-V diagnosis, if applicable)
• Description of current symptoms (frequency, duration, severity)
• Impact the disability has on functioning in a residential environment.
• Dates of treatment including initial appointment/treatment, most recent evaluation, appointment frequency, etc.
• Types of treatment including medication, therapy, procedures, etc.
• A specific recommendation for requested accommodation.
• Rationale for necessity of accommodation and explanation for how it relates to treatment plan.
• Additional relevant information that will aid our office in evaluating the student’s request.

This documentation will be kept confidential and will be utilized only to determine the student’s eligibility for accommodations and type of accommodation required. Emerson reserves the right to determine the adequacy of the documentation provided and the right to request additional information as deemed necessary by the college to evaluate the request.

Documentation should be sent in one of the following ways:

• Uploaded to the SAS Portal (preferred)
• Email: SAS [at] emerson.edu (SAS[at]emerson[dot]edu)
• Fax: (617) 824-8941