Housing Accommodations Policy and Procedures

In compliance with Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, students with documented disabilities may request special housing accommodations within the context of current housing policies. Accommodation is determined on a case-by-case basis, according to documented need and prevailing standards for reasonable accommodation. When requesting reasonable accommodation, students are expected to have already applied for housing and met the eligibility requirements and priority deadlines set by the Office of Residence Life. Disability Services and the Learning Strategies team manage the housing accommodations process. Housing accommodations are made following confirmation of a student's disability status and the determination that a disability necessitates adjustments to the living environment within available housing options. With this in mind, the CIA has established procedures to ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to the CIA's housing resources.

Procedure

To ensure their request is accepted and reviewed, students must follow the procedures provided by the Learning Strategies team for requesting housing accommodation.

Complete the Housing application required by the Residential Housing Office via CIA Main Menu.

1. The Housing Accommodation form must be completed and submitted for each active housing application. Approval for housing accommodation in a past application period does not guarantee future approval. Housing Accommodation forms must be submitted by the stated deadline for consideration of requests. While applications for housing accommodations are considered after the priority deadline, approved accommodations are subject to the availability of housing.

Priority deadlines are 45 days prior to the start of the semester in which the student would need housing.

2. Appropriate documentation from an American Board-certified health provider needs to accompany the Housing Accommodation form. Documentation must be provided at the time the request is being considered and must be recent (within the last year of applying for housing). Failure to provide appropriate documentation will result in denial of the request. At a minimum, the documentation should include:A description of the accommodation that the clinician recommends be provided and for how long it will be needed.
   • A description of the disability that gives rise to the accommodation being requested.
   • An explanation of why the accommodation being requested is needed, based on that disability.
   • How long the clinician has treated the individual for the disability for which the accommodation is requested.
   • Any limitations as they relate to the accommodations requested.
   • The clinician's address, area of specialty, signature, and date of signature.

Documentation 

The following documents are not considered effective forms of documentation if submitted alone:

1. Handwritten patient records or notes from patient charts
2. Diagnoses on prescription pads
3. Self-evaluation found on the internet or in any print publication
4. Research articles
5. Once a student is approved for housing accommodation, Residence Life staff is informed of the approval, and the student will be assigned based on the recommendations and housing availability. Approval of housing accommodation does not guarantee that appropriate housing will be available. While living on campus is recommended, it is important to note that the CIA does not have a housing requirement.

For questions, students should contact the disability support specialist:

How Accommodation requests are reviewed/How students are informed

• A student's request for reasonable housing accommodations, along with supporting documentation from a medical provider, will be reviewed by a disability support specialist. There may be times when other departments familiar with the accommodation process may need to be convened into a committee for review or approval of a requested reasonable accommodation. Those departments include Residence Life, Counseling and Psychological Services, Student Health Services, Campus Safety, and/or Facilities Management.
• Accommodation decisions are final and will be provided to the student in writing. Approval for accommodation does not guarantee an available room. All room assignments are done based on availability. The disability support specialist may also make recommendations for accommodations that are not treated the same as required accommodations.